Nursery Manager

Nursery Manager, Spekboom Restoration Project
Nursery Department, Eastern Cape (Gqeberha), South Africa
Location: Jansenville
Reports to: Nursery Director
Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will revitalise landscapes, combat climate change, and promote sustainable agriculture? Join NatCarbon Africa: a mission-driven, proudly African organisation dedicated to high-quality implementation of large-scale carbon, climate, and biodiversity projects. We embrace the power of innovative technology to enhance project execution. Community engagement lies at the heart of our projects, driven by a genuine commitment to meaningful and inclusive participation and co-benefits, such as biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic upliftment.
NatCarbon Africa seeks a Nursery Manager in the Nursery Department for the large-scale Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa.
With our partner, Imperative Global, our aim is to restore up to 100,000 hectares of degraded subtropical thicket biome. The Project entails planting Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) on privately owned land to improve ecosystem functioning and agricultural productivity over time, promote biodiversity, improve soil filtration, enhance water storage capabilities, and to reduce soil erosion. The Project is estimated to permanently store large quantities of Carbon Dioxide over the Project life, thus positively contributing towards climate change mitigation.
Position Summary:
The Nursery Manager is the senior operational leader responsible for all aspects of the Spekboom Restoration Project nursery in Jansenville, Eastern Cape. The incumbent will direct the production of 20 - 30 million high quality Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) plants per annum using the Ellepot propagation system. The role is structured around leadership of an Integrated Management Team (IMT) with two coordinated arms: a company-side team comprising IPT administrative, junior horticulturalist, supervisory, and quality control staff supported by the Head of Horticulture, who ensures Standard Operating Procedures are followed and provides technical governance; and a service-provider arm, led by the Service Provider's Operations Manager, who is accountable for all operational staff and day-to-day
operations within the nursery. The Nursery Manager holds overall accountability for integrating these two arms into a single, high-performing operation. The role demands plant nursery expertise, contract management skills, operational management capability at scale, and a commitment to quality systems that support large-scale plant production.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Production Management
Plan, direct, and oversee the propagation of 20 million saleable-quality Spekboom plants per annum using the Ellepot system, from cutting procurement through to dispatch.
Ensure company health and safety protocols are observed across all levels of staff and service provider employees.
Set and maintain annual, quarterly, and monthly production targets aligned to field planting schedules and IPT restoration programme commitments.
Oversee that productivity reporting data is collected, analysed and reported on against established norms set out in the service providers management agreement.
Oversee quality screening and rogueing protocols at all defined intervention points (placing, end of rooting, grow-out, and dispatch), ensuring compliance with the Plant Quality Index (PQI) and all relevant Standard Operating Procedures.
Work with the service provider to optimise propagation cycles to maximise throughput, minimise losses, and meet saleable plant cost targets.
People and Team Leadership
Lead the Integrated Management Team (IMT), directing the company-side team IPT administrative, junior horticulturalist, supervisory, and quality control staff in coordination with the Head of Horticulture, who provides technical governance and SOP oversight.
Provide direct line management to the Service Provider's Operations Manager, setting clear objectives, conducting performance reviews, and holding the service provider arm accountable for all operational staff and day-to-day nursery operations.
Oversee the Administrative and Data Officer and Quality Controller on the company side, ensuring their outputs, data integrity, compliance documentation, and quality conformance meet IPT standards.
Build and maintain a high-performing, safety - conscious nursery team through clear communication, coaching, and consistent accountability.
Ensure all staff are adequately trained and competent in their roles, including induction to Ellepot system operation, biosecurity procedures, and digital data capture systems.
Manage seasonal labour requirements in coordination with the Service Provider Operations Manager, including planning, recruitment, and onboarding for peak production periods.
Quality Assurance and Compliance
Serve as the ultimate quality authority for the nursery, accountable for all plants meeting PQI specifications prior to dispatch.
Implement, maintain, and review all nursery Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), including harvesting, propagation, rogueing, irrigation, fertilisation, and pest and disease management.
Ensure all quality data is captured accurately and timeously in MyCrops and the KoBo digital field system, and that records are reconciled and maintained for audit purposes.
Lead the nursery's response to disease outbreaks, abiotic stress events, or production failures, including root cause analysis and corrective action.
Financial and Administrative Oversight
Manage the nursery operating budget, monitoring expenditure against targets and reporting variances to the Nursery Director on a monthly basis.
Authorise nursery-level procurement in accordance with IPT delegated authority thresholds, ensuring cost-effective sourcing of media, inputs, equipment, and consumables.
Work with the Finance and Administration Officer to ensure accurate cost of production tracking, supplier invoice processing, and financial record-keeping aligned to IPT reporting requirements.
Prepare and submit weekly and monthly operational reports to the Nursery Director covering production performance, quality metrics, financial position, and risk items.
Data, Systems, and Reporting
Oversee the integrity of all nursery data in MyCrops, including plant inventory, batch traceability, rogueing records, and dispatch logs.
Direct the Administrative and Data Officer in maintaining the Rogueing Register, scouting forms, and all associated SharePoint documentation.
Produce regular management information for the Nursery Director, including production dashboards, quality trend analysis, and forecast updates.
Health, Safety, and Environmental Compliance
Ensure the nursery operates in full compliance with applicable South African occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation.
Maintain and enforce biosecurity protocols, including phytosanitary procedures for incoming cutting material, visitor access controls, and hygiene standards across all propagation environments.
Champion responsible environmental practices, including water use efficiency, waste management, and avoidance of prohibited chemical inputs.
General:
This role requires supervising teams in remote outdoor environments and involves physical activity
Embrace a culture of continuous learning by adapting to evolving job responsibilities, driven by NatCarbon Africa’s commitment to innovation, personal growth, and shifting operational priorities.
Some travel within the Eastern and Western Cape may be required, including to remote locations, with occasional weekend or holiday work to accommodate schedules.
Work hours may be irregular.
This outline of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. The employer reserves the right to assign additional duties or responsibilities at any time, provided they are reasonably aligned with the scope of the role or necessitated by operational requirements. The functions and responsibilities detailed within this job description may be subject to modification at the employer’s discretion, based on evolving operational requirements, while remaining consistent with the parameters of the employee’s position.
Qualifications:
A relevant tertiary qualification in Horticulture, Agriculture, Plant Science, Forestry or a related field at NQF Level 6 or above (BTech, B.Sc., or equivalent).
A pos

Employment type
Fixed-term

Work arrangement
No