Have you ever wondered what is involved in working at CGS?
When exploring your career pathways, have you ever considered managing a Plant Research Facility?
The manager of a facility provides direction for the team and constantly plans for future improvement. Managing a research facility is an interesting line of work, from advising clients on experiments and services, to addressing pest, disease and nutritional issues in a broad array of plants. A manager needs a broad depth of skills and an ability to direct staff in all aspects of facility function.
The Central Glasshouse Services Manager role is currently held by Ken Hayes who has worked at UQ for 12 years. Ken joined CGS in August 2008 after working in as the Head Grower and Manager of a wholesale nursery and consulting for other nurseries on Nursery best practices and accreditation requirements.
Managing the CGS involves continual trial and design of growing medias to ensure the desired plant growth outcome. Through collaborating with researchers, various methods are tested to meet different plant requirements - from low pH and high pH, free drainage and other boggy conditions then there are different environmental and nutritional needs.
Alongside hands-on work with research projects, strong administration plays a key role in managing a research facility. Keeping the facilities safe and effective requires ongoing planning and legislative work with industry bodies, alongside liaising with clients and fellow Plant Growth Facility managers, and directing staff in their duties and procedures.
At CGS, the team of three FTE and Ken are on a rotating on-call roster for any out of hours infrastructure emergencies. This may be anything from a faulty power point to a total cooling unit failure. This requires coordination and monitoring the Infrastructure and actions required including potentially moving experiments until repairs can be made or hosing the roof to minimise the rate and level of temperature increase.
Successful managers are good communicators. They are responsible for advising clients and guiding their team. At CGS, it is important to keep the facility goals aligned with the UQ Values and operational direction. The position requires flexibility and adaptability as there are many things that can and do happen that will change planned work.
It takes a dedicated person to be an effective Manager who listens and cultures a team through caring about staff, clients and operations. A Plant Research Facility manager needs a high level of understanding of plants, pests, disease, and plant nutrition to cater to:
- different plant species and their requirements,
- pesticides and their handling,
- mechanical aptitude and machinery licences (i.e. forklift).
Above all, a manager is working to help the facility a thriving space for research. Understanding what makes a good Plant Growth Facility, getting involved in every aspect of the facility to guide your team and help modify processes, and striving to improve wherever possible will all help your facility succeed.
If you think your skills and knowledge align well with this role, you might consider a similar role within the university or Government (CSIRO, DAFF, DPI) plant research facilities. A manager’s work is quite demanding but endlessly rewarding, with opportunities to learn from clients, assisting in cutting-edge experiments and share your knowledge.