Delicatessen Department Manager

Hy-Vee; Des Moines (IA); Hybrid; USD 48,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Hy-Vee is seeking a Delicatessen Manager to lead a high-traffic deli department, ensuring freshness, quality, and exceptional customer experience. You will manage a team, oversee daily operations, analyze sales, and drive promotions to maximize profitability.

The role requires strong leadership in a fast-paced food environment, a commitment to team development, and hands-on supervision of ordering, inventory, and merchandising. This position offers growth in a dynamic retail setting.

Qualifications

• Deliver outstanding customer service and inspire your team to do the same.

Responsibilities

• Set and uphold department standards for customer service, cleanliness, sanitation, team relations, and overall profitability.
• Build a friendly, welcoming atmosphere by encouraging your team to greet and engage with customers and leading by example
• Assist customers with finding products, reaching items, carrying heavy purchases, and going the extra mile to make their visit a great one
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate department employees, and handle performance and disciplinary matters as needed
• Coordinate scheduling, daily work plans, and department goals in partnership with store leadership
• Oversee ordering, replenishment, pricing, invoicing, and department bookkeeping
• Analyze weekly and monthly sales trends, prepare ad projections, and plan promotions and displays
• Ensure proper product temperatures, storage procedures, and freshness standards to minimize shrink
• Understand and troubleshoot department equipment and coordinate maintenance as needed
• Conduct department inventory and manage product pre-orders
• Maintain compliance with Hy-Vee’s dress code, hygiene standards, and all company policies
• Assist in other store areas and take on special projects as needed

Skills

Customer service

Team leadership

Problem solving

Math skills

Clear communication

Discretion with confidential info

Education requirement awareness

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Additional Considerations (if any): Must be 18+ - At Hy-Vee our people are our strength. We promise “a helpful smile in every aisle” and those smiles can only come from a workforce that is fully engaged and committed to supporting our customers and each other.

Job Description: Job Title: Delicatessen Manager Department: Delicatessen FLSA: Hourly Revision Date: 07/2026

About Hy-Vee

At Hy-Vee, we believe the shortest distance between two people is a smile. We’re seeking people with a passion for customer service, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to being part of a team that strives to make our customers’ lives easier, healthier and happier.

The Role and Why It’s Important

As the Delicatessen Manager at Hy-Vee, you’ll lead one of our most visited departments, setting the standard for freshness, quality, and customer experience. From managing your team and overseeing daily operations to analyzing sales and planning promotions, your leadership shapes what customers find and feel every time they visit the deli. If you’re a natural leader who takes pride in a well-run department, loves developing a team, and thrives in a fast-paced food environment, this role is a great fit for you.

What You’ll Do

• Set and uphold department standards for customer service, cleanliness, sanitation, team relations, and overall profitability
• Build a friendly, welcoming atmosphere by encouraging your team to greet and engage with customers and leading by example
• Assist customers with finding products, reaching items, carrying heavy purchases, and going the extra mile to make their visit a great one
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate department employees, and handle performance and disciplinary matters as needed
• Coordinate scheduling, daily work plans, and department goals in partnership with store leadership
• Oversee ordering, replenishment, pricing, invoicing, and department bookkeeping
• Analyze weekly and monthly sales trends, prepare ad projections, and plan promotions and displays
• Ensure proper product temperatures, storage procedures, and freshness standards to minimize shrink
• Understand and troubleshoot department equipment and coordinate maintenance as needed
• Conduct department inventory and manage product pre-orders
• Maintain compliance with Hy-Vee’s dress code, hygiene standards, and all company policies
• Assist in other store areas and take on special projects as needed

You’ll receive direction and support from:

• District Store Director
• Store Manager
• Assistant Managers of Perishables
• Store Operations
• Health Wellness Home
• and Food Service Director

Your Skills

• Deliver outstanding customer service and inspire your team to do the same
• Lead, motivate, and develop a team in a fast-paced food service environment
• Solve practical problems and make sound decisions with a variety of variables
• Use basic math skills, including fractions, decimals, and percentages
• Communicate clearly in writing and verbally with customers, employees, and vendors
• Handle confidential information, including employee compensation, sales data, and inventory reports, with discretion
• High school diploma or equivalent required; one or more years of related work experience preferred

Reporting Relationships

• Accountable and Reports to: Store Director, Store Manager, Assistant Managers of Perishables, Store Operations, and Health Wellness Home, and Food Service Manager
• Direct Reports: Delicatessen Department Employees

Education and Experience

High school diploma or equivalent required; one or more years of related work experience preferred

Physical Requirements

• Ability to frequently lift, carry, push, or pull objects weighing 100 pounds or more, with or without mechanical assistance
• Continuously stand and walk on hard surfaces for extended periods
• Where applicable to the role: ability to operate pallet jacks, forklifts, or similar material‑handling equipment (required operator certification must be completed prior to independent use)
• Work in cooler or freezer environments for extended periods
• Where applicable to the role: ability to safely use sharp knives and blades to cut, trim, or grind product
• Where applicable to the role, and in accordance with applicable age and legal requirements: operate a cardboard baler or compactor
• Where applicable to the role: perform repetitive motions associated with dough mixing, scaling, and proofing
• Ability to unload, lift, stock, and rotate incoming truck freight and merchandise

Working Environment

This is a fast-moving, hands‑on role where no two days are the same. You may encounter daily exposure to dust, noise, equipment movement hazards, and electrical shock, with occasional exposure to temperature extremes and cleaning chemicals or solvents. Safety is always a priority, and training is provided to help ensure a safe and supportive work environment.

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre employment drug screen.