Job post summary
Date posted: March 17, 2026
Pay: $52,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year
Job description:
Madison Gardens Nursery
Indio, California
Full-Time | Leadership Role | Retail + Horticulture
Madison Gardens is a boutique garden center in the Coachella Valley focused on beautiful desert-adapted plants, statement pottery, specialty trees, and curated garden lifestyle goods. We blend horticultural expertise with elevated retail presentation and design-forward merchandising.
We’re looking for a strong, hands-on Garden Center Manager to help lead the next phase.
Position Overview
The Garden Center Manager oversees daily operations, team leadership, merchandising, inventory, plant health, customer experience, and overall store presentation.
It is a hands-on leadership position for someone who understands retail business, visual merchandising, and how to build and motivate a strong team.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee day-to-day garden center operations
- Manage inventory levels (plants, pottery, fertilizers, giftware, water features)
- Review sales performance
- Monitor labor scheduling and productivity
- Coordinate receiving, pricing, tagging, and vendor management
- Maintain clean, organized front and back of house
- Support seasonal planning and buying strategy
- Merchandising & Display
- Curate compelling plant and pottery displays
- Elevate presentation standards throughout the nursery
- Ensure strong front-entry and feature displays
- Manage signage and pricing clarity
- Maintain a visually cohesive and premium shopping environment
Plant & Product Knowledge
- Ensure plant health and proper irrigation practices
- Support the training of staff on product knowledge
- Oversee quality control on incoming plant material
Leadership & Team Management
- Lead, coach, and develop retail team members
- Foster a positive, energetic, accountable culture
- Conduct hiring, onboarding, and training
- Set clear expectations and hold team accountable
- Support sales training
Customer Experience
- Deliver exceptional customer service
- Assist customers with product selection and problem-solving
- Build relationships with repeat clients
- Resolve issues professionally and efficiently
Qualifications
- 3+ years retail management experience (garden center a plus)
- Strong understanding of retail operations and merchandising
- Experience managing staff and building team culture
- Knowledge of plants a plus
- Ability to work outdoors in seasonal conditions
- Strong organizational skills
- Comfortable using POS systems and tracking basic sales metrics
- Passion for garden products, design, and customer service
What We’re Looking For
We want someone who:
- Takes pride in presentation and detail
- Thinks like a business owner
- Loves and understands retail
- Is proactive and solutions-oriented
- Can lead from the front — not just manage from behind
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive salary (based on experience)
- Performance incentives
- Opportunity to grow with a dynamic, expanding business
- Employee product discounts
- Leadership opportunity in a design-driven nursery environment
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
Work Location: In person
