Produce Assistant Manager

Description

Reports to: Produce Manager 

Pay Grade: 7 (Full Time, Salaried Exempt)

Supervises: Provides supporting supervision for Produce Buyer/Receiver, Produce Asst Buyer/Receiver and Produce Stockers.

Purpose: To provide a fully stocked and well-managed Produce Department.  Assist the Produce Manager in maintaining smooth/efficient operations of the Produce Department, including customer service, stocking, merchandising, buying/receiving, sales/promotions, reporting, and cleanliness.  Also assist the Produce Manager in meeting goals for sales, margin, profitability, and labor.

Job Responsibilities

Customer Service 

• Provide excellent customer service to all internal and external customers, including employees, vendors, and shoppers.
• Assist customers with produce questions in a prompt, friendly, courteous manner, referring to other staff when necessary. 
• Availability to staff and customers to ensure efficient and friendly customer service; provide support to department staff in ensuring excellent customer service through ongoing coaching and training.
• Offer suggestions to customers for purchases and ways to prepare products.

Supervision

• Train new staff and provide on-going staff training as assigned by Produce Manager. 
• Supervise the daily work assignments of Produce staff.
• Help facilitate communications between Produce Buyer/Receiver, Produce Asst Buyer/Receiver, Produce staff and Produce Manager. Prioritize daily check-ins with members of the department. 
• Assist in planning and facilitating regular departmental meetings.
• Report staffing/personnel issues and customer/product issues directly to Produce Manager. 
• Oversee the stocking of all displays. Participate in stocking as needed.
• Conduct staff performance evaluations in accordance with the union contract (collective bargaining agreement).
• Ensure staff uses safe work practices. 
• Assist in administering mutual resolution conversations or work problem resolution procedures to Produce staff as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement.
• Assist in scheduling and staffing, including filling open shifts with substitute staff. 

Merchandising 

• Ensure displays, shelves, bins, and coolers are fully stocked. 
• Set up displays following guidelines of Produce Manager.
• Replenish and rotate displays, culling several times daily, and following stocking priorities set by Produce Manager.
• Supervise the rotation of older stock to the front, making room for new stock; organize/maintain back stock to assure efficient shelf stocking and inventory management. 
• Ensure accuracy of signage and pricing.

Purchasing

• Support the Produce Buyer/Receiver in negotiating with suppliers for favorable prices, terms, quality, and delivery within guidelines established by Produce Manager.
• Support the Produce Buyer/Receiver in evaluating vendors and researching new sources of supply.
• Assist in providing pricing guidelines to Produce Buyer/Receiver.\
• Receive deliveries following established procedures, checking carefully for quality and accuracy.
• Place orders with established suppliers within guidelines set by Produce Manager.
• Obtain credit from suppliers as needed.
• Maintain and process credits on monthly credit log

Operations

• Participate in review of department financial reports and department goal setting. 
• Be a team player. A team player has the “willingness to consider the effects of one’s own decisions on others and has the ability to prioritize larger Co-op goals before individual concerns.” 
• Take responsibility for self-education and staying informed. 
• Be responsible for safety in the workplace by creating a safe work environment, reporting safety concerns to a manager or member of the Safety Committee, and adhering to safety rules and regulations.
• Follow department policies and procedures.
• Maintain/improve spreadsheets, ordering and inventory tools.
• Maintain margins, pricing, sales, and reporting in Catapult 
• Generate weekly sales predictions from Catapult based on last year’s sales

Department Maintenance 

• Ensure that department area is kept clean and orderly; meet all Department of Health regulations. 
• Ensure department equipment remains in working order and advise Produce Manager of problems. 
• Properly dispose of unsellable items following established procedures. 
• Prepare for and participate in regular inventory counts.