Department: Produce

Reports to: Produce Manager

Pay Grade: 3

The Dill Pickle Co-op strives to offer the best in sustainable, locally sourced foods for our customers. To accomplish this mission we seek individuals who;

• Provide excellent customer service when present on the sales floor, by delivering prompt, friendly and helpful service.
• Share information with our shoppers about co-op happenings, educational opportunities, and the benefits of co-op ownership.
• Provide excellent internal customer service to all staff members, maintaining an attitude of goodwill toward self and others.
• Help to create a work environment that is cooperative, respectful, fun, productive, and safe, and that focuses on solutions.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Customer Service: Greets customers when on the sales floor, seeks understanding of products and services offered within the store, maintains a professional appearance, assumes responsibility for solving customer problems.
• Respect: Communicates and interacts respectfully with all internal and external customers, avoids language or actions that could be perceived as obscene, disrespectful, abusive, or derogatory.
• Dependability: Punctual for scheduled shifts and meetings, meets commitments, works independently and accepts accountability.
• Adaptability: Adapts to change readily and open to new ideas, takes on new responsibilities, adjusts plans to meet changing needs.
• Communication: Communicates well verbally, shares information and listens attentively to others, asks questions and remains receptive to the viewpoints of others, manages distractions so as to not lose focus of task.
• Integrity: Interacts with internal and external customers in an honest manner, is accountable for actions, understands and supports cooperative values.
• Productivity: Prioritizes well, works in an efficient manner and strives to meet deadlines.
• Teamwork: Receptive to the viewpoint of others, welcomes newcomers and promotes a team atmosphere, solicits feedback.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Assistant Produce Manager is responsible for assisting the Produce Manager in all aspects of running the produce department to meet goals for sales, margin, shrink, staff management and customer service. The produce assistant manager will also help advance Dill Pickle Food Co-op’s End Statements through product selection, relationships, and communication, and to develop and position the Co-op for Ends Statement alignment in the present and for future growth and development.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

• Ensure Produce employees are smiling, greeting and offering outstanding customer service and engagement to all customers.
• Seek solutions that maintain the co-op’s best interests.
• Attend all Store Leadership Team meetings.
• Holds multiple team huddles informing staff on sales, safety, events or any other pertinent information.
• Develops relationships with suppliers, negotiates for favorable prices, terms, quality and delivery.
• Ensures the department consistently meets goals set by the Produce Manager, such as labor budget, SLPH, MML, efficiency, inventory management.
• Develops and communicates department procedures for ordering, receiving, stocking and merchandising products.
• Conducts periodic inventory counts, which may include working an overnight shift.
• Provides product information for newsletter, promotions and customer inquiries.
• Ensures competitive pricing, conducts pricing audits and updates, product and merchandising comparisons.
• Helps Produce Manager ensure proper product mix through category management.
• Cover for missing employees when possible.
• Follow standards for merchandising for all center-store departments. Check shelf tags for accuracy and placement.
• Ensure shelves/bins/coolers are fully stocked and rotated for freshness, using first in/first out model and checking dates.
• Assist Produce Manager, and Store Manager in creation of attractive displays.
• Address damages or unsellable items within the department and dispose of according to co-op policy.
• Ensure that produce department shelves, displays, aisles and storage areas are clean, organized and meet health department standards, while allowing for ease with merchandising.
• Ensure display cases, tables, coolers, shelves and aisles are clean at all times.
• Assist with quarterly inventory counts.
• Notify Produce Manager of any damaged or malfunctioning equipment.

Supervision

• Model great customer service and engagement by smiling, greeting and offering assistance to all customers that are within a 6 foot radius.
• Establishes procedures to ensure proper administration of the department’s programs.
• Models supportive and participative leadership qualities, promotes team building and motivates staff to achieve goals.
• Ensures department personnel receive appropriate orientation, training and feedback to perform their jobs in a timely manner.
• Conduct regular performance appraisals independently and with the Produce Manager.
• Write and input weekly schedules per labor budget, and store guidelines for the Produce Department.
• Takes disciplinary action to correct employee behavior in accordance with Co-op policies, labor and legal guidelines up to and including termination where determined by HR and/or GM.
• Responsible for writing and issuing employee bi-annual appraisals
• Responsible for correcting employee mis-punches
• Responsible for writing employee schedules (TBD)
• Responsible for making hiring decisions with the Center store and independently.
• Ensure all orders are placed for the day in a timely manner.
• Ensures that all Produce employees learn and use safe practices when performing job duties.
• Ensures department and back-stock areas are turned regularly and maintained in clean, orderly condition, following all guidelines.
• Maintain equipment in working order, research and recommend equipment repair and replacement options as needed.
• Address safety/security concerns promptly.
• Monitor department and nearby areas for shoplifting, follows established policy when handling problem customers or suspected shoplifters.
• Provides back-up to other staff as needed.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Perform backup cashier duties upon request by MOD or any member of management.
• Partner with Produce Manager and HR as it relates to time card management and talent acquisition within Paylocity.
• Compiles or contributes to reports as requested.
• Knows and meets all “core responsibilities” as outlined by the Co-op including customer service standards, communication, mission integration, personal effectiveness and technical skills.
• Provides store support and acts as MOD regularly.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

To execute this role successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential requirements satisfactorily. The following requirements are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The job duties, elements, responsibilities, skills, functions, experience, educational factors, and requirements and conditions listed in this job description are representative only and not exhaustive of the tasks that an employee may be required to perform. The employer reserves the right to revise this job description at any time and require employees to perform other tasks as circumstances or conditions of its business, competitive considerations, or the work environment change.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environments described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Occasional Exposure to:

• Wet or humid conditions (non-weather).
• Fumes or airborne particles.
• Outdoor weather conditions.
• Extreme cold (non-weather).

2. The noise level in the environment is usually moderate.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• 3 to 5 years of strong retail leadership and managerial experience required.
• Bilingual preferred but not required.
• Able to pass a criminal local/state/federal background screening.
• Eligible to work within the USA.
• Applicants must be available to work holidays, evenings and weekends.
• Familiarity with natural foods and the cooperative model preferred
• Well-developed communication skills.
• Ability to create and implement plans from first creative idea through to implementation.
• Ability to apply deductive reasoning for making sound decisions that are inline with organizational vision and goals
• Demonstrated writing and editing skills.
• Ability to handle multiple demands.
• Ability to work effectively independently and collaboratively with teams.
• Ability to read department financial reports
• Ability to lift 50 pounds
• Ability to stand, bend, reach and lift repeatedly for extended periods of time.
• Knowledge of how to prepare produce items sold; is familiar with the different flavors, textures and varieties of fruits & vegetables.
• Ability to prioritize tasks appropriately in a fast-paced busy work environment.
• Willingness and ability to learn and grow to meet the changing requirements of the job.

This is to certify that I have received and read a copy of the job description. I have read the job description and can perform the essential functions as they are listed:

Sign:

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Employee’s Signature and Date

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Employee’s Name — Please Print

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Manager Signature and Date