Senior florist

Apprenticeship summary

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in a variety of businesses which care for, prepare, and utilise fresh botanical materials to create designs to meet the bespoke requirements of their clients. Businesses include retail shops, workshops, studios, hotels, TV and film companies, media production, advertising, events specialists, and other floriculture related organisations. There are possible progression opportunities from this occupation to develop skills further within the training and education sector. Employers are mainly small independent businesses, but also include larger non-specialist retailers such as supermarkets.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to produce and construct complex floristry designs using advanced botanical knowledge and floristry design theory. They research, identify, and implement current trends in floristry design offerings across the business. They take into account the seasonality of floristry products and ensure the commercial viability of the designs before introducing them across the company. They research and implement sustainable solutions to maximise the visual impact of displays and ensure that product integrity is maintained. A senior florist will also communicate with clients, interpret floristry requirements for bespoke events and present detailed design plans together with costings and quotations. They will research the culture and beliefs of the clients and incorporate this into floral designs. They ensure that the condition of stock is maintained and will resolve non routine and complex problems. They may trouble shoot and implement pest management strategies where appropriate and resolve customer complaints. The senior florist is likely to work in a florist shop or department and will also work onsite at a wide range of venues requiring bespoke and complex floristry designs and construction. They regularly work in environmental conditions suitable for the botanical materials, these are often cooler than average workplace temperatures. There is a need to work at height and within unfamiliar or unusual buildings, which may have specific requirements and limitations to ensure compliance with insurance and or other policies. A senior florist ensures the financial effectiveness of the business. They support the development of financial forecasts taking into account seasonal availability of products, floristry trends and peak periods - for example, Valentine’s day and Mother’s Day. They promote and deliver against marketing targets and contribute to promotional merchandising. They manage the collection and evaluation of customer feedback and use this to produce floristry displays to increase sales and profitability. There are no statutory licencing requirements for this role.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. They may deal with business owners or senior leaders on a day to day basis as well as florists and other members of their team. Senior florists will also interact with clients, customers, venue owners and suppliers on a regular basis. They will interact using a range of mediums including face to face, telephone and through digital channels.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for supervising the day-to-day running of a floristry business or floristry department as well as for specialist events. They have responsibility for ensuring the availability of floristry materials and resources in line with consumer demand. They are responsible for planning, scheduling and supervising all aspects of floristry projects to ensure resources are available and that high quality floristry products are delivered on time. They are likely to report directly to a florist owner or to a senior manager in a large floristry department. They implement systems and processes to ensure the effective operation of the business. This could include stock rotation and storage plans to optimise the life span of cut botanical materials and minimise waste. They will promote and supervise the use of digital technology to ensure the smooth operation of the business from design through to delivery. A senior florist will mentor and train colleagues to develop their floristry techniques, botanical knowledge, and increase their capability to produce complex floristry designs. A senior florist will help develop, promote, monitor, and ensure that current health and safety legislation, environmental and sustainable working practices are adhered to on and off site.

Typical job titles include:

Experienced florist Senior florist