Produce Department Head Assistant

Position Summary :
Embrace the Customer 1st strategy and encourage associates to deliver excellent customer service by providing an outstanding customer experience. Establish and maintain a safe, clean environment that encourages our customers to return. Achieve sales and profit goals established for the department, and control all established quality assurance standards. Monitor all functions, duties and activities related to the Produce department. Demonstrate the company’s core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion and safety of others.

• Promote trust and respect among associates, with a positive attitude.
• Communicate company, department, and job specific information to associates.
• Establish department performance goals and empower associates to meet or exceed targets through teamwork. 
• Develop adequate scheduling to manage customer volume.
• Train and develop associates on their job performance and participate in the performance appraisal process.
• Create an environment that enables customers to feel welcome, important and appreciated by answering questions regarding products sold within the department and throughout the store, ability to respond to questions, make suggestions, and locate product to ensure customers get the items they need.
• Prepare fruit and vegetable platters/trays.
• Inform customers of produce specials and offer product samples to help customers discover new items.
• Review/inspect products for quality and freshness and take appropriate action.
• Develop and implement a department business plan to achieve desired results.
• Create and execute sales promotions in partnership with store management.
• Inform and educate department associates about current, upcoming and special in-store promotions, especially promotions that affect the department.
• Prepare and submit seasonal critiques for the sales and merchandising supervisor.
• Implement the period promotional plan for the department.
• Assist management in preparing the store/department budget, expense control, profit and loss reviews, and take appropriate action on all financial reports.
• Schedule daily, weekly and monthly price changes by updating shelf tags and promotional signs.
• Plan and organize the inventory process, maintain an awareness of inventory/stocking conditions, note any discrepancies, train department associates on inventory/stocking and Computer Assisted Ordering.
• Ensure proper temperatures in cases and coolers are maintained and temperature logs are maintained.
• Reinforce safety programs by complying with safety procedures, identifying unsafe conditions, practicing preventive maintenance by properly inspecting equipment, notifying store management of any items in need of repair and of customer or employee accidents.
• Report all safety risk, or issues, and illegal activity, including: robbery, theft or fraud.
• Adhere to all local, state and federal laws, and company guidelines.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Behaviors/Skills:
Some of the behaviors needed to successfully perform this position are:

Leadership Behaviors:

• Puts the Customer First - Anticipates customer needs, champions for the customer, acts with customers in mind, exceeds customers’ expectations, gains customers’ trust and respect. 
• Communicates Effectively and Candidly - Communicates clearly and directly, is approachable, relates well to others, engages people and helps them understand change, provides and seeks feedback, articulates clearly, actively listens.
• Achieves Results Through Teamwork – Is open to diverse ideas, works inclusively and collaboratively, holds self and others accountable, involves others to accomplish individual and team goals.
• Leads Through Positive Influence – Demonstrates strong character, builds partnerships, models a conscious balance between work and personal life, takes personal responsibility for own development, role models leadership qualities such as motivation, inspiration, passion and trust.
•   Coaches and Develops Others - Develops and cares about associates, builds effective teams, helps people be their best, values and manages diversity, provides candid and constructive feedback.
• Leads Change and Innovation - Challenges the status quo, embraces technology, puts forward creative ideas, champions and implements process improvements, gathers the ideas of others, demonstrates good judgment about which ideas will work.
• Executes with Excellence - Is action oriented, drives for results, sets clear expectations and milestones, reviews progress, acts decisively, solves problems, can be counted on to consistently meet or exceed goals.
• Provides Clear and Strategic Direction - Plans and organizes well, sets a clear and simple course of action, stays focused on the most important priorities, has the ability to visualize and plan for the future, understands the industry and marketplace. 
• Safety Awareness -Identifying and correcting conditions that affect employee safety; upholding safety standards.

Minimum Position Qualifications:

• Must be 18 or older.
• Effective communication skills.
• Knowledge of basic math (counting, addition, subtraction).
• Ability to handle stressful situations.
• Current food handlers permit once employed.