Produce Manager

ballsfoods; Harrisonville (MO); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Price Chopper is seeking an experienced Produce Manager to lead the day-to-day operation of the Produce Department. You will supervise and develop teammates, manage inventory, scheduling, and display fresh, high-quality produce while driving sales and profitability.

The role requires strong leadership, guest service mindset, and a passion for merchandising. You'll work within Balls Food Stores, delivering exceptional guest experiences and collaborating with store leadership to maintain

Qualifications

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent work experience.
• Previous supervisory, team lead, or management experience preferred.
• Experience in grocery, retail, produce, or fresh-food preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Experience with scheduling, ordering, inventory management, and department operations.
• Knowledge of produce freshness, rotation, handling, and storage.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Commitment to providing exceptional guest hospitality.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, train, develop, evaluate, and coach Produce Department teammates to deliver exceptional guest hospitality and strong department performance.
• Establish clear expectations for productivity, guest service, department standards, and daily execution.
• Manage department schedules and staffing levels to support business needs while operating within labor budgets.
• Oversee daily Produce Department operations to ensure the department is fresh, full, clean, organized, and properly merchandised.
• Maintain high standards for product freshness, quality, appearance, and availability through proper receiving, handling, storage, rotation, and culling.
• Manage department inventory through accurate ordering, receiving, stocking, rotation, and product handling.
• Monitor inventory levels, product movement, and ordering needs to maintain availability while minimizing waste and shrink.
• Analyze department sales and performance reports to identify opportunities and implement strategies to improve sales and profitability.
• Build and maintain attractive, abundant, and easy-to-shop produce displays that maximize sales and support merchandising standards.
• Execute promotional, seasonal, and advertised merchandise according to company direction.
• Ensure accurate pricing, signage, displays, and promotional execution throughout the department.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of produce varieties, seasonality, ripening, storage, handling, and quality standards.
• Inspect incoming product and continuously monitor merchandise for freshness, quality, damage, and spoilage.
• Process markdowns and damaged merchandise according to company procedures.
• Oversee produce preparation, including trimming, cutting, and packaging, when applicable to the store.
• Maintain department sanitation, cleanliness, and food safety standards.
• Ensure proper operation, cleaning, and maintenance of department equipment and tools.
• Provide knowledgeable and exceptional guest service and assist guests with produce selection, ripeness, storage, and preparation questions.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with teammates, guests, vendors, and store leadership.
• Conduct and participate in team meetings, trainings, and safety meetings to reinforce expectations and operational standards.
• Collaborate with other department managers and store leadership to support overall store performance.
• Support opening and closing procedures and ensure the department is prepared for business throughout the day.
• Other job duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Scheduling

Inventory management

Guest service

Education

High school diploma / GED

Job description

We are looking for an experienced, driven Produce Manager to join our team at Price Chopper. In this role, you'll take ownership of the day-to-day success of the Produce Department-leading a team, driving sales and profitability, maintaining exceptional product quality and freshness, and ensuring the department consistently delivers a full, fresh, and visually appealing shopping experience.

At Price Chopper, we're more than a grocery store-we're a team committed to exceptional guest experiences through quality products, strong teamwork, and consistent execution. As part of the Balls Food Stores family, you'll have the opportunity to make a direct impact on your department, your team, and the guests we serve.

This is a great fit for someone who knows fresh produce, enjoys developing people, and takes pride in running a high-performing department. You'll balance leadership, merchandising, inventory, ordering, and guest service while creating a department that is fresh, full, organized, and ready for business.

Key Responsibilities & Job Duties

• Lead, supervise, train, develop, evaluate, and coach Produce Department teammates to deliver exceptional guest hospitality and strong department performance
• Establish clear expectations for productivity, guest service, department standards, and daily execution
• Manage department schedules and staffing levels to support business needs while operating within labor budgets
• Oversee daily Produce Department operations to ensure the department is fresh, full, clean, organized, and properly merchandised
• Maintain high standards for product freshness, quality, appearance, and availability through proper receiving, handling, storage, rotation, and culling
• Manage department inventory through accurate ordering, receiving, stocking, rotation, and product handling
• Monitor inventory levels, product movement, and ordering needs to maintain availability while minimizing waste and shrink
• Analyze department sales and performance reports to identify opportunities and implement strategies to improve sales and profitability
• Build and maintain attractive, abundant, and easy-to-shop produce displays that maximize sales and support merchandising standards
• Execute promotional, seasonal, and advertised merchandise according to company direction
• Ensure accurate pricing, signage, displays, and promotional execution throughout the department
• Develop and maintain strong knowledge of produce varieties, seasonality, ripening, storage, handling, and quality standards
• Inspect incoming product and continuously monitor merchandise for freshness, quality, damage, and spoilage
• Process markdowns and damaged merchandise according to company procedures
• Oversee produce preparation, including trimming, cutting, and packaging, when applicable to the store
• Maintain department sanitation, cleanliness, and food safety standards
• Ensure proper operation, cleaning, and maintenance of department equipment and tools
• Provide knowledgeable and exceptional guest service and assist guests with produce selection, ripeness, storage, and preparation questions
• Communicate clearly and professionally with teammates, guests, vendors, and store leadership
• Conduct and participate in team meetings, trainings, and safety meetings to reinforce expectations and operational standards
• Collaborate with other department managers and store leadership to support overall store performance
• Support opening and closing procedures and ensure the department is prepared for business throughout the day
• Other job duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent work experience
• Previous supervisory, team lead, or management experience preferred
• Previous grocery, retail, produce, or fresh-food experience preferred
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
• Experience with scheduling, ordering, inventory management, and department operations
• Knowledge of produce freshness, rotation, handling, and storage
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Commitment to providing exceptional guest hospitality
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous Produce Manager or Assistant Produce Manager experience
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards
• Experience building and maintaining high-volume produce displays
• Basic knife skills for trimming, cutting, and preparing fresh produce
• Experience operating department equipment
• Bilingual or multilingual skills a plus

Why This Role Matters

The Produce Manager has a direct impact on department sales, product quality, inventory, shrink, teammate performance, and the overall guest experience. If you know fresh produce, enjoy developing people, and take pride in building a department that looks great and performs at a high level, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact every day.