BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group · 10 hours ago
Chief Operating Officer
Newport News, VA
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
5+ years expBEST Human Capital & Advisory Group is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to oversee the daily operations and strategic growth of two garden center retail locations in Virginia. The role involves ensuring operational excellence, driving sales performance, and maintaining high standards of customer service and merchandising.
Management Consulting
Hiring Manager
Todd Downing
Responsibilities
Oversee daily operations of both garden centers, ensuring consistency in processes, policies, and customer service standards
Develop and implement operational strategies that improve efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction
Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate managers and staff to promote engagement, accountability, and performance
Schedule and allocate staff resources to meet peak business demands, with emphasis on weekends
Drive sales performance by ensuring effective merchandising, seasonal promotions, and high-quality customer interactions
Monitor sales data and KPIs to identify growth opportunities and adjust strategies accordingly
Ensure plant health, inventory rotation, and merchandising standards are consistently met
Partner with vendors, growers, and suppliers to maintain quality and availability of products
Develop and manage budgets, sales forecasts, and expense control measures for both locations
Provide regular operational and financial reports to ownership/executive leadership
Maintain compliance with company policies, industry standards, and local/state regulations
Ensure safe working environments for employees and customers
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in horticulture, agriculture, business administration, or a related field. Or equivalent experience
Minimum of 5 years in retail management, with multi-location oversight preferred
At least 2 years of direct experience in a garden center, nursery, or related horticultural retail environment
Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire and develop teams
Excellent business acumen with proven ability to meet sales and profitability goals
Solid knowledge of plant care, horticulture, and garden retail operations
Exceptional organizational, communication, and customer service skills
Ability to work weekends and extended retail hours as required
Proactive, adaptable, and able to work in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment
Strong communication skills with the ability to lead and motivate a team
Passionate about providing consumers with an epic experience
Preferred
Restaurant experience is a plus as the employee will be overseeing two high-volume restaurants inside of the garden centers in both Newport News and Virginia Beach
Benefits
Performance-based bonus potential when meeting KPI requirements.
Benefits package including health, dental, vision. Plan details available.
An aggressive 401k with a 4% match.
Employee discounts on products.
Company Vehicle for traveling to and from sites.
Company
BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group
BHCA Group is a business advisory/consulting and retained executive search firm that specializes in small-to-medium-sized companies.
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
Christopher Cimaglio
Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Joni Downing
Managing Partner, CFO & Co-Founder
Company data provided by crunchbase