Produce Shift Leader Full-time 35 - Easthampton

River Valley Market; Easthampton (MA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

River Valley Co-op in Easthampton, MA is seeking a Produce Shift Leader to support the Produce Manager and supervise staff during closing shifts. Open availability including evenings and weekends is required.

The role emphasizes producing quality displays, strong customer service, and efficient department operations across inventory, ordering, and staff training. Join a cooperative focused on community impact and fair practices.

Qualifications

• Supervisory experience preferred.
• Produce experience in a retail environment.
• Excellent customer service skills; ability to project a friendly, outgoing personality.
• Excellent communication skills, with a focus on positive and productive results.
• Organized and attentive to detail.
• Ability to lift 75 lbs.
• Ability to stand for long periods.
• Ability to work in a cold, wet environment.
• Manual dexterity with hazardous equipment.
• Regular, predictable attendance; flexible availability including nights, weekends, and early morning.

Responsibilities

• Display fruits and vegetables to convey abundance and quality while maintaining proper storage conditions.
• Replenish and rotate displays per priority set by the Produce Manager.
• Cull display daily and dispose of low-quality produce per procedures.
• Trim, wash, and bundle produce according to priorities.
• Assist customers with questions, suggest purchases, and offer tastings or samples.
• Help customers place special orders and keep displays stocked and signed.
• Maintain clean, sanitary storage and prep areas; follow health standards.
• Monitor inventory and assist with receiving and delivery checks.
• Set work priorities and direct staff; train and evaluate department staff.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Produce retail experience

Excellent customer service

Excellent communication

Organized and detail-oriented

Life skills: safety

Ability to lift 75 lbs

Stand for long periods

Work in cold environment

Reliability and attendance

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: River Valley Co-op Easthampton - Easthampton, MA, Position Type: Full-time 35, Salary Range: $22.00Hourly, Job Shift: Open Availability, River 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: PRODUCE SHIFT LEADER

Requires open availability, including evenings and weekends.

Status: Reports to Produce Manager

Supervises Produce Staff in the absence of the manager

Pay Level: IV, non-exempt.

Purpose: To provide support to the Produce Manager and Assistant Manager with supervising department closing shifts; to ensure department operational goals are met during shifts to meet goals for sales, margin, labor expense, and customer service; to act as a supervisor in the absence of managers.

Responsibilities

PRODUCE HANDLING

• Display fruits and vegetables to give an impression of abundance and quality, while maintaining proper storage conditions.
• Replenish and rotate displays, following stocking priorities set by the Produce Manager.
• Cull display several times daily, recording and disposing of low-quality produce following established procedures.
• Trim, wash, and bundle produce, following priorities set by the Produce Manager.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Assist customers with product questions in a prompt, friendly, courteous manner, referring them to other staff when necessary.
• Offer suggestions for purchases and ways to use products. Offer tastes and samples.
• Help customers place special orders.
• Maintain fully stocked, attractive displays, while maintaining proper storage conditions.
• Label items accurately with price tags or signs as needed.
• Report customer suggestions, comments, or complaints to the Produce Manager.

DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS

• Pull short-dated or low-quality items, record and dispose of them following established procedures.
• Keep cases, coolers, food prep, and storage areas in clean, sanitary condition, following health department standards.
• Sweep and mop the floor as needed and take out the trash.
• Scrub and rinse blocks, floors, walls, and cases following established procedures.
• Participate in periodic inventory counts.
• Monitor cooler temperatures. Advise the Produce Manager of equipment repair or replacement needs.
• Assist with receiving as needed. Check deliveries for damage, quality, and accuracy, and notify the Produce Manager of discrepancies. Rotate deliveries into storage.

PURCHASING

• Take inventories and place orders as directed to ensure uninterrupted supply.
• Receive orders, review paperwork appropriate for accuracy, or ensure proper receiving by other department staff.

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SUPERVISION & LEADERSHIP

• Set work priorities and direct staff, including break schedule, to ensure productivity.
• Ensure customer service standards and expectations are met by all staff.
• Ensure food safety practices are adhered to. Ensure safe, efficient, and effective equipment use by staff.
• Facilitate good communication between the opening and closing shifts for operational excellence and good department teamwork. Act as a point person for conflict resolution during shifts.
• Fill holes in the staff schedule when needed.
• Provide on-the-job training and support the development of staff.
• Participate in hiring, training, and evaluations of department staff.

ALL STAFF DUTIES

• Attend and participate in department and storewide meetings.
• Perform other tasks assigned by the Produce Manager.

Qualifications:

• Supervisory experience preferred.
• Produce experience in a retail environment.
• Excellent customer service skills; ability to project a friendly, outgoing personality.
• Excellent communication skills, with a focus on positive and productive results.
• Demonstrated/proven ability to follow through on commitments.
• Organized and attentive to detail.
• Ability to lift 75 lbs.
• Ability to stand for long periods.
• Ability to work in a cold, wet environment.
• Manual dexterity with hazardous equipment.
• Ability to give clear instructions.
• Regular, predictable attendance; flexible availability including nights, weekends, and early morning.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functional job duties.

River Valley Co-op is an equal opportunity employer encouraging excellence through diversity.