Lead Hand (2 Positions)

Lead Hands (2 positions)
Do you have experience growing trees, shrubs, perennials or potted stock in the field or a greenhouse environment? Are you an experienced supervisor who leads by example?
Ferguson Tree Nursery has 2 Full Time, Seasonal (March/April to November/December) Lead Hand positions available. These positions will report to the Section Growers for Potted Stock and Bareroot Stock and help organize and execute the Work Orders, often supervising a crew to ensure the work is done in a timely fashion and to a high standard.
The ideal candidate is someone who enjoy being outside and likes physical work (bending and lifting), has good attention to detail to ensure the seedlings are taken care of, can work in a team or alone, is self-motivated, and can be flexible with shifts to account for Mother Nature. In addition, the Lead Hand must be able to organize work, mentor and motivate staff to improve performance and efficiency and have excellent communication skills to work with a variety of Nursery staff and customers.
Position Description:
These 2 positions take a lead role in the production of either potted stock or bareroot seedlings at the Ferguson Tree Nursery by working directly with the products and by leading the team to accomplish the work.
Duties: depending on the position, may include:
• Potting or transplanting
• Seeding
• Fertilizing
• Irrigation
• Record keeping
• Inventory
• Weeding
• Pruning
• Thinning
• Spraying
• Packing
Qualifications:
• Physically capable of doing the duties identified
• Ability to work alone or in a team environment
• Demonstrated ability to supervise, motivate and mentor a team, demonstrating excellent communications, team building, and collaboration skills
• Ability to work flexible hours with some variations to schedule due to weather and work load (early starts due to heat, longer hours during harvesting and shipping, time off due to inclement weather)
• Ability to work in various climatic conditions including rain, heat and cold
• Willing to follow all appropriate laws and nursery policies
• Capable of taking work direction and following through
• Self-motivated
• Health and Safety for Employees and for Supervisors as required by the Ontario Ministry of Labour or willingness to achieve before employment (this is available online)
• Capable of repeated lifting of products weighing up to 25kg.
Safety Hazards:
• Bending and lifting requirements
• Limited exposure to various agricultural and nursery specific chemicals and fertilizers
Equipment requirements:
• Green patch safety boots
• Weather appropriate clothing
Compensation: Ferguson Tree Nursery offers a competitive compensation package including:
• Wages $18-$19.50 per hour to start with a review after 3 months depending on experience, knowledge and capabilities.
• $150 boot/clothing allowance
• Opportunity to participate in our year-end bonus program
This is a seasonal position that is expected to last until mid-to-late November, weather depending. Hours of work are typically 8:00-4:30am however longer hours may be required during the busy season. In addition, hours may change to meet weather conditions. Shifts are 5 days per week and will include some weekends. Alternative work schedules may be followed depending on production needs, climate or staffing needs.
To apply, please email your cover letter and resume to careers@fergusontreenursery.ca 

We will review your resume and get back to you if we would like to schedule an interview.

For assistance with job search and application preparation, unemployed individuals are invited to register with CSE Consulting. For more information about the benefits of registering with CSE, please contact us in Kemptville at 613-258-6576 or in Prescott at 613-925-0222.