Projects Manager (Soft Landscaping)

Job Title: Projects Manager (Soft Landscaping)
Pay Grade: £35,000 – £45,000 – based on experience and qualifications
Holiday: 28 days holiday (includes Bank Holidays) with an additional day for every 2 years service
Birthday Day: All employees have their Birthday as paid holiday
Reporting Relationships: Reporting to – Matteo Ferrero (Horticultural Director & Aftercare Manager). Managing – six teams of horticulturalists and a dedicated projects team when required
Development Path: Ultimately, this post has the possibility of becoming a director.

Benefits:
–   All employees receive an annual bonus based on company performance and employee performance
–   Profit share is given upon proven strong commitment to the company over time

• Use of company van when required
• Company phone
• All employees have their Birthday as paid holiday
• Flexible working hours, where appropriate

Start Date: 27th February 2023 (or soonest possible date after)

Company Mission Statement: To become a world-renown design studio known for sustainable, contemporary design and be the number one aftercare and soft landscaping company in London when looking for a high end and highly personable service with impeccable attention to detail. To develop a loyal client base through word of mouth and effective sources, increasing revenue and profit margins without sacrificing quality. To measure and reduce our carbon footprint year on year, being valued as a sustainable net zero company by 2030 and not damaging the planet for profit.

– Website: https://www.harryholding.co.uk/
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harryholdingdesign/

Working with us:
We are a team of young, keen horticulturalists and designers and we love what we do. The business has three branches – garden design, soft landscaping and garden aftercare – meaning that the role is varied and that we are involved with a host of exciting projects. We have appeared on Channel 4’s Grand Designs, won multiple awards and will be exhibiting a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023.

Being a part of the team, every day is a joy – working hard to achieve our high standards and having a good laugh whilst doing so. We have a wonderful array of high end clients who we know well and who respect the work that we do.

We are looking for someone who is ready to take that next step in their career and develop the projects side of the business, becoming a key player in a growing company with endless opportunities. The right candidate will have the same tenacious motivation to get stuck into the business and our exciting projects, creating and caring for inspiring, magical gardens and will be properly recognised and rewarded for their valuable contribution.

Job Summary:
Source, secure and manage soft landscaping projects, both small and large, from their inception through to their completion.

Grow the projects side of the company to the point where it is viable to have a dedicated projects team.

Unite both the aftercare and projects sides of the company, working closely with aftercare-specific managers to ensure that the business operates efficiently and that systems are continually improving.

Assist with the management of the horticultural aftercare teams to deliver the highest standards held by the company.

Be dynamic and adaptable, managing time effectively between the two distinct elements of the role.

Ensure that the company as a whole, is continually growing, increasing profit margins and upholding its relationship.

Embody the company ethos and develop sustainable practices.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Project Management – Managing soft landscaping projects from initial site meetings through to sign-off.
• Business Development – Grow and develop the projects side of the company. Initially filling gaps in the schedule for the current 6 aftercare teams with a view to grow to a point where a dedicated projects team is viable.
• Service Quotations & Schedules – Deal with enquiries for new project work, as they arise, without delay. Visit the site, meet with clients, where possible, and draw up quotations and a programme of works as soon as you can, but at most within a week of visiting the site.
• Purchasing & Supplier Relations – Planning & purchasing materials for projects to ensure efficient and productive workflow. Maintain relationships with existing suppliers and develop/ foster strong relationships with new suppliers, always looking for new and innovative products.
• Site Visits / Service Monitoring – Visiting sites as regularly as required. Monitoring progress and ensuring that work is carried out to our high standard, communicating with clients to see that they are satisfied with the service they are receiving. Where service levels are below acceptable standards, act immediately to remedy the situation before clients complain.
• Sign-Off & Project Completion – Carrying out sign-off visits and creating snagging lists, where required. Having an efficient transition from project into aftercare, overseeing and securing a maintenance contract.
• Scheduling & Salesforce – Effective use of our Field Service Management software, Salesforce, to schedule and implement projects. Working closely with the aftercare managers to accommodate projects into the routine schedule and assisting with the effective running of the aftercare schedule, where required.
• Profitability Monitoring & Timesheets – Monitoring of the profitability of projects to ensure margins are continually improving. Monitoring employees/ subcontractors timesheets to ensure that information is correctly input into Salesforce and work is carried out on time.
• Invoicing – Ensuring you have correct information for client billing and that information is provided in an efficient and timely manner to the finance director for invoicing.
• Completion Notes & Implementing Extras – Daily monitoring of ‘completion notes’ on Salesforce and regular communication with management to ensure that all requests above and beyond the normal maintenance contracts are enacted in a timely manner. Quoting for and implementing these ‘extras’, ie new plants for an aftercare client, ensuring these are enacted according to plan.
• Good Awareness of Health & Safety (H&S) – Assisting with reporting and record keeping. Ensuring H&S compliance of the teams and that policies are upheld. Undertaking H&S training as required.
• Managing Tools, Materials & Yard – Make sure that staff have the tools and materials that they need to deliver the service efficiently and to a high standard. Ensuring the yard is managed efficiently, monitoring and replenishing stocks of materials and managing waste. Assisting with management tools and replenishing ‘perishable’ tools.
• Van – Assist with management and care of company vans, where required.
• Recruitment & Training – Assist with recruitment of new employees and managing existing employees’ human resources & queries. Assisting with inductions and training employees to have the skills required to effectively carry out projects.
• Social Media – Assisting with gathering content for social media platforms.

Personal Management: 

• • You are expected to arrive promptly for work.
  • Emails should be filed regularly and responded to in an efficient and professional manner.
  • We expect all staff to join in with company events and socials where possible to help build relationships with fellow team members and to build team morale.
  • All staff are expected to uphold the company values.

Day-to-day activities:
Split of workload will vary from week to week and a dynamic, adaptable approach is required. Initially, whilst the projects side of the company is growing, there will be more involvement in assisting with the aftercare practices. As the company and projects side grows, effective time management will be required to fulfil all required aspects of the role. Typically a week may involve:

• 2 days working from the yard – 77D King Henrys Road, London, NW3 3QU – being ‘on the ground’ to most effectively collaborate with other managers and fulfil certain roles / responsibilities
• 2 days working from home on project management and assisting with aftercare management
• 1 day managing teams and projects, client meetings, quoting, visiting sites, conducting meetings

Qualifications and Skills:

• A recognised horticultural qualification and previous experience in horticultural and project management are essential.
• Full and clean UK driving license.
• Training and career development, within the role, is expected.
• Great communicator who can effectively listen and has the ability to follow up promptly on internal and external emails and queries.
• Organised and proactive with good operational planning (strong project management skill set).
• Excellent interpersonal skills, you will be liaising with clients and designers so this is a key requirement.
• Excellent organisational and influencing skills.
• Be competent at administrative tasks and have advanced PC skills including Excel, Pages (or Word) & PowerPoint, invoicing, ordering, scheduling and Google Drive.
• First class customer service skills.
• Must be able to work on own initiative with a proactive and flexible attitude.
• The ability to be flexible to meet the needs and demands of the role.
• Excellent time management organisation and focus on ability to prioritise and multi-task with clear ability to focus on detail.
• Ability to work well within a team.
• Ability to demonstrate a passion for the Harry Holding Studio brand.
• Comprehensive plant knowledge.
• Experience with power tools including pedestrian mowers, scarifiers, hedge trimers, power washers, strimmers, drills, wacker plates etc.
• Experience with irrigation systems and water features.