Job Developer/Employer Services-Horticulture Employment Program

About You

As a Job Developer/Employer Services you bring strong employer-engagement, job-development, and relationship-building skills. You understand Ontario’s landscape and horticulture industry and can identify employers’ workforce needs, develop employment opportunities, and communicate the value of hiring GROW participants.

You are proactive, results-focused, and comfortable building new relationships through outreach, site visits, industry events, and ongoing follow-up. You can manage multiple employer relationships and placement opportunities while maintaining accurate records and working toward defined employment and retention targets.

What You’ll Be Doing

You will build and maintain relationships with landscape and horticulture employers, develop paid employment and training placement opportunities, and connect employers with qualified GROW participants.

You will drive employer outreach, recruitment activities, workforce planning support, hiring incentives, placement monitoring, and employer-focused retention strategies. Working closely with participant-facing staff, you will help create strong employment matches and achieve GROW’s employer engagement, placement, and retention targets.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Employer Engagement and Job Development:

• Recruit and engage landscape and horticulture employers across Ontario.
• Build and maintain an active portfolio of employer relationships and employment opportunities.
• Conduct employer outreach through calls, meetings, site visits, industry events, chapter and sector activities, and referrals.
• Assess employers’ workforce needs, hiring requirements, workplace environments, and available positions.
• Promote the benefits of hiring GROW participants, engage and support employers with apprenticeship registration, sponsorship and workforce development, and encourage inclusive, barrier-free recruitment practices.
• Position Landscape Ontario and GROW as trusted workforce-development partners for the industry.
• Maintain regular contact with employers to identify current and future workforce needs.

Employment and Placement Matching:

• Match GROW participants with suitable registered employers based on participant qualifications, employment goals, employer needs, and workplace fit.
• Develop paid employment, work-experience, and Training Placement Agreement opportunities for GROW participants.
• Gather accurate information about job duties, qualifications, schedules, compensation, workplace expectations, and advancement opportunities.
• Work with the Employment & Career Development Coordinator and other program staff to identify suitable candidates.
• Coordinate employer introductions, interviews, hiring activities, and placement documentation.
• Support employers in understanding applicable hiring incentives, wage subsidies, and program requirements.
• Ensure placement opportunities meet GROW and Ministry requirements.
• Conduct employer and workplace monitoring visits when required.

Employer Support and Retention:

• Support employers throughout recruitment, onboarding, placement, and retention.
• Help employers address workplace integration, communication, performance, and retention challenges.
• Provide employer-focused coaching, practical resources, and referrals to relevant Landscape Ontario services.
• Liaise with participant-facing staff when an employment issue requires coordinated support.
• Identify risks early and help develop appropriate strategies to support successful employment outcomes.
• Gather employer feedback to improve participant preparation, training, placement quality, and program delivery.

Employer Initiatives and Industry Outreach:

• Recruit employer participation for hiring events, job fairs, information sessions, workshops, and industry events.
• Recruit employers to participate in GROW’s Employer of Choice (EOC) initiative and support ongoing EOC employer engagement.
• Deliver or support employer-focused training related to recruitment, onboarding, retention, and workforce planning.
• Represent GROW and Landscape Ontario at chapter meetings, sector meetings, trade events, career fairs, and networking activities.
• Develop relationships with industry associations, community partners, Employment Ontario providers, and other workforce-development organizations.
• Share employer and labour-market insights with the GROW team to support recruitment, training, and service planning.

Performance, Records and Reporting:

• Deliver shared employer engagement, placement, employment, and retention targets.
• Maintain accurate employer profiles, job opportunities, site visits, participant matches, placements, and follow-up records.
• Ensure Training Placement Agreements and related documentation are complete, accurate, and submitted on time.
• Monitor progress and provide updates on employer pipelines, participant matches, employment outcomes, risks, and required follow-up.
• Support internal and funder reporting by maintaining complete and reliable program records.
• Contribute to team planning and continuous improvement based on employer and participant outcomes.

Requirements

• Experience in employer engagement, job development, recruitment, workforce development, business development, or employment services.
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout Ontario for employer visits, industry events, hiring fairs, and other program activities, including occasional overnight stays.
• Strong knowledge of Ontario’s landscape and horticulture industry, including its employers, occupations, workforce needs, and seasonal operations.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain employer relationships.
• Experience developing employment opportunities and supporting job matching, placements, or retention.
• Ability to work effectively with employers and participants throughout the employment process.
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, coaching, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple employers, participants, opportunities, and deadlines.
• Experience maintaining accurate records and tracking progress against established targets.
• Proficiency with digital collaboration, database, and program-management tools.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, solve problems, and collaborate across teams.
• Experience with Employment Ontario, Ministry-funded programs, hiring incentives, wage subsidies, or Training Placement Agreements is an asset.
• A valid Ontario driver’s licence and access to reliable transportation are required.

About this position

• Full-time, fixed-term contract position through June 29, 2027, with the possibility of renewal.
• Two positions are available.
• Salary: $65,000 - $75,000 (depending on experience)
• Includes vacation and personal time off, and health benefits.
• Reports to the Workforce Development Manager and works closely with the Employment & Career Development Coordinator and other GROW staff.
• Landscape Ontario has a hybrid work model in place allowing for flexibility and fluidity in your weekly schedule.
• Some evening or weekend work will be required based on program activities and events.
• Regular travel within Ontario is required for employer visits, placements, training activities, and events.
• A supportive, collaborative team environment.
• A beautifully renovated modern office space. Our office is in Milton, ON at the 401 between James Snow Parkway and Trafalgar Rd.

About Landscape Ontario

Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association is a provincial trade association representing approximately 2,600+ members across the landscape horticulture sector. A not-for-profit, volunteer-driven organization, we are dedicated to advancing the profession through leadership, education and collaboration. Landscape Ontario members design, build and maintain outdoor spaces that support healthy communities, environmental resilience and economic growth across Ontario. We are committed to building an inclusive and collaborative organization where everyone feels welcomed and valued, regardless of gender, race, nationality, orientation or ability.

Equal Opportunity & Accessibility

Landscape Ontario is committed to creating an inclusive, accessible and welcoming workplace. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences and abilities.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), accommodations are available throughout the recruitment and selection process. Applicants requiring accommodation are encouraged to advise us at any stage so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Landscape Ontario complies with Ontario’s employment legislation regarding the use of artificial intelligence in recruitment. Artificial intelligence (AI) is not used to screen, assess or select applicants for this position.