Prepared Foods Kitchen Shift Leader Full-time 35 - Easthampton

River Valley Market; Easthampton (MA); On-site; USD 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

River Valley Co-op in Easthampton, MA is hiring a Prepared Foods Kitchen Shift Leader. This full-time role supervises the kitchen team, oversees daily shift operations of a full-service deli, and supports the Kitchen Manager in meeting sales, margin, labor, and customer service goals.

Responsibilities include preparing items for sale, ensuring labeling, stock rotation, quality control, inventory, and adherence to health and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Open availability, including evenings and weekends.
• Supervise daily kitchen shift operations and staff.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook items for retail sale per established procedures.
• Label and date all items with ingredients.
• Rotate stock and promote short-dated items as viable.
• Monitor product quality and consistency.
• Take inventories and process orders; review invoices and pricing.
• Maintain kitchen safety, sanitation, and proper storage procedures.
• Create seasonal menu items and advise on equipment needs.
• Lead shift; delegate tasks; resolve conflicts; ensure communication.

Job description

Job DetailsJob Location: River Valley Co-op Easthampton - Easthampton, MA 01027Position Type: Full-time 35Salary Range: $22.00 HourlyJob Shift: Open AvailabilityRiver Valley Co-op Our Mission: River Valley Co-op staff members are all empowered ambassadors for our cooperative’s mission of creating a just marketplace that nourishes the community.

Cooperative values and the larger cooperative movement inspire us to work together for a more sustainable and just future. As a team, we work to leverage our grocery retail's economic impact for positive social change in the food system, our environment, and our community. We are committed to social justice and developing our anti-racism and multicultural skills throughout our organization.

Our cooperatively-owned business values working together in partnership with our local food producers, other vendors and service providers, community organizations, employees, and our customers to serve our community food needs in ways that sustainably support our mutual needs and aspirations. We prioritize building and sustaining our business operations capacity to generate positive impacts for our employees, business partners, customers, local economy, the common good of our community, and the environment.

Our friendly store operations specializing in fresh, local, organically grown, and natural foods, builds community resilience and grows our local economy. We work hard and have fun doing it, act with honesty, kindness, and respect, and strive to improve every day.

Position: PREPARED FOODS KITCHEN SHIFT LEADER

Requires open availability, including evenings and weekends.

Status: Reports to the Prepared Foods Manager

Supervises the Prepared Foods Team

Pay Level: IV, non-exempt.

Purpose: To assist the Prepared Foods Kitchen Manager with supervising the daily shift operations of the kitchen for a full-service deli; to meet goals for sales, margin, labor expense, and customer service; and provide support to the Prepared Foods Manager for department-wide (kitchen, counter, cheese wheel) supervision as needed in the absence of other department supervisors.

Responsibilities

PRODUCT FOR SALE

• Prepare and cook items for retail sale following established procedures and specifications of the Prepared Foods Kitchen Manager and Prepared Foods Manager.
• Provide input on new recipes and products for sale; research and develop recipes based on the Manager's guidelines.
• Accurately label and date all items made with all ingredients every time.
• Ensure the freshness of items for sale by rotating, diligently monitoring dates, keeping batches separate by date, and actively promoting sales of short-dated products while still viable.
• Regularly inspect the product for quality and consistency.
• Review shrink/waste/excess product information logs and provide input to the Manager on controls.

PURCHASING

• Take inventories and place orders as directed to ensure an uninterrupted supply.
• Receive orders or ensure proper receiving by other deli staff.
• Review invoices for accuracy, break them into inventory categories, and approve payment processing.
• Visit other stores for comparison/contrast of offered items, pricing, displays, etc.
• Make recommendations to the manager based on trends observed.

DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS

• Consistently ensure the kitchen is maintained in a safe, orderly, and sanitary condition following guidelines set by the Board of Health, Prepared Foods Kitchen Manager, and Prepared Foods Manager.
• Ensure adherence to all food safety/cold and hot storage procedures.
• Create seasonal/special/holiday menu items.
• Advise the Prepared Foods Kitchen Manager, Prepared Foods Manager, and/or MOD of observed potential equipment repairs, replacements, or upgrades necessary.
• Monitor cooler temperatures; monitor heat unit temperatures. Advise MOD of observed issues.
• Ensure established opening and/or closing procedures are adhered to (including cleaning schedule).
• Pull old or low-quality products and dispose of them properly following established recording procedures.
• Participate in periodic inventory counts.

SUPERVISION & LEADERSHIP

• Create/maintain/organize prep lists and delegate tasks where necessary.
• Support existing systems for special orders and catering orders; recommend improvements.
• Participate in hiring (applicant screening, interviews), training, and review processes.
• Act as a point person for conflict resolution during the shift.
• Maintain open communication with all staff at all times, including regular meetings with supervisors.
• Demonstrate, encourage, and support a positive, productive, and customer-service-based work environment.
• Ensure cross-training and knowledge base within all sub-departments, including beer/wine, cheese, and bread.

In the absence of a sub‑department leader, Prepared Foods Kitchen Manager, or Prepared Foods Manager:

• Set work priorities and direct staff tasks, including break schedule, to ensure productivity.
• Act as point of contact for the kitchen during the shift, including special orders, catering, and events; fulfill role model/information conduit needs for all deli staff and customers concerning ingredients and products used.
• Ensure specialty labeling and all signage are appropriate and correct, i.e.,