Do you have a passion for food, love providing top level customer service and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment? Since our employees are also owners, they care deeply about providing high quality service to each and every customer. Our mission as an employee owned company is to offer quality food choices to the communities we serve, support local farmers and producers, and develop and reinvest in our employee owners. Apply today and begin your ownership journey!

PRODUCE DEPARTMENT MANAGER

PURPOSE STATEMENT: To manage the Produce Department to achieve maximum sales and profit while optimum store conditions.

SIGNIFICANT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. To greet customers, respond to customer questions/requests/ complaints and explain store policies in a courteous manner.
2. To initiate and/or make recommendation regarding the hiring, firing, discipline, promotion and evaluation of all Produce Department personnel. To orient and train all new Produce Department employees and retrain employees when necessary.
3. To develop a weekly labor schedule for all Produce Department employees for the approval of the store manager.
4. To maintain the perishable department Communication Board with weekly updated material and follow the guidelines posted on the board for the Sampling Program and intercom announcements.
5. To implement the weekly display plan for display/rack merchandising and ad promotion.
6. To supervise/perform the display of product so that: 1) displays are full, 2) color contrast is emphasized, 3) product is rotated, 4) commodities are grouped, 5) tables are set to the season, and 6) adequate space has been allocated for high impulse/demand items.
7. To supervise/perform order, all produce products and supplies from authorized vendors to minimize out-of-stocks while maintaining the desired days of supply for the produce department.
8. To supervise/perform: 1) preparation of the backroom for receipt of merchandise; 2) checking the load for quality/shortage/overage and code-dating all case items in the cooler; 3) sorting cases by quality and degree of ripeness; 4) storage of back stock; 5) verification of the merchandise against the invoice.
9. To supervise/perform: 1) cleaning of department floors, mirrors, bins, tables, cooler, shelves, department production equipment, scales, cases and racks; 2) safe use of cleaning equipment and chemicals.
10. To supervise/perform: 1) transportation of cases to the sales floor/product production area either on stocking carts or pallets; 2) evaluation of product quality; 3) preparation & trimming of product for display; 4) placement of merchandise in the designated storage/shelf/display position/area; 5) checking of the product code/freshness date; 6) the "face/front" program for the front/top of each display.
11. To supervise/perform the safety procedures used in the operation of the baler, case cutter, pallet jack, forklift, knife, garbage disposal, scales and wrapper (must be 18 years or older to operate the pallet jack, forklift and baler).
12. To supervise/perform the counting and recording of individual items of merchandise for inventory.
13. To supervise/perform the computing of retail price from cost, complete price changes, PLU file and scale system maintenance, supervise the manual price-marking/labeling of merchandise without a UPC code.
14. To supervise/perform the movement of damaged/unsalable and "returnable" products from shelves to the backroom, sorting of the materials, the return of damaged product to the warehouse for credit and the re-processing of product for sale or marking the product down in price.
15. To communicate with the store manager on problems, recommendations for change effectiveness of plans and merchandising decisions.
16. To supervise/perform the checking of case and cooler temperatures 4 times daily utilizing the time keeping system to record each check.
17. To supervise/perform the preparation, display and packaging of all products in the produce department.
18. To perform miscellaneous tasks assigned by the store manager, substituting for absent workers and performing any additional tasks necessary to provide products and services to customers.

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED:

1. Basic mathematical ability (add, subtract, multiply, divide) and ability to count.
2. Able to give/receive complex verbal instructions/descriptions to/from supervisors/co-workers/employees concerning store/department policy/procedures and use of equipment.
3. A stable work and educational history.
4. The ability to read and write English. Demonstrate basic communication ability; able to comprehend instructions, merchandise labels, order codes, numbers, reports, printed paper invoices and order forms.
5. Make judgments concerning: the placement of merchandise on the shelf/display, pricing, employee scheduling, order of product/supplies, hiring/supervision of employees, merchandising plans, departments operational policies and procedures and the sales/promotion of merchandise.
6. Good interpersonal communications.

PREFERRED:

1. High school diploma or equivalent.

2. Prior Produce Department experience.

3. Prior supervisory experience.

TASKS OF THE JOB This position generally involves:

1. Mobility:

• Move while conducting training and orientation of Produce Department personnel, a maximum of 25 yards.
• Move to supervise: the receiving of product, movement of product to the floor or storage area, opening/cutting of cases, inspect product quality, sorting of cases/merchandise, building of displays in the aisle and on the case/rack, the allocation of space in produce categories, order merchandise and supplies, cleaning and maintenance, removal of trash/debris from the department, price-marking and signage throughout the store, a maximum of 25 yards.
• Work on tile or concrete for a maximum of 8 hours in duration.

1. The Produce Manager will perform the same Tasks of the Job as the Produce Clerk while substituting as part of the work crew or as part of the training program for new employees. (See Produce Clerk Job Description.)
2. To move a maximum of 75 lbs from 6 inches to 36 inches.
3. To move a maximum of 75 lbs from 6 inches to 84 inches on to overhead cooler storage rack.
4. See cases, case-cutter edge, case strips, shelf location, product size/description/quality, customers, shelf tags, labels on products, stocking carts, knives, scale, wrapper, department production equipment, cooler layout, packaging materials, debris on floor, aisle markers, and signs.
5. Perceive color difference on product and product labels.
6. Respond to customer, co-worker and vendor questions and responses.
7. Respond to the sound of baler/pallet jack/forklift/cleaning equipment operation.
8. Use and respond to the intercom/phone system.
9. Read case labels/case strips, signs, tags, shelf signs, equipment and chemical warning labels, numbers and aisle markers, department forms, reports and employment forms.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Inside work with extreme variations in temperature, dust and humidity from entrance/back door/compressors/cooler/freezer.