What are the responsibilities and job description for the Fresh Director position at Associated Wholesale Grocers?
Job Description
Fresh Sales Director
Location: Nashville
Department: Fresh Sales
SUMMARY: The Director of Fresh Sales is responsible for driving sales growth within member stores by strategically coordinating promotions, marketing, and advertising programs across the Produce, Meat, and Deli/Bakery departments. This role leads Fresh Sales Managers, and Fresh Sales Specialists in consulting with members to improve retail performance, assists in new business development, and ensures the delivery of high-quality merchandise at the lowest possible cost to maintain member profitability and competitiveness.
This position supports AWG’s mission to remain firmly committed to our long-established mission statement:
“Our mission is to ensure the success of our member retailers and provide opportunities to our employees. This will be accomplished by satisfying the customers’, and our member retailers, needs for quality supermarket merchandise and superior support services. We will do this with high quality employees whose mission is to provide the lowest possible cost of good in order to ensure our members profitability, competitiveness and continued growth.”
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Any combination of education, training, and experience providing the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:
Fresh Sales Director
Location: Nashville
Department: Fresh Sales
SUMMARY: The Director of Fresh Sales is responsible for driving sales growth within member stores by strategically coordinating promotions, marketing, and advertising programs across the Produce, Meat, and Deli/Bakery departments. This role leads Fresh Sales Managers, and Fresh Sales Specialists in consulting with members to improve retail performance, assists in new business development, and ensures the delivery of high-quality merchandise at the lowest possible cost to maintain member profitability and competitiveness.
This position supports AWG’s mission to remain firmly committed to our long-established mission statement:
“Our mission is to ensure the success of our member retailers and provide opportunities to our employees. This will be accomplished by satisfying the customers’, and our member retailers, needs for quality supermarket merchandise and superior support services. We will do this with high quality employees whose mission is to provide the lowest possible cost of good in order to ensure our members profitability, competitiveness and continued growth.”
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Financial Performance: Work with Division and Corporate teams to develop and achieve budgeted expectations for fresh department sales, gross margins, gains, promotional spends, and expense control.
- Operational Oversight: Monitor service level goals, proper inventory turns, and pricing gains to ensure levels are sufficient to achieve budgeted sales expectations.
- Strategic Negotiations: Participate in negotiations with vendors to drive sales and ensure product quality for retail member stores.
- Quality Control: Direct the Quality Control team and functions at the division level, working closely with procurement teams to maintain quality and freshness standards.
- Leadership & Development: Select, train, develop, and appraise departmental personnel to ensure qualified staffing and build bench strength for future responsibilities.
- Member Relations: Make timely visits to member group headquarters and individual stores to maintain professional, supportive, and cordial relationships.
- Event Management: Assist with formulating merchandising strategies for food shows and direct the coordination of products, people, and events.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate with District Sales Managers to determine member merchandising, product, and marketing needs.
- Field Management: Manage fresh department field specialists and QC associates in Meat & Seafood, Deli/Bakery, and Produce.
- Personnel Administration: Fulfill supervisory responsibilities including interviewing, hiring, planning work, appraising performance, and resolving problems.
Any combination of education, training, and experience providing the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:
- Proven leadership experience managing people, budgets, and retail programs.
- Strong understanding of independent grocery operations and Center Store dynamics is highly preferred.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of the retail grocery industry
- Strong analytical and mathematical abilities to manage complex financial and operational metrics.
- A proactive, hands-on approach to problem solving and continuous improvement.
- Proficiency in retail pricing models, merchandising strategies, and promotional execution.
- Planning experience as it pertains to item mix, pricing, promotion, frequency, etc.
- Category Management Experience
- Strong Business Acumen
- Managing and developing people
- Strategic agility
- Highly adaptable and able to manage various tasks while meeting multiple deadlines.
- Ability to build cross-functional relationships and influence outcomes.
- Ability to develop a budget and Category Execution plans
- Proficient with PowerPoint, Excel, and Word
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field preferred; minimum 7 years in the Grocery/Retail Industry
- Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
- Health Savings Account
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
- Paid Vacation/Holiday Pay
- 401(k) with 4% match along with 3 other contributions
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Basic & Supplemental Life and AD&D
- Employee Assistance Program
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
- Wellness Program
- Yearly Holiday Bonus