Company Description

At Merivale, people are at the heart of everything we do - a family-owned hospitality group with a portfolio of more than 90 venues across Australia. From iconic venues to unforgettable guest experiences, our diverse portfolio spans restaurants, bars, pubs, nightlife, and events, delivering exceptional moments for our guests every day.

Job Description

The Venue

Palings Flowers is Merivale’s in-house florist, bringing creativity, colour and exceptional floral design to our diverse portfolio of venues.

From daily venue arrangements and retail bouquets to corporate clients, major events and large-scale installations, Palings Flowers operates far beyond the traditional florist model. Our team works across some of Sydney’s most iconic hospitality spaces, creating memorable designs for every occasion.

We are now looking for an experienced Floristry Manager to join the team for a minimum 12-month maternity leave contract.

The Role

This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced florist who loves the combination of creativity, people, retail and operations.

Based primarily in our retail shop, you will take ownership of its day-to-day operations while working closely with the wider Palings Flowers management team. You will lead the customer experience, coordinate the team, oversee purchasing and stock, manage event enquiries and ensure every arrangement leaving the shop reflects the premium standards of Palings Flowers.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the daily operations, presentation and performance of the retail shop.
• Managing rosters, team coordination, training and ongoing development.
• Overseeing customer, corporate and event enquiries from initial quote through to delivery.
• Purchasing flowers and foliage from the Sydney Flower Market, growers and suppliers.
• Leading large-scale installations, including staffing, logistics, bump-ins and bump-outs.
• Building strong relationships with external clients, Merivale stakeholders and VIP clients.
• Maintaining Palings Flowers’ visual identity across retail displays, events and installations.
• Overseeing the maintenance and operation of the department’s delivery vans

Qualifications

The Ideal Candidate

You are an accomplished florist and confident leader who can balance creative excellence with the commercial and operational needs of a busy department.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A minimum of five years’ professional floristry experience.
• Experience buying at the Sydney Flower Market.
• Excellent knowledge of flower quality, conditioning, seasonality and purchasing.
• Strong floral design skills and an exceptional eye for colour, quality and presentation.
• A sound understanding of pricing, stock management, waste reduction and profitability.
• Experience leading, training or coordinating a small team.
• Strong organisational, administrative and communication skills.
• The flexibility to work across retail, hospitality, venue and event environments.
• A current Australian driver’s licence.

You will be proactive, commercially minded and calm under pressure, with a genuine passion for developing others and delivering an exceptional customer experience.

Additional Information

Merivale Employee Benefits

• 25% staff discount across 90+ Merivale venues.
• Exclusive monthly perks, staff-only rewards and events.
• Merivale Staff Cellar – access to premium wines at staff pricing.
• Paid parental leave – with flexible return to work options.
• Unlimited career growth with endless development opportunities.
• Merivale Academy – online and in-person training, including Leadership & Performance, First Aid, Food Safety and more.
• Professional accreditation support – including Leadership qualifications.
• Employee Assistance Program – confidential wellbeing and mental health support, provided by Sonder.
• Employee Referral Program – earn rewards for bringing great people on board.