Job Description

Interim Shop Manager (Full-Time, Fixed-Term Leave Coverage, approximately 12 weeks)

Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) is the leading destination in Toronto to experience sustainable horticulture and to better understand our collective role as stewards of our ecosystem. With free admission and over 300,000 visitors a year, TBG welcomes everyone to learn to love plants. Beyond an inspiring plant oasis, we are a dynamic community hub and an engaging learning environment.

In partnership with the City of Toronto, TBG is embarking on an exciting landmark capital expansion. Today, the Garden is a 4-acre botanical garden nestled in the City of Toronto's Park System, adjacent to Edwards Gardens and the Wilket Creek Trail. As the Garden prepares to expand its managerial oversight across thirty-five acres (in a phased approach), the organization is scaling up to achieve sustained organizational performance as a relevant and inspiring living museum.

Toronto Botanical Garden connects people and plants, fostering sustainable communities and developing reciprocal relationships with nature through lifelong learning.

It is within this context that Toronto Botanical Garden invites applications for the position of Interim Retail Manager to join TBG on its journey of continued growth as an inspired plant place, an engaging learning environment, and a dynamic community hub.

Position Summary

The Garden Shop is a vital guest touchpoint and revenue driver, offering inspired merchandise while facilitating membership sales, camp enrolment, and donations that support the Garden's mission. The Interim Shop Manager provides leadership and continuity for the Garden Shop during a temporary leave period, ensuring exceptional guest experiences and strong retail performance.

Reporting to the Director of Guest Experience, this hands-on, entrepreneurial role includes occasional weekend and evening hours and oversees all aspects of day-to-day retail operations, including merchandising, and Shop volunteer and staff engagement. The Interim Shop Manager builds on TBG's retail success to advance revenue goals while reflecting the Garden's mission and values.

Key Duties

Team Leadership

Oversee retail operations, including part-time staff and volunteers, inventory management, merchandising, and financial transactions with accuracy and accountability.

Partner with the Volunteer Department to recruit, train, schedule, and support an engaged team of volunteer associates.

Provide training, constructive feedback, and ongoing communication to empower volunteers and part-time staff to deliver exceptional service as frontline ambassadors of the Garden's mission and values.

Maintain a welcoming, well-presented retail environment that reflects TBG's visual standards and ethos, through both administrative and training initiatives and in-person presence during operating hours, including weekends and evenings.

Build a positive, collaborative team culture that recognizes contributions and supports growth.

Business Management

Manage the Shop's operating budget to balance profitability, efficiency, and guest satisfaction.

Monitor and report on sales performance, analyze trends, and identify growth opportunities to drive revenue.

Oversee usage of TBG's Shopify account, navigating platform updates, optimizing usage, and troubleshooting outages and other issues as they arise.

Lead procurement processes to maintain an appealing, mission-aligned product mix, balancing creativity with sound business judgement and a focus on local and sustainable merchandise.

Maintain and cultivate strong vendor relationships, including the Garden's online plant partner, to support timely product replenishment, curated offerings, and smooth integration between online and in-person sales.

Uphold rigorous inventory control and accurate reconciliation of invoices and daily transactions with precision.

Plan and execute in-store promotions and events that enhance visitor engagement and boost sales.

Work collaboratively across departments to align retail strategies with organization-wide initiatives, including events, membership drives, and education programs.

Lead the annual flagship plant sale by developing a horticulture- and mission-aligned purchasing strategy, guiding efforts to drive attendance and sales, and establishing the event as a must-visit destination for gardening and horticulture enthusiasts as well as new audiences.

Additional Responsibilities

Ability to navigate in-person, weekend, and evening working hours.

Support the development and refinement of departmental documentation, policies, processes, and workflows to ensure consistent knowledge sharing and operational continuity.

Serve as the internal lead for Shopify and payment processing, optimizing use, troubleshooting issues, and staying current with system updates.

Qualifications and Attributes

A minimum of five (5) years' experience in retail management, preferably managing teams in a cultural, nonprofit, or destination environment. Experience working with volunteers is preferred.

Proven multi-year success in team leadership, guest experience, and retail sales.

Demonstrated expertise in sales and guest service, delivering a white-glove experience that combines product knowledge, thoughtful recommendations, and curated pairings to enhance guest engagement and drive revenue.

Proficiency in POS systems (Shopify strongly preferred), inventory control, and basic financial reporting.

Exceptional interpersonal skills, including de-escalation techniques and the ability to navigate sensitive or challenging interactions with empathy and professionalism.

Commitment to accessibility and creating a barrier-free environment for all.

Passion for horticulture, sustainability, and connecting people to nature.

Job Details:

Type: Full-time, fixed-term (approximately 12 weeks) leave coverage.

Schedule: Variable hours (standard work week up to 37.5 hours), with regular evening and weekend commitments

Location: On-site, in person

Deadline to apply: November 14, 2025

Salary Range: $24-$28 hourly rate

Start Date: November 2025

Benefits:

Vacation and Holiday Pay,

Free Parking

Along with many other benefits of working in a creative and beautiful place
Toronto Botanical Garden is committed to an inclusive, accessible and welcoming hiring process that provides reasonable accommodation to all applicants. Please advise hr@torontobotanicalgarden.ca should you require any accommodation to participate in this posting recruitment, selection and/or assessment processes.

Flexible language requirement:

French not required

Experience:

Retail Management: 5 years (preferred)

Proficiency with Shopify (required)

Work Location:

In person

Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 12 weeks

Pay: $24.00-$28.00 per hour

Expected hours: 37.5 per week

Benefits:

On-site parking Store discount
Application question(s):

In 1-3 sentences, please explain your greatest strength as a retail manager (e.g., merchandising, sales, customer service, etc.). Do you have experience working with, managing, or coordinating volunteers? Please confirm that you would be able to start immediately after acceptance Please identify 2-3 dates and times during the week of November 17 when you are available for possible interviews
Work Location: In person