Food Sales & Sampling Assistant Manager (Connections)

H-E-B; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

H-E-B is seeking a Food Sales & Sampling Assistant Manager in Austin to lead the Connections Selling Team and drive exceptional customer experiences. You will manage in-store sampling, events, and partner development while collaborating with store leaders to meet sales goals.

You will oversee training, scheduling, and enforcement of standards, with a focus on hospitality, product knowledge, and strong merchandising.

Qualifications

• Experience coordinating in-store events and tastings.
• Strong customer service and hospitality focus.
• Ability to lead and develop a team of partners.
• Familiarity with retail merchandising standards.
• Experience in inventory and promotions planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead Total Store Event planning and execution for customer experience.
• Communicate KPIs and results to store management.
• Train and develop the Connections Team.
• Manage partner performance and payroll basics.
• Ensure food safety and sanitation standards are met.

Skills

Customer service excellence

Event planning & execution

Team leadership & training

In-store merchandising

Education

Degree in Culinary Arts or related field

Tools

Scheduling System

Inventory Management Systems

POS knowledge

Job description

Job Summary

As an Food Sales & Sampling Assistant Manager, you'll lead the Store's Connections Selling Team to provide superior customer service, while maintaining the Department on a daily basis.

Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions

Management / Training

• Serves as the key point of contact for Total Store Event planning; leads planning and execution for customer experience and selling, including product demonstration, hospitality, and selling plans in collaboration and alignment with Total Store Leader Team


• Uses reporting tools to prepare and communicate key performance indicators and results to the Store Management and Selling Team on an ongoing basis during store and team meetings


• Serves as a role model and leader to ensure customer experience and hospitality excel across the Store


• Ensures proper processes and protocols for all in-store sampling and selling activities


• Serves as the Own Brand Ambassador for the Store; leads Partner education for our brands and products


• Ensures department standards meet expectations through daily department walks, training, communication, and accountability


• Maintains a direct line of communication to all Department Managers, Store Leaders, and Selling Team Partners


• Contributes to future event planning; shares insights related to food trends, restaurant experiences, and Customer's local preferences; executes adjustments for stronger future performance


• Leads the recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, and development of the H-E-B Connections Team and ensures Department Partners are trained and comply with required training related to their roles and duties


• Manages Partner performance, delivers performance reviews, and resolves Partner-related matters including time and attendance, standards of conduct, promotions, disciplining, suspending, discharging, rewarding, etc.


• Accountable for department budget and payroll


• Trains School of Retail Management (SORM) and School of Retail Leadership (SORL) trainees

Sales

• Increases department contribution by effectively driving sales and customer engagement through selling events while effectively managing shrink and product cost


• Creates an atmosphere of celebration by participating in Total Store Events, displaying temporary decorations, creating themed recipes, and cross merchandising


• Develops weekly team schedules to effectively maximize customer engagement and sales


• Plans, analyzes, builds, and maintains promotional product orders and delivery schedules with Department Managers using the display plan tool, inventory management tool, and SOPs to meet sales goals


• Leads display planning and maintenance for selling events; ensures A+ Standards of merchandising and signage are applied; events are neatly organized, signed, and tagged


• Completes / distributes required reports and paperwork to ensure accounting statements accurately reflect Dept performance


• Completes events recaps for corporate admin team regarding Customer Experience wins and opportunities for future planning and improvement strategy


• May execute cart and/or cooking events, engaging Customers with enthusiasm and sharing product knowledge, recipes, samples and savings or value information

Food Safety / Sanitation

• Ensures Department and Partners comply with H-E-B, federal, state, and local policies and standards for food safety and sanitation


• Provides proper tools and training for partners to operate Department in accordance with most recent ORT / QA guidelines


• Maintains safety / sanitation of equipment and Department; maintains sanitation standards throughout the work area


• Establishes guidelines for Department operations in accordance with 5-S; audits to ensure maintenance


• Maintains proper PPE for Department


• Ensures food safety certifications, CFM certifications, and TABC certifications are current

The responsibilities and essential functions outlined above describe the general nature and level of work assigned to this position. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Duties and responsibilities may be modified at any time based on business needs. Employees may be required to perform other job-related tasks as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodations.

Qualifications & Key Requirements

Work Experience

• of experience in event coordination -


• demonstrations and selling -


• customer service -


• a related culinary arts field -


• Experience in inventory management -


• Experience leading a team of five -


• more -


• Experience in catering -


• food presentation -


• large scale cooking -


• ethnic food -


• recipe development -


• etc. (preferred) -

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Strong knowledge of H-E-B systems and processes, including Scheduling System, Recipe Authoring System, Inventory Management Systems, Product Ordering Systems, Display Planning System, Sales Data Systems, Microsoft Office Application, Internal Company Websites, Company Mobile Applications for Partners and Customers -


• Working knowledge of catering, food presentation, large scale cooking, ethnic food, recipe development, etc. -


• Advanced customer service, interpersonal, and influencing skills -


• Advanced merchandising skills -


• Advanced verbal written communication skills -


• Ability to lead a Department and schedule Partners for effectiveness -


• Ability to read and interpret documents (safety rules, maintenance instructions, procedure manuals) -


• Ability to manage multiple priorities and shift focus between projects -

Education

• Degree in culinary arts, nutrition, or home economics or H-E-B Culinary certification ( -

Licenses/Certifications

• Food Safety Certification -


• Completion of / ability to complete TABC Certification -


• Completion of H-E-B Connections Department SORM -

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

• Function in a fast-paced, retail environment


• Safely maneuver around moving mechanical parts


• Work extended hours and varying work schedule as dictated by the business, including weekend shifts


• Constantly stand, reach at waist, and grasp


• Occasionally walk, reach overhead, reach at shoulder, reach at knee, reach at floor, bend, stoop, squat, crouch, kneel, stair climb, pivot, twist, push / pull with arms, pinch, and perform fine motor movements


• Occasionally be exposed to cold, hot, ambient temperatures, loud noise, wet conditions


• Demonstrate the ability to lift 25 lbs, and manage more than 25 lbs

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Partner encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.