Chief Forester Jobs (NOW HIRING)

🌱 We’re Looking for Our Integrator/Chief Operating Officer — The Most Important Hire We’ll Ever Make

Native Forest Nursery is growing fast, and we’re looking for a rare kind of leader.

We’re not looking for another manager. We’re looking for an Integrator — the person who takes our vision and makes it real. Someone who thrives on execution, loves building systems, and knows how to lead a team with clarity and accountability.

This is an opportunity to help build something special. You will partner directly with the founder, have real authority to make decisions, build a world-class leadership team and play a central role in shaping the future of the business!

A statement from the founder regarding this role “After building Native Forest Nursery over the past 10 years, I'm looking for a true partner who can help us scale the business while preserving the culture that's made us successful. If that sounds like you, I'd love to talk.”

About Native Forest Nursery

We are a multi-region nursery and horticulture company operating in Georgia and New York, with growth into the Mid-Atlantic underway. We grow, source, and supply high-quality nursery stock to restoration, ornamental, fulfillment, and commercial customers. We’re a company with a clear mission, a strong culture, and an ambitious long-term growth plan.

Our Core Values

•     Vested in Customer Outcomes

•     Quality Products That Make an Impact

•     Best Service in the Industry

•     Hard Work

•     Kingdom Purpose

What This Role Is

The Integrator reports directly to our CEO/Visionary and is responsible for running the company day-to-day. You will lead a five-person management team — Sales, Production, Inventory & Shipping, Finance, and our NY Region — and own the P&L. This role will have full operational authority, accountability and responsibility. The Integrator takes the company vision and growth plan and turns it into reality by leading a high performance team of senior managers and conferring with CEO on priorities and action plans.

Our company runs on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and in EOS terms, this is a true Integrator seat. You LMA: Lead, Manage, and hold people Accountable. You run the Level 10 Leadership Meeting. You execute the vision. You remove obstacles. You build the systems that let this company scale. Information on EOS is widely available and two terrific books on the topic are Rocket Fuel describing the powerful relationship of Visionary/CEO and Integrator/COO and Traction describing the EOS tools and system.

What You’ll Own

•     Full P&L responsibility for Native Forest Nursery

•     Leadership of the five-person management team through weekly one-on-ones and the Level 10 Leadership meeting

•     Execution of the company’s quarterly Goals and 1-Year Plan

•     Cash flow management through our seasonal business cycles

•     Operational alignment between our Georgia and New York regions

•     Capital project prioritization, communication, and implementation

•     EOS adoption and cadence across the full organization

Where We’re Going

•     We are a growing and profitable business with ambitious plans for the next decade. We are looking to expand our reach geographically and to diversify into new product lines and business avenues.

Who You Are

•     You’ve run operations in a growing, multi-site business — ideally in agriculture, horticulture, distribution, or a similarly complex environment

•     You are great at developing current managers into the leaders the business will need to maintain growth

•     You’re a strong financial operator — comfortable owning a P&L, cash flow, and making expense decisions

•     You lead people with clarity and accountability — your teams know what’s expected and they deliver

•     You’re calm when a CEO brings ten ideas at once — you filter and prioritize without losing confidence

•     You know EOS — or you’ve been running like EOS without knowing what to call it and are willing to adopt it formally

•     You’re a builder, not a maintainer — you’re energized by a company that’s still figuring things out

•     You’re willing to travel between Georgia, Maryland and New York regularly

•     You are great managing competing priorities within your team and resolving the conflicts that arise naturally from high performing teams

Compensation & Details

•     Full-time, salaried position reporting directly to the CEO

•     Competitive base salary range of $125 to $175k per year depending on experience and qualifications

•     Performance bonus tied to EBITDA results and Goal completion

•     Company vehicle or vehicle allowance for regional travel

•     This is a senior leadership role with full operational authority — you will lead the day to day operations of the company while partnering closely with the CEO to execute the vision

To apply or make an introduction, reach out directly to Chad at Native Forest Nursery. We’re not looking for the most impressive resume. We’re looking for the right person.

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