Produce Manager

**Job Summary**

The Produce Department Manager takes responsibility for fostering culture, and championing engagement in all its forms. They lead by example to ensure their team represents and embraces Urban Grocer's core values and culture and ensure departmental goals align with store and corporate goals by demonstrating strong leadership and managerial skills.

**Responsibilities**
- Set an example for all other department staff members by showing exemplary customer service, strong work ethic, and passion for the industry. Provide and promote customer service standards for a positive shopping experience and customer loyalty.
- Demonstrate a high level of Emotional Intelligence (EQ).
- Work with Store Management and Human Resources to manage team members through the entire employee life cycle, including:

- Onboarding
- support a positive employee experience by ensuring prompt and proactive communication throughout the employee onboarding process. Oversee training needs for the first 3 months of a new team members employment.
- Development - manage and support training programs to ensure team members are up to date with required trainings; provide hands on training with new and existing team members as needed; ensure that all department staff are trained.
- Performance management -provide continuing coaching, education, and development to new and current team members; lead coaching conversations with team members and create performance action plans where necessary; complete probation reviews, touchpoint conversations, goals, and yearly reviews; lead disciplinary conversations and implementation of progressive discipline, where necessary
- Separation - follow Urban Grocer's procedures for termination of team members as needed, ensure a positive and respectful exit of team members as they leave the organization
- Ensure high levels of engagement within the team in relation to our mission, vision and culture by:

- modeling, promoting, and making decisions in alignment with our core values
- supporting corporate HR initiatives
- being creative with strategies to motivate team members
- using Kudos and celebrating wins both individually and as a team
- Demonstrate excellent communication skills and encourage open communication between all team members.
- Collaborate with the store management group which includes all other Department Managers, Assistant Store Manager and Store Manager.
- Oversee the daily activities and operational and organizational standards of the department, delegating and assigning tasks as needed.
- Be the ambassador of product knowledge and product roll out to create excitement within the team and to ensure team members understand the benefits and uses of new products in produce.
- Demonstrates a passion for organic and local produce and relay that to the produce team through ongoing training and learning opportunities.
- Support long-term growth and development plans for team members; mentor and support department team leaders in leading the produce team.

Operations
- Translate corporate goals into functional and individual team goals.
- Maintain department cleanliness at all times.
- Work in collaboration with the Store Manager and Assistant Manager to monitor department staffing requirements, including the creation of department schedules, approving time off requests, determining staff to customer ratio, etc.
- Employ department metrics for budgeting, scheduling and decision making.
- Ensure a safe work environment through compliance in health and safety policies and procedures.
- Maintain familiarity with vendor contact information, purchasing requirements, brands and products.
- Participate in meetings and communications with other Department Managers.
- Oversee store operations as directed by the Store Manager.
- Troubleshoot and resolve problems as they arise.

Sales
- Manage department inventory, merchandising, stock and product placement, ensuring that produce is fresh, vibrant and beautiful and the commitment to quality is maintained at all times.
- Monitor department sales and employ tactics like tastings, creating engaging displays, using in store sales, etc. to increase sales.
- Execute and support the roll out of new items in the store in a timely fashion.
- Ensure optimal levels of inventory by making smart purchasing decisions, analyzing top seller reports, using movement reports and collaborating with other Department Managers.
- Preserve a balance between established products and the need to stock products that are new, innovative, and trendy. Request new items based on customer requests, trends, or personal experience.
- Undertake sales analysis using movement reports, Top 30 reports, anecdotal knowledge and insights from other Department Managers. Use this analysis to merchandise, feature items, or delist poor sellers. Analyze top sellers and low performers in store and discuss strategies with the Store Manager to ensure there is the right product mix for location.