Bakery Associate

Job Summary Assists in the daily operations of the bakery department. Increases customer confidence and loyalty by promoting and executing consistent and compliant operating conditions. Provides fresh and appealing products, courteous, knowledgeable and prompt service. Values diversity and supports an inclusive environment by embracing the backgrounds and experiences of the team. Key Responsibilities Service (60%) Creates an environment that enables customers to feel welcome, important and appreciated, increasing customer confidence and loyalty. Delivers daily conditions that meet the company’s expectations for at‑shelf product availability, freshness, quality and value. Offers product samples, answers product questions and provides assistance in finding or suggesting products. Ensures customer requests and special orders are fulfilled. Leadership (20%) Promotes trust and respect among associates by collaborating, fostering teamwork, and communicating company, department, and job‑specific information. Adheres to all local, state, and federal laws, and company guidelines. Financial (10%) Maintains awareness of inventory and stocking conditions and reports discrepancies. Reviews and inspects products for quality and freshness, taking appropriate action with those items. Prepares, packages, labels, and displays products for sale. Utilizes production planning tools to accurately produce fresh products and follows discarding or markdown processes to reduce shrink. Ensures product is held at the proper temperature per food‑safety guidelines and keeps temperature logs per policy. Compliance/Safety (10%) Maintains company standards for safety, proper food‑handling practices, sanitation, and productivity. Adheres to all regulatory compliance requirements related to food safety, USDA, COOL, and DOA. Executes product recalls and withdrawals timely, securing and removing items from customer access. Reinforces safety programs by complying with procedures, inspecting, and reporting unsafe conditions to store management. Notifies management of customer or employee accidents and reports all safety risks, issues, and illegal activity. Ensures adherence to wage and hour policies and regulations, cultivates a culture of safety, and provides necessary safety training. Ensures hazard assessments are posted, PPE is available and used, and equipment is maintained or remediated as needed. Additional Duties Performs other job‑related duties as assigned. Qualifications Required Education: N/A Preferred Education: High School / GED Language(s) Required: English; Language(s) Preferred: Spanish Relevant Experience – Supervisory: 0–3 years minimum Must be 18 years of age. Authorization to work in the United States or ability to obtain the same. Successful completion of pre‑employment drug testing and background check. Strong customer service skills. Exceptional interpersonal, motivational, and communication skills. Proficient in operating bakery equipment (e.g., slicer, oven, scale, knives, box cutter, pricing gun) according to company guidelines. Environmental Factors Retail – Bakery: Physical Demands include regular standing or walking on various floor types, manual dexterity, and repetitive motions. Requires reaching at waist level or overhead, carrying, pushing, or lifting loads up to specified weights. May require sitting, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or climbing up to 10 ft. Working conditions may involve indoor, outdoor, cold, freezing, heated, or wet/humid environments. Safety risks include twisting, walking on slippery surfaces, hazardous equipment, exposure to loud noise, irritants, fumes, and toxic cleaning solutions. Equipment required: cleaning supplies, register, pricing gun, scales, scanner, material handling equipment (racks, carts, pallet jacks, shopping carts), powered cutting equipment (slicers, saws, grinders, knives, ovens, stoves, rotisserie, fryers, steamers, proofer, wrapping equipment). PPE: goggles, gloves, cutting gloves, fryer gloves, oven gloves, back brace. Lifting requirement: 35 lbs; pulling requirement: 250 lbs. Travel and Shift Travel: Occasional; Overnight: No Shift(s): Varied shifts. #J-18808-Ljbffr