General Manager

Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market is a member-owned cooperative garden center rooted in Buffalo’s West Side. We provide quality plants, gardening supplies, and expert service while helping gardeners succeed through education, outreach, and guidance.

The General Manager (GM) is responsible for the entire operation of the Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market. This includes retail sales, store functions, financial performance, inventory management, marketing, and the leadership of all staff. The GM ensures that all business units are working together to maximize efficiency, profitability, and the overall customer experience. This leadership role combines deep horticultural knowledge with strong business management skills, while ensuring the cooperative market represents a welcoming and community-focused brand.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational leadership: Oversee the daily operations of the market activities including staffing, product sales and marketing, vendor relationships, event / workshop management, and communication with the co-op Board of Directors.
• Financial management: Develop and manage annual budgets, analyze costs, and implement strategies to drive sales and improve efficiency.
• Team management: Recruit, hire, train, and develop staff. Lead and motivate the team to provide outstanding customer service and maintain high standards of product quality.
• Merchandising and inventory: Supervise the purchasing and merchandising of all plants and market goods. Coordinate product rotation and ensure the maintenance of plant health and quality.
• Community Building: Customer service, to resolve customer complaints and foster a positive educational shopping experience, and collaboration with other businesses & co-operatives in the area. This role has a goal to recruit and engage with co-op member-owners - to grow the family!
• Horticultural Consultation: Offer expert advice to staff and customers.

Qualifications

• Horticultural knowledge: Possess deep expertise in plants, including care, identification, and pest and disease control.
• Business acumen: Demonstrate strong financial management, retail management, and strategic planning skills.
• Leadership and communication: Exhibit excellent people management skills, the ability to delegate, and effective communication across all levels of the business.
• Customer service: Showcase a passion for providing exceptional customer service and the ability to resolve issues effectively.
• Problem-solving: Possess strong analytical and critical-thinking skills to address operational challenges.
• Physical stamina: Have the ability to work on your feet for long hours in a range of weather conditions and to lift heavy items. [~40 lb]

Please see the full job posting on Indeed for additional details