General Manager

General Manager

Loxahatchee, FL  •  Full-Time  •  On-Site

Are you an experienced horticultural leader who thrives at the intersection of operations and finance? Are you ready to leverage your team-building and leadership skills, along with your industry expertise and growing experience, in a role that will drive a company's growth and success? Would you excel in a position that utilizes your entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, strong communication skills, financial acumen, and provides you the autonomy to define the strategic objectives that will maximize growth? Would a career opportunity to play a significant role with a highly respected and innovative tropical plant grower appeal to you?

Position Overview

Excelsa Gardens, an established wholesale tropical plant grower serving independent garden centers, commercial and residential landscapers, and municipalities in the West Palm Beach, FL, area, seeks a General Manager (GM) to guide the company through its next phase of growth. This combined operations-and-finance leadership role reports directly to the Owner/CEO. The GM will own day-to-day operations across all growing facilities, drive cost-conscious financial management, and support the Owner/CEO’s sales strategy. Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is preferred for the company’s diverse, multicultural production workforce.

Reports To	Owner/CEO
Direct Reports	All department managers and staff
Location	Loxahatchee, FL (on-site)
Travel	Up to 10% (trade shows, customer/supplier visits)
Language	Bilingual English/Spanish preferred
FLSA Status	Exempt, Full-Time

Key Responsibilities

I. Operations Management

•       Provide day-to-day leadership of all growing, production, shipping, and maintenance operations. Assume full responsibility for these teams within 30-60 days of the start date.

•       Oversee production goal setting, forecasting, and scheduling for all departments; ensure forecasts translate into executable daily practices.

•       Work with the Inventory Manager across all plant categories, tracking on-hand quantities, crop stage, shrinkage, disease loss, and unsellable stock to minimize waste and maximize turn.

•       Implement and maintain cost-accounting systems that accurately capture COGS per plant category, including labor, media, containers, fertilizer, chemicals, heating, and propagation inputs.

•       Drive process optimization and continuous improvement across all departments using lean principles and data-driven decision-making.

•       Manage supply chain and logistics, including vendor selection and purchasing efficiency.

•       Initiate and manage capital projects (greenhouse expansions, automation, fleet upgrades), including CapEx evaluation.

•       Maintain the company’s Quality System, environmental compliance, and a zero-tolerance standard for unsafe work conditions.

II. Financial Management

•       Create and enforce annual budgets. Conduct weekly variance analysis and report adherence to ownership.

•       Own the P&L and deliver revenue and margin targets. Prepare monthly financial statements (balance sheet, P&L, production variance reports) and review them with the CEO.

•       Design and maintain a daily performance dashboard tracking KPIs: revenue, production output, labor efficiency, cost per unit, shrinkage rate, and order fulfillment.

•       Lead long-term financial planning, forecasting, and capital allocation aligned with seasonal cash flow cycles and nursery expansion objectives.

•       Establish internal controls over purchasing, payroll (including seasonal workers), and sales invoicing.

•       Coordinate annual audits and tax filings with external partners.

•       Ensure compliance with applicable tax, agricultural, and land-use regulations.

•       Assess financial risks (crop loss, weather, market fluctuations) and manage banking relationships and lines of credit.

III. Sales Support & Growth

•       Support the Owner/CEO’s sales strategy by analyzing product-line profitability and optimizing pricing in collaboration with growers and sales staff.

•       Assist the CEO/Sales Manager in setting monthly goals, commission structures, and accountability systems.

•       Evaluate and implement ERP or specialized software to integrate production, financial, and sales data.

•       Represent the firm with clients, investors, vendors, and business partners as needed.

IV. People & Team Leadership

•       Build, lead, and develop a high-performance management team. Attract, recruit, and retain key talent. Make recommendations on hiring and termination.

•       Hold managers accountable for results while mentoring them through a structured career-development program. Lead by example.

•       Oversee HR functions including onboarding, training, performance management, labor-law compliance, and safety programs; ensure proper distribution of labor across teams.

•       Foster a success-oriented, accountable culture; facilitate communication and conflict resolution.

•       Maintain continuous communication with the CEO on critical issues, opportunities, and risks; lead strategic growth initiatives and develop operational infrastructure.

Required Qualifications

•       Experience: Minimum of 7 years of operations leadership in horticulture, greenhouse, nursery, or related agricultural operations. Previous GM or senior operations role preferred.

•       Financial Acumen: Demonstrated expertise in budgeting, P&L management, cost accounting, financial reporting, and KPI dashboard development, including modeling and COGS analysis.

•       Industry Knowledge: Understanding of horticulture/foliage-production, including biological asset lifecycles, crop scheduling, and seasonal demand cycles.

•       Technology: Intermediate to advanced MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and QuickBooks Online. ERP, nursery software, or Power BI/dashboard tool experience strongly preferred.

•       Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Agriculture, Horticulture, Finance, or related field. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

•       Leadership & Organization: Proven ability to influence, motivate, and manage multiple teams in a production environment. Superior organizational, time-management, and administrative skills.

Preferred Qualifications

•       Previous GM experience within a commercial nursery, greenhouse, or foliage operation.

•       Master’s degree (MBA), or Lean/Six Sigma certification.

•       Bilingual: Proficient in English and Spanish. Able to deliver training and manage daily workforce communications in Spanish as necessary.

•       Track record of implementing ERP or nursery software integrations.

•       Experience managing capital projects (greenhouse construction, automation, fleet).

Physical Requirements

•       Regularly lift up to 50 lbs.

•       Must stand, walk, stoop, climb ladders, and work on uneven terrain, on foot or aboard moving equipment.

•       Ability to work outdoors at times (day and night) in temperatures ranging from below 32°F (frost protection) to 100–110°F.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary reflects the seniority and impact of this role and aligns with senior leadership roles in the industry. The role also carries a meaningful annual performance bonus tied to revenue, margin, and operational KPI targets. Benefit details will be shared during the interview process. Qualified candidates will have a path to equity participation as the company grows.

 

The General Manager position is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced horticultural operations and finance leader to be a valued contributor to the next phase of growth at Excelsa Gardens. If you are interested in this role, we would like to hear from you.

 

Excelsa Gardens, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This job description outlines the general nature and level of work performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties, and skills. Management reserves the right to amend responsibilities as business needs change.

Interested applicants please send resumes to colin@excelsagardens.com