Head of School

Company:

Established in London in 1991, McQueens is the largest luxury flower business in the UK. With headquarters in London and operations in New York and Korea, McQueens is ambitiously international, with plans to expand into other countries in Asia, The Americas and Europe.

McQueens provides a broad range of services comprising weekly flowers for hotels, restaurants and businesses; events at any scale; retail and online shops; and, floristry experiences for some of the most discerning clients and partners around the world.

As well as providing an outstanding floral service, the McQueens Flower School has become one of the most respected and attended flower schools in the world – attracting students from all over the world.

Over almost 30 years, McQueens has established a reputation of being one of the world’s most visionary and creative design brands – followed by more than 230,000 on Instagram!

Role:

The job-holder will be a valued member of the McQueens Flower School talent team, with responsibility for leading the teaching and educating our students the beautiful art of floristry. Generally leading a class of aspiring florists this job-holder will demonstrate a high level of creativity and technical competence as well as well-developed communication, teamwork and organisational skills.

With more than just amazing floristry skills, this job-holder will also handle behind the scenes organisation with their impressive computer skills, lesson planning and delivery, and have a passion for inspiring and developing budding new florists’ skills.

The role calls for a combination of passion, creativity, flexibility, team-working, interpersonal skills, organisation and planning, attention to detail, and staying calm under pressure. Most of the work we do is carried out when guests are asleep or venues are closed, so early morning starts are common and night shifts sometimes necessary.

Duties:

• Teaching a group of aspiring florists several different courses to the highest standard
• Preparing lesson plans and developing new course ideas
• Being proactive and innovative to think of ways develop the school
• Work on collaborations with other brands and organsiations
• Ordering of flowers and other items within budget for courses
• Leading the tutor team to develop the courses and better ways of teaching
• Preparation of vases, materials, and equipment for courses
• Conditioning and preparation of flowers
• Styling displays and installations in class to match the agreed curriculums
• Comply with all company policies and procedures at all times
• This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. It is expected that the job-holder will be flexible in developing their role by mutual agreement, and that they may be required to carry out other duties commensurate with their grading and expertise

Requirements:

• Experience in teaching floristry and dealing with students
• Creativity and passion
• A proven ability to prepare and manage budgets
• An ability to plan and be organised
• A team player
• Advanced knowledge of flower varieties and floristry techniques
• A strong understanding of student needs, delighting them and going the extra mile
• Excellent knowledge of the flower industry
• Highly organised with good attention to detail
• Highly motivated and able to work under pressure
• 5 years of experience working in the flower industry
• 3 years’ experience in a creative/design role
• A commitment to continuing their professional development as well as that of those within their team
• Good oral and written communicator in English
• Computer literate
• Full UK driving licence preferred