Head of Horticulture

We have an exciting opportunity to join our client based in Reading as Head of Horticulture and contribute to the growth and success of a highly dynamic online retail company - the UK's largest online garden specialist!

Responsibilities:

• Lead and motivate a team of buyers and administrators to exceed company objectives, sales, margins and profit targets.
• Work with the finance teams to develop financial forward plans/budgets.
• Produce critical paths to co-ordinate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure plans are optimised and delivered. Maintain CP and update wider teams on changes when necessary.
• Effective communication of plans and any changes to all areas including wider buying team, marketing, directors to ensure imagery, video, page creation are completed in line with the plan and the opportunity maximised.
• Generate Monthly reporting for category sales / stock performance against budget/plan up to Director / Board Level.
• Liase with the customer service manager to drive the customer XP.
• Continue developing systems and processes for CS and suppliers to ensure effective communications to customers on growing times, availability and delivery.
• Develop growing and dropship programmes with buyers / nurseries / growers.
• Where needed develop training/coaching plans for team development and individual performance improvement.
• Manage stock control across multiple sites/nurseries - maximising the stock holding for peak periods and reducing wastage and stock loss.
• Drive retail standards and conversion rates, working with the marketing/content teams to continue to develop effective page templates.
• Working with the wider buying team to ensure hard goods related product sales opportunities are placed on product pages and plant requirements are fed back for sourcing/stocking (linked products).
• Liase with marketing teams and buyers to create promotional calendar.
• Work with the team on monitoring competitors, offers and pricing and amending the company offer to ensure we are competitive whilst ma
• Build and maintain relationships with suppliers/growers and nurseries using experience to aid the buyers in negotiations and development of our partnerships to maximise profits / service and exclusive opportunities.
• Develop plant specifications for the range and processes for checking and maintaining specification against deliverable products.
• Liase with logistics teams on outputs from nurseries to ensure smooth collection and delivery particularly around seasonal peaks.
• Work with logistics on packaging supply to nurseries and dropship suppliers. Recommend development and ongoing improvement of packaging to ensure