Grocery & Wellness Department Leader

POSITION SUMMARY:

This is a working management position in a natural foods retail environment. This individual is responsible and accountable for the successful operation and profitability of the Grocery and Wellness Departments. The Grocery DL ensures accurate and efficient ordering, pricing, receiving, storage, promotion, and merchandising of products. They ensure a clean, well-stocked, smoothly run department to meet sales, margin, and labor goals. This position ensures the highest level of customer service from self and staff, role models, and upholds management best practices, ensuring excellent operational discipline. All work is to be carried out in alignment with GBCFC’s mission and ethos.

Reports to: General Manager of Operations

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Pay: $60,000 - $68,000 (DOE)

Directly Supervises: Assistant Grocery Manager and Grocery Department Team

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Provides exemplary customer service and creates a warm welcoming environment. Ensures above and beyond customer service from all staff by role modeling, training, mentoring, and coaching.
• Encourages customer feedback. Respond to customer suggestions, feedback, and complaints.
• Has excellent knowledge of cooperative membership and is able to explain membership simply, efficiently, and completely to staff and customers.
• Knowledgeable advocate for local producers and products.
• Clearly and confidently communicates GBCFC purpose and goals.

DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS

• Ensures clean well well-maintained grocery shelves/displays, equipment, and tools.
• Manages inventory - oversees quarterly full physical inventory, develops and maintains ordering and storage procedures. Uses historical sales data, holidays, and other events to ensure sufficient stock and prevent out-of-stock without excess backstock. Ensures adherence to FIFO.
• Creates eye-catching--abundant product displays, merchandising, and promotions in alignment with the annual calendar and buying guidelines.
• Ensures timely, thorough training of department staff.
• Updates and manages department operating procedures.
• Works with Store Operations Manager on category management and product resets to ensure alignment with local and regional trends in the natural foods industry while ensuring adherence to GBCFC buying guidelines and ethos.
• Develops and maintains professional supplier relationships. Negotiates pricing. Champions and prioritizes local suppliers and products when available.
• Accountable for all aspects of department sales and margin performance: accurate cost and pricing, inventory, spoilage, coding of invoices, etc. Completes monthly financial reconciliation.
• Accountable for department scheduling and meeting department labor benchmarks.
• Coordinates department sales and promotion. Ensures all social media is captured and sent to marketing.
• Ensures accurate, complete, and attractive department signage in accordance with GBCFC signage guidelines.
• Responsible for data integrity and upkeep in CatapultⓇ POS software. Is (becomes) an expert at maintaining, managing, interpreting, and using data for problem-solving and decision-making.
• Performs standard work in alignment with the Grocery Department Lead SOPs.

DEPARTMENT AND GENERAL LEADERSHIP:

• Part of the store’s senior leadership team. Performs backup manager on duty as assigned.
• Work and make decisions in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities. Demonstrates and role models efficient and effective time management skills.
• Set clear expectations with staff. Ensures clear, direct, respectful communication from self and staff.
• Treats all GBCFC staff fairly, consistently, and with respect. Models supportive--participative team leadership.
• Supervises and manages work performance. Trains, coaches, and mentors team members for successful performance. Provides performance feedback and formal correction based on GBCFC policy.
• Uses data and root cause analysis to solve problems with the best interest of GBCFC’s stakeholders and mission in mind.
• Participates in weekly management meetings, weekly/monthly progress meetings with the general manager, quarterly staff meetings, and annual manager retreat and budgeting activities.
• Knows and adheres to all aspects of the Employee Guidebook, current policies/procedures, and safety programs.
• Other duties, responsibilities, and committees as assigned.

MAINTENANCE, SAFETY, SECURITY

• Ensures all employees learn and use safe work practices when performing job duties. Puts the safety of staff and customers above
• Knows and ensures adherence to all GBCFC and regulatory food safety rules.
• Ensures store compliance with OSHA and any other regulatory agencies.
• Helps maintain grocery equipment. Works with store operations to ensure equipment is maintained and/or repaired.
• Addresses all safety/security concerns promptly.
• Provide backup and assistance to other staff as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in retail environments, specifically grocery retail facilities
• Knowledge of the local, organic and natural food movements
• Experience with setting up and managing items in POS systems
• Ability to analyze budgets, sales reports, and POS data
• At least one year of experience training and supervising staff
• Ability to manage multiple demands and meet deadlines
• Ability to develop and maintain respectful relations with customers, staff, and vendors
• Ability to work independently and to motivate self and others
• Ability to handle stressful situations in a calm, effective manner
• Excellent and consistent customer service skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Effective problem-solving skills

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Required frequently: standing, walking, kneeling, squatting, bending, reaching, lifting up to 50 lbs., working in cold environments (i.e., fridges and freezers).

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER NOTICE:

The job duties, elements, responsibilities, skills, functions, experience, educational factors, and the 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. GBCFC is an At-Will employer, and signing this job description does not guarantee continued employment. In no way shall this document be considered a contract with GBCFC.