Produce Assistant Department Manager

hyvee; Oakdale (MN); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Hy-Vee is seeking a Produce Assistant Department Manager to partner with the Produce Department Manager and lead daily operations. You’ll ensure product freshness, manage the sales floor, train employees, and step in to lead when needed.

A passion for produce and customer service is essential. You will help maintain department standards, stock, and inventory while delivering friendly service and maintaining sanitation.

Qualifications

• Must have high school diploma or equivalent experience.
• Food safety training encouraged.
• Over one year of similar or related experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Deliver outstanding customer service by greeting customers and assisting with needs.
• Ensure department standards: freshness, rotation, replenishment, refrigeration temperatures.
• Set and reset sales areas to promote products.
• Coordinate operations in the salad bar and juice bar.
• Stay current on pricing, seasonal availability and market trends.
• Unload products, check deliveries, log invoices.
• Assist with inventory and ordering Produce.
• Assist with fruit and holiday basket program.
• Stock aisles and move pallets.
• Train new employees and develop department team.
• Instruct and supervise others; allocate personnel.
• Handle customer and vendor issues promptly.
• Assume management in absence of the Department Manager.
• Maintain sanitation and clean work area.
• Answer phones with friendly service.
• Follow dress code and company guidelines.
• Pitch in with other tasks or projects.

Skills

Customer service

Leadership

Produce knowledge

Team training

Communication

Pricing confidentiality

Math skills

Problem solving

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Food safety training encouraged

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: Produce Assistant Department Manager

Department: Produce

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

At Hy-Vee, our produce department is one of the first things customers see when they walk through the door, and the Produce Assistant Department Manager helps make sure it always makes a great impression. In this role, you'll partner with the Department Manager to keep the department running smoothly, from ensuring product freshness and managing the sales floor to training employees and stepping in to lead when needed. Your knowledge of produce, commitment to quality, and passion for customer service directly shape the experience our customers have every day. If you're someone who takes pride in fresh product, enjoys leading a team, and is ready to grow your career with a company that invests in its people, we'd love to have you on board.

What You'll Do

• Deliver outstanding customer service by greeting every customer warmly, assisting them with their needs, and sharing your knowledge of produce items and their uses


• Ensure department standards are consistently met, including product freshness, rotation, replenishment, and proper refrigeration temperatures


• Set and reset sales areas to promote products effectively and keep the department looking its best


• Coordinate and troubleshoot operations in the salad bar and juice bar area


• Stay current on produce-related topics such as pricing philosophy, seasonal availability, weather impacts, and market trends


• Unload product, check in deliveries, verify accuracy, and log invoices as needed


• Assist with inventory and order product at the Produce Manager's discretion


• Assist with all aspects of the fruit and holiday basket program


• Stock aisles, break down pallets, restack the cooler at day's end, and transport product to the floor


• Train new employees and support the ongoing development of the department team


• Instruct, assign, and review the work of others; coordinate activities and allocate personnel as needed


• Handle and resolve customer and vendor issues promptly and professionally on a daily basis


• Assume management responsibilities in the absence of the Department Manager


• Practice proper sanitation procedures and keep the work area clean, neat, and compliant with all department and company guidelines


• Answer the phone promptly and provide friendly, helpful service to customers who call


• Follow Hy-Vee's dress code, hygiene standards, and all department and company guidelines


• Pitch in with other tasks or special projects as they come up

Your Skills

• Bring commitment to Hy-Vee's mission and a genuine passion for delivering an outstanding customer and team experience


• Solve practical problems and make sound decisions with a variety of variables and limited standardization


• Apply math skills including fractions, decimals, and percentages in day-to-day tasks


• Lead, train, and support a team in a fast-paced retail environment


• Communicate clearly with customers, team members, and vendors and provide basic direction and guidance


• Demonstrate strong knowledge of produce products and the ability to share that knowledge confidently with customers


• Handle confidential information including pricing and sales with discretion

Reporting Relationships

Accountable and Reports to: Store Director; Store Manager; Assistant Managers of Perishables, Store Operations, Health Wellness Home; Produce Department Manager

Direct Reports: Produce Clerks

Education and Experience

High school diploma or equivalent experience

Food safety training encouraged

Over one year of similar or related 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