Description

River Valley Co-op Our Mission: River Valley Co-op staff members are all empowered ambassadors for our cooperative’s mission of creating a just marketplace that nourishes the community.

Cooperative values and the larger cooperative movement inspire us to work together for a more sustainable and just future. As a team, we work to leverage our grocery retail's economic impact for positive social change in the food system, our environment, and our community. We are committed to social justice and developing our anti-racism and multicultural skills throughout our organization.

Our cooperatively-owned business values working together in partnership with our local food producers, other vendors and service providers, community organizations, employees, and our customers to serve our community food needs in ways that sustainably support our mutual needs and aspirations. We prioritize building and sustaining our business operations capacity to generate positive impacts for our employees, business partners, customers, local economy, the common good of our community, and the environment.

Our friendly store operations specializing in fresh, local, organically grown, and natural foods, builds community resilience and grows our local economy. We work hard and have fun doing it, act with honesty, kindness, and respect, and strive to improve every day.

Position: WELLNESS TEAM MEMBER

Full-time 30-34 hours. Requires open availability, including evenings and weekends.

Status: Reports to Wellness Assistant Manager

Pay Level: II, non-exempt.

Location: Northampton, MA

Purpose: Keep displays, coolers, and shelves fully stocked and provide prompt, friendly, courteous customer service in the wellness, general merchandise, and other departments.

Responsibilities

STOCKING & REPLACEMENT ORDERS

• Stock displays fully without overcrowding; face items on shelves.
• Rotate older stock to the front, making space for new stock.
• Pull short-dated or low-quality items and follow established procedures for recording and disposing of them.
• Label items accurately with price tags or signs.
• Report price discrepancies to the department manager and Category Team.
• Use order sheets and designated ordering platforms to place refill orders and file accordingly.
• Communicate to supervisors any suggestions to improve order sheets and order processes to maintain consistent inventory levels and improve efficiencies.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Do your best to assess the level of customer service appropriate to and desired by individual customers. Be available to customers without overwhelming them.
• Be aware of and follow the guidelines of DSHEA, which define what is legally permitted to be discussed in a retail setting. Follow HIPAA guidelines when discussing health-related information.
• Offer suggestions for purchases and ways to prepare products, including those in other departments.
• Help customers place special orders.
• Direct customers to reference materials on hand, including reference books, and electronic media available on apps and websites (viewable on our customer-facing tablet and/or their own devices).

RECEIVING

• Check deliveries to verify piece count; Follow up with suppliers to receive credit for any damages or discrepancies.
• Check for damage and unacceptable quality; notify supervisors of any patterns of issues with suppliers and any pertinent information that needs action related to product receiving and supply.
• Help with unloading as needed.
• Use an established system to track and sign off on deliveries and process invoices accordingly.
• Maintain awareness of all overstock locations and rotate them into and out of storage promptly. Notify supervisors of any short-dated stock.

DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS

• Keep shelves, coolers, bins, and department items in clean, orderly condition.
• Complete regular sanitizing of high-touch surfaces as outlined in daily checklists.
• Participate in the cleaning schedule and other cleaning tasks as assigned.
• Keep department equipment in the assigned area, in working order.
• Use equipment safely. Monitor cooler and freezer temperatures. Advise Manager on Duty of equipment problems.
• Assist in creating and maintaining eye-catching and seasonal displays.
• Participate in periodic inventory.

ALL STAFF DUTIES

• Attend and participate in team and storewide meetings.
• Participate in open-book management style forecasting and tracking of department financial performance and other projects.
• Complete all training assignments assigned by supervisors, including those on Paycom.
• Perform other tasks assigned by the Wellness Assistant Manager.

Qualifications

ESSENTIAL

• Friendly, motivated, self-driven, and willing to go the extra mile and make a memorable experience for both internal and external Co-op customers.
• Comfort and experience entering data into computer programs excellent attention to detail and ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Ability to perform simple arithmetic.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks simultaneously while working within a deadline.
• Positive outlook and growth mindset.
• Sense of urgency.
• Demonstrated ability to work with customers and co-workers from various cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to listen well, give clear instructions, and present a clear speaking voice on the telephone and in person.
• Ability to give and accept constructive feedback.
• The ability to work productively and independently.
• Regular, predictable attendance.

FUNCTIONAL

• Ability to exert well-paced mobility for up to 8 hours, including standing, walking, bending, and squatting.
• May be required to lift and/or move up to 75 pounds frequently.
• Ability to work in conditions that are not climate-controlled and are weather-driven in all seasons.
• Ability to stand for extended periods.
• Repetitive use of hands for grasping, pushing, pulling, and fine manipulation.
• Manual dexterity with department equipment; able to operate unloading machinery.

PREFERRED

• 3 years of successful experience with receiving and handling a large number of products.
• Comfort and experience using Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.
• Experience with natural and local foods, in a retail or wholesale setting.
• The ability to speak Spanish, French, or Swahili is a plus.

River Valley Co-op is an equal opportunity employer encouraging excellence through diversity.