Produce Manager

Eastside Food Cooperative•Minneapolis, MN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Produce Manager is responsible for purchasing, inventorying, displaying, marketing, and selling products in the produce department to attract and retain customers and meet financial goals. This role also involves managing produce staff to develop, attract, and retain employees. The Produce Manager should demonstrate a love for food and passion for people while creating an excellent customer experience by maintaining a friendly, safe, and clean environment, and working in a way that supports achieving the co-op's ends policies.

Requirements

Knowledge of and passion for produce, including sustainable growing practices and seasonality.
Minimum of one year prior supervisory experience
Service-oriented individual with a high energy, positive and friendly demeanor
Knowledge and aptitude of financial reporting concepts
Computer skills (Excel, Word, email, attendance software, point-of-sale)
Excellent customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills
Sound judgement, decision-making, and problem-solving skills
Ability to stand, bend, reach, and lift repeatedly for extended periods of time
Regular, predictable attendance

Nice To Haves

Experience purchasing in a natural foods store preferred

Responsibilities

Create a positive customer experience by modeling great service and providing ongoing customer service training and coaching to staff.
Promptly resolve customer suggestions, comments, and complaints.
Respond to written customer comments promptly and politely.
Ensure all produce staff are fully trained and armed with the knowledge and information needed to provide excellent customer service.
Inventory, order, and receive product in a manner that supports departmental goals for sales, margin, pricing, shrink, promotions, and displays.
Evaluate all suppliers to ensure they meet EFC's product guidelines and goals for prices, terms, quality, and delivery.
Develop and maintain the tools needed to achieve purchasing goals (e.g., order guides, shrink logs, vendor lists, delivery schedules, etc.)
Ensure that all invoices are properly coded and submitted in a timely manner; obtain credit from suppliers as needed.
Accurately record and process special orders.
Research product availability, price, and quality issues.
Ensure that receiving procedures are properly followed.
Maintain attractive, fully stocked, rotated, and faced displays.
Plan, organize, and participate in weekly promotional display resets and seasonal and as-needed resets.
Ensure proper and frequent culling of all out-of-date, inadequate quality, and/or otherwise unsellable items.
Plan and implement promotions in a manner that encourages sales and delights the customer, while considering seasonality and existing commitments to NCG promotions programs.
Administer all aspects of NCG programs for which EFC decides to participate.
Work with the Merchandising Team to promote cross-merchandising of products and other merchandising strategies within the store.
Participate in annual budget process.
Plan, direct, and manage produce department operations to promote and maximize sales, profit margins, and achieve labor goals.
Effectively utilize all available tools and resources to meet or exceed budgeted targets.
Create a pricing and merchandising strategy to meet profit margin and other established goals.
Conduct regular price comparisons with other stores.
Coordinate quarterly inventory counts and submit data in a timely manner.
Regularly evaluate sales statistics using data gathered through the point-of-sale and other available resources to ensure proper product mix.
Review financial performance reports and analyze and interpret data to identify opportunities to obtain cost savings objectives through efficient planning of resources, including labor.
Monitor equipment and fixtures and arrange for maintenance as needed.
Ensure regular cleaning of shelves, bins, tables, coolers, and other areas that comprise the produce department.
Clean or coordinate department cleaning according to health regulations and protocols.
Monitor department to ensure food safety requirements are adhered to including hand washing, temping, food storage and employee health; act as needed to correct unsafe situations.
Maintain a safe and secure environment, adhering to all safety, food safety, and security programs, guidelines, and regulations.
Provide leadership and supervision to all produce staff.
Model supportive and participatory leadership qualities, promoting team building and cooperation.
Motivate staff to achieve departmental goals.
Develop systems that facilitate positive, clear, and concise communication.
In coordination with the Store Operations Manager and HR department, post, interview, and hire for open produce positions.
Develop and regularly evaluate training protocols for all produce positions.
Participate in staff training and ensure that all training protocols are followed.
Determine a staff schedule that ensures department coverage that allows customer service and operational goals to be met.
Follow all agreed upon posting and time off request guidelines.
Provide shift coverage as needed so that the department is fully staffed.
Track employee attendance and provide coaching and discipline in accordance with EFC's Attendance Policy.
Monitor employee customer service, work performance, and adherence to co-op policies and procedures.
Provide positive feedback, coaching, and disciplinary action as needed, in accordance with established personnel policies.
Participate on the Management Team, Store Operations Team, and Merchandising Team.
Act as Manager on Duty (MOD) for the store.
Attend trade shows, read industry, and trade journals to keep informed of industry trends.
Seek out and participate in professional development opportunities.