Retail and Nursery Associate

At ECHO, we are dedicated to empowering smallholder farmers and communities through sustainable agricultural solutions. As a Retail and Nursery Associate at the Welcome & Resource Center, you will play a key role in supporting our mission by assisting guests, sharing knowledge about our resources, facilitating sales, and ensuring a welcoming and engaging experience. This role involves a variety of responsibilities, including retail operations, guest services, and nursery care. Your passion for plants, hospitality, and community empowerment will contribute to our global efforts in combating hunger and improving lives.

SUMMARY
The Retail and Nursery Associate is responsible for providing an outstanding guest experience, upholding ECHO’s mission and core values, facilitating sales transactions, and supporting the operations and maintenance of the Welcome & Resource Center, nursery, and front office.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Welcome & Resource Center

1. Welcome and greet guests warmly, ensuring a positive first impression.
2. Answer incoming calls, provide appropriate responses, and route calls as necessary.
3. Ensure a high level of guest experience by assisting visitors and responding to inquiries.
4. Assess guest needs and provide knowledgeable recommendations on available resources.
5. Be proactive in promoting sales, advertising, and utilizing marketing techniques to enhance engagement.
6. Process sales and returns accurately and efficiently.
7. Maintain a fully stocked, organized, and clean sales floor.
8. Fulfill online Resource Center and phone orders promptly.
9. Assist with the annual Resource Center/nursery inventory audit.
10. Receive and sort incoming mail; assist staff with postage as needed.
11. Facilitate ECHO tours by welcoming guests, collecting payments, and processing registration forms.
12. Perform other duties as assigned.

Nursery (under the direction of the Nursery Manager)

1. Assist guests by providing accurate information about plant characteristics and care.
2. Help guests select appropriate plants based on their region and environmental conditions.
3. Offer solutions for plant care challenges to promote guest success.
4. Identify common pests and diseases and recommend effective control measures.
5. Maintain plants in a salable condition through proper watering, fertilization, pruning, and pest control.
6. Design and maintain aesthetically pleasing plant displays.
7. Create and maintain accurate plant labels to ensure inventory accuracy.
8. Receive and process plant orders.
9. Regularly inspect plants for damage, disease, or infestations.
10. Remove unsalable or diseased plants and adjust inventory accordingly.
11. Apply pest and disease control measures as needed, following appropriate training.
12. Maintain herbs and vegetable plants through proper care techniques.
13. Work with volunteers to provide meaningful experiences while maintaining the nursery and landscape.
14. Assist with landscaping maintenance around the nursery.
15. Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Must subscribe to the ECHO Statement of Faith or Apostle’s Creed and embody ECHO’s core values.
2. Ability to use or learn basic computer systems.
3. Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to read, write, and respond professionally to guests, peers, and management.
4. Ability to multitask while maintaining a guest-focused and flexible approach.
5. Enthusiastic, friendly, and energetic with a commitment to excellent guest experience.
6. Availability to work some weekends.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

• Positions directly supervised: None
• Positions indirectly supervised: None

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

1. High school diploma or equivalent (GED) required.
2. Previous experience in retail, sales, guest services, or cash handling preferred.
3. Horticultural knowledge or experience (e.g., plant nursery, landscaping, or gardening) preferred.
4. Knowledge of and/or interest in tropical plants.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
This position involves both indoor and outdoor work. Weather conditions may include heat, rain, and wind. The general environment is typically quiet but may become fast-paced due to urgent tasks and deadlines. The role requires the ability to handle pressure constructively and be flexible with business needs.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Employees must meet the following physical requirements to successfully perform job duties:

• Stand for at least two consecutive hours.
• Walk, use hands, talk, and hear regularly.
• Perform fine motor tasks such as typing and using a computer mouse or telephone.
• Reach with hands and arms frequently.
• Sit, stoop, kneel, and crouch occasionally.
• Lift and/or move up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Maintain visual acuity for close and distant vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and focus adjustments.

POSITION TYPE AND EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK:
This is a full-time position. Workdays and hours may vary based on business needs.

TRAVEL:
None.

OTHER DUTIES:
This job description is not exhaustive and may be subject to change. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may be modified at any time with or without notice.

AAP/EEO STATEMENT:
ECHO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe it is our moral and legal obligation to meet the responsibility of ensuring that all management practices regarding employees are conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner.

In compliance with Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and other applicable federal and state statutes, all recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting for all job classifications will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status, genetic information, or other applicable status protected by law, including state of employment protected classes.  It is, therefore, our policy and intention to evaluate all employees and prospective employees strictly according to the requirements of the job.

ECHO is a Christian religious-affiliated organization; and as such, is not subject to religious discrimination requirements. ECHO’s hiring practices and EEO discrimination practices are in full compliance with both federal and state law. Federal law creates an exception to the “religion” component of the employment discrimination laws for religious organizations and permits them to give employment practice preference to members of their own religious beliefs.