Category Assistant Manager - Perishables

RIVER VALLEY MARKET LLC•Northampton, MA

1d•$50,000 - $50,000•Onsite

About The Position

River Valley Co-op Our Mission: River Valley Co-op staff members are all empowered ambassadors for our cooperative’s mission of creating a just marketplace that nourishes the community. Cooperative values and the larger cooperative movement inspire us to work together for a more sustainable and just future. As a team, we work to leverage our grocery retail's economic impact for positive social change in the food system, our environment, and our community. We are committed to social justice and developing our anti-racism and multicultural skills throughout our organization. Our cooperatively-owned business values working together in partnership with our local food producers, other vendors and service providers, community organizations, employees, and our customers to serve our community food needs in ways that sustainably support our mutual needs and aspirations. We prioritize building and sustaining our business operations capacity to generate positive impacts for our employees, business partners, customers, local economy, the common good of our community, and the environment. Our friendly store operations specializing in fresh, local, organically grown, and natural foods, builds community resilience and grows our local economy. We work hard and have fun doing it, act with honesty, kindness, and respect, and strive to improve every day. Position: CATEGORY ASSISTANT MANAGER - PERISHABLES Requires open availability, including evenings and weekends. Status: Reports to Category Manager Works closely with the Director of Food Services and the Fresh Departments' Senior Managers Supervises the Data Entry Clerk Provides direction and support to the Prepared Foods Buyers Pay Level: VIII, exempt. Purpose: To support the Fresh and Prepared Foods Departments by maintaining, improving, and standardizing the systems and processes that drive accurate pricing, costing, purchasing, and operational consistency across both stores. This role ensures product, recipe, and vendor data across the Point of Sale, Reciprofity, and related systems are accurate, aligned, and support financial performance. The Category Assistant Manager - Perishables works closely with the Category Management, Fresh Departments’ Senior Managers (Meat & Seafood, Prepared Foods, Produce, and Wine & Cheese), Prepared Foods Buyers, and Point-of-Sale (POS) Specialists to ensure strong execution, consistency, and communication across Fresh Foods operations. This position supervises the Data Entry Clerk and provides direction to the Prepared Foods Buyers on product and vendor selection, and invoice data management. This position provides support and backup to Prepared Foods Buyers across locations, including support during absences (vacations, other time off, and position vacancies) in collaboration with Prepared Foods department managers. Desired Qualities Our Category Assistant Managers are highly organized, detail-driven systems thinkers who thrive in structured environments while remaining flexible in a fast-paced retail setting. They are strong communicators who can translate data into action, provide direction, and build alignment across teams. They are comfortable working across departments and balancing analytical work with operational awareness.

Requirements

One (1) year of related experience and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated leadership ability, including setting clear expectations, driving accountability, and supporting team alignment with organizational standards.
Strong ability to negotiate with vendors and suppliers.
Strong computer literacy with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, reciProfity, and Point-of-Sale systems.
Experience with data management, pricing, and retail inventory systems.
Experience with recipe costing systems (e.g., reciProfity).
A high attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
Ability to analyze data and support margin and cost decisions.
Ability to manage multiple deadlines and time-sensitive tasks.
Strong communication and collaboration skills.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, changing environment.
Regular, predictable attendance.
Ability to stand for extended periods.
Ability to travel between locations.
Ability to use Point-of-Sale equipment.
Ability to work in cold/wet environments.
Repetitive use of hands for grasping, pushing, pulling, and fine manipulation.
Ability to use office equipment with or without accommodation, including a computer, scanner, fax, and copier.
Ability to do math computations, including addition, subtraction, division, fractions, decimals, and percentages.
Ability to lift 50 lbs.

Nice To Haves

Experience in data management.
Experience in creating and implementing systems in a retail setting.
Coding experience.
Demonstrated ability to work with customers and co-workers from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
Natural and local foods experience (retail or wholesale).
Multilingual abilities (Spanish, French, or Farsi a plus).

Responsibilities

FRESH FOOD SYSTEMS & DATA MANAGEMENT Maintain, monitor, and update pricing and cost data with information from the Director of Food Services and Fresh Departments’ Senior Managers within Point-of-Sale, reciProfity, and scale systems.
Enter new items, update item changes, and inactivate discontinued products accurately and promptly.
Stay up to date with regulatory changes and oversee compliance with regulatory requirements, including allergen labeling, ingredient listing and accuracy, C.O.O.L, and label claims (organic, gluten-free, etc.).
Ensure consistency in item naming, PLUs, packaging, yields, and product data.
Audit item files regularly for accuracy and availability.
Serve as the primary owner of Fresh Departments PLUs, maintaining and managing the centralized PLU tracking system (Google Sheets and Point of Sale).
Collaborate with Category, Director of Food Services, Fresh Departments’ Senior Managers, and Point of Sale support to create, update, and standardize PLUs as new products and programs are introduced.
Proactively identify and resolve duplicate, outdated, or inconsistent PLU usage.
Maintain high standards of data integrity and confidentiality, particularly related to cost, margin, and vendor information.
PREPARED FOODS RECIPE, COSTING, & MARGIN MANAGEMENT Enter and maintain recipes, ingredients, yields, packaging, and vendor costs in recipe costing systems.
Monitor cost changes and notify leadership of impacts to margin and profitability.
Support the development and maintenance of costing tools and margin tracking.
Assist with movement reporting and sales analysis.
PURCHASING & VENDOR COORDINATION Maintain and support purchasing databases and vendor catalogs.
Lead the process for onboarding new vendors and maintaining accurate supplier data.
Support cost comparisons, product selection, and vendor coordination.
Direct prepared foods buyers to the specified vendors and product selection for ingredients and products, with an eye toward brand integrity, cost control, and ensuring alignment across stores.
Collaborate with the Senior Produce Manager and the Operations Data Systems Manager to set up order systems for local produce, and follow through with the Prepared Foods Buyers to ensure we are maximizing our use of local ingredients.
INVENTORY & FINANCIAL ACCURACY Support monthly and quarterly inventories across Prepared Foods and the Fresh Departments.
Prepare inventory spreadsheets, ensuring accurate cost and product data.
Assist with data entry, auditing, and reconciliation.
Help standardize inventory processes across locations.
POINT OF SALE & PROMOTIONAL EXECUTION Monitor and implement promotional pricing worksheets.
Execute and audit sales worksheets (on-sale and off-sale items).
Ensure the goal of maintaining a zero-error scan file.
Update costs in the Packaging Guide, in partnership with the Sustainability & Project Manager.
REPORTING & DATA SUPPORT Generate reports, queries, and data analysis for the Director of Food Services and the Fresh Departments’ Senior Managers.
Support forecasting, movement tracking, and production planning tools.
Prepare data for new product launches, menu updates, and promotions.
E-COMMERCE & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COORDINATION Collaborate with E-Commerce to maintain item data and images for online platforms.
Support marketing deliverables, vendor catalog uploads, and sales batches.
Collaborate across departments to ensure consistent systems and communication.
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT Maintain awareness of in-store operations to ensure systems align with execution.
Support problem-solving across departments related to data, pricing, and product flow.
ALL STAFF DUTIES Uphold management's general responsibilities daily.
Attend and participate in department and storewide meetings.
Perform other tasks assigned by the Category Manager.