Produce/Asst Dept Leader

Kroger•Puyallup, WA

About The Position

Create an outstanding customer experience through exceptional service and maintain a safe, clean environment that encourages customers to return. Achieve established department sales and profit goals while controlling quality assurance standards, and monitor functions, duties, and activities related to the Produce department. Demonstrate the company’s core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety. The role supports department operations and associate development, including scheduling, training, performance management, promotions, inventory, price changes, budgeting, and financial reviews. It also involves helping customers with product questions and recommendations, maintaining product quality and freshness, and ensuring compliance with safety requirements, temperature controls, company guidelines, and applicable laws.

Requirements

Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Knowledge of basic math, including counting, addition, and subtraction.
Ability to handle stressful situations.
Current food handlers permit once employed.
Ability to work cooperatively in a fast-paced and sometimes stressful environment.
Ability to manage conflict in a reasonable, nonconfrontational, and cooperative manner.
Ability to act with honesty and integrity regarding customer and business information.
Ability to follow directions and seek assistance when necessary to resolve customer and business issues.
Must be able to perform the essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED.
Management experience.
Produce or retail experience.
Ability to speak, read, and/or write in a second language.

Responsibilities

Promote trust and respect among associates and maintain a positive attitude.
Communicate company, department, and job-specific information to associates.
Establish department performance goals and empower associates to meet or exceed targets through teamwork.
Develop adequate schedules to manage customer volume.
Train and develop associates and participate in the performance appraisal process.
Create a welcoming customer environment by answering product questions, making suggestions, and locating products.
Inform customers about produce specials and offer product samples.
Inspect products for quality and freshness and take appropriate action.
Develop and implement a department business plan to achieve desired results.
Create and execute sales promotions in partnership with store management.
Inform and educate department associates about current, upcoming, and special in-store promotions.
Prepare and submit seasonal critiques for the sales and merchandising supervisor.
Implement the department’s period promotional plan.
Assist management with the store or department budget, expense control, profit-and-loss reviews, and follow-up actions on financial reports.
Schedule daily, weekly, and monthly price changes by updating shelf tags and promotional signs.
Plan and organize inventory processes; monitor inventory and stocking conditions, identify discrepancies, and train associates on inventory, stocking, and Computer Assisted Ordering (CAO).
Maintain proper temperatures in cases and coolers and maintain temperature logs.
Reinforce safety programs by following procedures, identifying unsafe conditions, inspecting equipment, notifying store management of repair needs, and reporting customer or employee accidents.
Report safety risks or issues and illegal activity, including robbery, theft, or fraud.
Follow local, state, and federal laws and company guidelines.
Provide support and assistance through direct interaction with minors, individuals with special needs, and/or older adults.