GARDEN CTR/DEPT LEADER

Fred Meyer; Vancouver (WA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Flexible scheduling

Employee Assistance Program

Discounts on purchases

Tuition reimbursement up to $21,000

Job summary

Fred Meyer seeks a department operations professional to lead customer service excellence and safe, clean department standards. You will manage scheduling, product knowledge, promotions, and inventory while guiding staff to deliver a consistent shopping experience.

This role emphasizes compliance with health codes, safety, and loss prevention, with opportunities for growth within Store Operations across Kroger's family of stores.

Qualifications

• Basic math skills including counting, addition, and subtraction.
• Ability to stay calm under pressure.
• Must meet minimum physical demands of the position.
• Must be 18 years or older.
• High school diploma or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Develop scheduling to balance customer volume with associate needs.
• Adhere to local, state and federal health and civil codes.
• Create an environment where customers feel welcome and informed about products.
• Know products and respond to questions, making recommendations.
• Understand store layout and locate products efficiently.
• Inform and educate associates about promotions and plans.
• Implement department promotional plans.
• Stay current with ads and seasonal campaigns.
• Maintain inventory awareness and plan inventory processes.
• Train associates on inventory, stocking and Computer Assisted Ordering.
• Observe shift operating hours and maintain service levels.
• Model excellent customer service and maintain a clean department.
• Demonstrate creative merchandising and proper product conditioning.
• Authorize manager discretion markdowns and cashier duties.
• Ensure safety, labor, expense and loss prevention rules are followed.

Skills

Basic math

Stress management

Physical stamina

Second language

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Create an outstanding customer experience through exceptional service. Establish and maintain a safe and clean environment that encourages our customers to return. Achieve sales and profit goals established for the department, and monitor and control all established quality assurance standards. Direct and supervise all functions, duties and activities for the department. Support the day-to-day functions of the department operations. Embrace the Customer 1st strategy and encourage associates to deliver excellent customer service. Demonstrate the company's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion and safety.

Responsibilities

• Develop adequate scheduling to balance customer volume with associate needs.
• Adhere to all local, state and federal health and civil codes.
• 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.
• Gain and maintain knowledge of products sold within the department and be able to respond to questions and make suggestions about products.
• Understand the store's layout and be able to locate products.
• Inform and educate department associates about current, upcoming and special in-store promotions, especially promotions that affect the department.
• Implement the period promotional plan for the department.
• Stay current with present, future, seasonal and special ads.
• Maintain an awareness of inventory/stocking conditions; note any discrepancies in inventory.
• Plan, organize and supervise the inventory process.
• Train department associates on inventory/stocking and Computer Assisted Ordering.
• Observe scheduled shift operating hours.
• Model excellent customer service, demonstrating friendliness, and maintaining a clean and orderly department.
• Demonstrate creative merchandising.
• Condition all products in assigned sections according to company policy.
• Authorize any manager discretion markdowns.
• Understand and perform cashier functions.
• Ensures seasonal plans are executed to standard.
• Ensure that all current merchandising, customer service, labor control, expense and supply controls, loss prevention, maintenance, safety, food safety, associate and customer engagement rules are being followed.
• Reinforce safety programs by complying with safety procedures and identify unsafe conditions and notify store management.
• Practice preventive maintenance by properly inspecting equipment and notify appropriate department or store manager of any items in need of repair.
• Notify management of customer or employee accidents.
• Report all safety risks, or issues, and illegal activity, including: robbery, theft or fraud.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Qualifications

Minimum

• Knowledge of basic math: counting, addition, and subtraction
• Ability to handle stressful situations
• Must be able to meet the minimum physical demands of the position
• Must be 18 or older
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Second language: speaking, reading and/or writing

Job Info

• Job Identification 220950
• Job Category Store Operations
• Posting Date 08/25/2026, 02:24 PM

The Kroger Family of Companies offers comprehensive benefits to support your Associate Well-Being, including Physical, Emotional, Financial and more. We'll help you thrive, with access to:

• A wide range of healthcare coverage, including affordable, comprehensive medical, dental, vision and prescription coverage, through company plans or collective bargaining agreement plans.
• Flexible scheduling in full- and part-time roles with paid time off, including holiday and sick pay based on eligibility and length of service.
• Emotional and financial support with free counseling through our Employee Assistance Program and free, confidential financial tools and coaching.
• Valuable associate discounts on purchases, including food, travel, technology and so much more.
• Up to $21,000 in tuition reimbursement over your career, through our industry-leading Continuing Education program.
• Vast potential for growth, through an abundance of industry-leading training programs and diverse career pathways.

From one tiny Cincinnati grocery store more than a century ago, we’ve grown into what today is the nation’s largest grocer with nearly 2,800 stores in 35 states operating under 28 different names. As America’s grocer, we take pride in bringing diverse teams with a passion for food and people together with one common purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit. With a history of innovation, we work tirelessly to create amazing experiences for our customers, communities AND each other, with food at the heart of it all.
Here, people matter. That’s why we strive to provide the ingredients you need to create your own recipe for success at work and in life. We help feed your future by providing the value and care you need to grow. If you’re caring, purpose-driven and hungry to learn, your potential is unlimited.
Whether you’re seeking a part-time position or a new career path, we’ve got a fresh opportunity for you.