Deli Department Team Leader

La-Montanita-Food-Cooperative; New Mexico; On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

La Montañita Food Cooperative is seeking a Deli Department Team Leader to guide daily deli operations and deliver exceptional customer experiences. The role focuses on staff development, product knowledge, and maintaining high standards of quality and service across the department.

You will lead training, monitor performance, and ensure safety, sanitation, and accurate pricing while supporting store-wide initiatives and budget goals.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ customer service experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years’ experience in food service purchasing, preparation, or perishable merchandising.
• Minimum of three (3) years supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of product buying, pricing, merchandising and inventory management.
• Proficient math for assessing financial performance and inventory management.
• Food safety certification; willing to complete within 1 month if not current.
• Strong communication, leadership and delegation abilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and direct all deli department operations and ensure excellent customer experience.
• Develop, mentor and support the deli team; lead training and performance reviews.
• Maintain compliance with food safety, sanitation and department procedures.
• Manage budgeting, margins, labor and other costs within approved plans.
• Lead inventory, pricing, merchandising, and product quality to ensure freshness and visibility.
• Partner with marketing and outreach initiatives and support store-wide projects.

Skills

Customer service

Leadership

Inventory management

Food safety

Communication

Team building

Microsoft Office

Education

High School diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office

Email

Job description

Description

The Deli Department Team Leader (DTL) is responsible for overseeing and directing all aspects of the Deli department operations. The Deli DTL is responsible for ensuring an excellent experience for customers in the Deli Area. This customer experiences revolves around providing high quality products and service selections, in-depth knowledge of products and consistently providing excellent customer service. The Deli DTL is accountable for effectively developing, mentoring, and supporting their team, implementing efficient and productive systems, demonstrating stellar leadership, and being accountable for the financial performance of the department (in areas such as margin, sales goals, labor budget) all in a manner that demonstrates the values of La Montañita Food Cooperative. This position oversees that the department adheres to labor and food safety guidelines, and ensures compliance with policy and procedures by establishing clear expectations and guidelines.

SOME ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensures the department operates effectively and efficiently; facilitates day-to-day operation and guarantees performance standards are met and that team members consistently work towards their ideal and peak performance.
• Creates, develops, communicates, implements, audits, and evaluates operating standards and procedures and makes adjustments as needed.
• Supervises work performance and conduct of team members and supports the performance management practices as needed and in accordance with policies, procedures, labor and legal guidelines.
• Models behaviors that support the values, through supportive and participatory leadership, promoting cooperation, team building, and motivating team members to achieve goals.
• Delegates and assigns tasks for department team members as needed and ensures tasks are completed.
• Helps create and facilitates trainings for team members that enhance and build upon their skills, knowledge and abilities.
• Conducts regular performance evaluations, timely feedback sessions, meetings/huddles and provides coaching to promote the growth and development of team members.
• Responsible for recruitment, retention and engagement of team members for the department.
• Ensures new hires are trained appropriately and effectively.
• Supports the security and safety protocols and establishes strong departmental control measures.
• Supports marketing and outreach initiatives and contributes to marketing, outreach, and events as requested
• Orders, receives, and merchandises products following proper guidelines for merchandising, rotation, sanitation, pricing, mechanizing, and quality standards.
• Monitors and ensures labor and margin ranges, direct and indirect expenses comply with approved budget.
• Monitor and oversee the accurate costing and pricing of all produce products.
• Consistently replenish products to ensure freshness and visibility.
• Maintains a working knowledge of all products as well as items throughout the store to respond to customers to ensure they get the products they want and need.
• Adequately accepts, orders, receives, prepares, packages, labels, displays, stocks, replenishes floor stock and inventories merchandise.
• Helps customers make product selections by answering questions and providing information about all department items.
• Ensures accurate and sanitary product processing, packaging, labeling, dating, and pricing according to department procedures.
• Creates and maintains an environment that enables customers to feel welcome, important, and appreciated by answering questions regarding products sold within the department and throughout the store by providing excellent customer service.
• Assists in inventory counts, storewide cleaning, and other projects as needed.
• Ensures federal, state, local and La Montañita Food Cooperative regulations and standards for product freshness, safety, refrigeration, sanitation and weights and measures are being adhered to and met.
• Maintains presentation and quality standards in the department.
• Maintains and updates as needed ServSafe® certification for department team members and self.

Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & ATTRIBUTES:

• High School diploma or GED.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ previous Customer service skills (able to complete the full customer service cycle).
• Minimum of three (3) years’ of years’ previous experience in food service purchasing, preparation, or merchandising perishable products.
• Minimum of three (3) years previous supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of products, buying, pricing, merchandising, and inventory management.
• Excellent interpersonal, motivational, team building, and customer relationship skills.
• Capable of teaching others positively and constructively.
• Proficient mathematical skills for assessing financial performance, monitoring profitability, and managing inventory.
• Food safety certification. If not currently certified, will commit to completing certification within 1 month.
• Demonstrates decision-making ability, leadership skills, and ability to prioritize and delegate.
• Experience with email, Microsoft Office, and operations-related applications.
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills and able to communicate with individuals of diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Effectively present information in one-to-one and small group situations to customers and other employees.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Ability to adhere and follow safety, regulatory, and wellness guidelines. Safety Conscious and adhering to required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is required.
• Able to deal and adapt to changes in the work environment, industry with a calm professional demeanor.
• Dependable, reliable and self-motivated.
• Able to work with a diverse group of people.
• Strong team player, friendly and patient.
• Excellent ability to prioritize and multi-task with attention to detail.