Retail Sales Associate

Wild Fork; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Match

Monthly Bonus

PTO (Vacation, Sick, Birthday)

Culinary Perks

Development Programs

Discounts

Employee Referral Bonus

Job summary

Wild Fork is seeking a Retail Sales Associate to deliver an exceptional guest experience with expert product knowledge, cooking tips, and friendly service. You will handle replenishment, inventory tasks, and store readiness while working in cold environments and handling cash.

The role requires 1 year of relevant experience, flexibility in scheduling, and strong customer service skills. Join a team committed to hospitality, education, and personal chef-inspired service.

Qualifications

• 1 year of retail, grocery, hospitality, or food experience required.
• Strong customer service skills with enthusiasm for food and culinary exploration.
• Ability to work in fast-paced environments and manage multiple tasks.
• Comfortable working in extremely cold temperatures.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand/walk 8–10 hours.
• Flexible scheduling (mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays).
• Basic math skills for cash handling; POS experience a plus.

Responsibilities

• Deliver warm, engaging guest experiences with product knowledge and personalized recommendations.
• Support replenishment, merchandising, and store readiness, including planogram changes and daily recovery routines.
• Assist with receiving deliveries, back-stock organization, and communicating low stock or product issues.
• Operate the POS accurately and handle transactions, returns, and exchanges; perform opening/closing duties with leadership absent.
• Collaborate with team leaders to execute daily priorities and participate in training and development.

Skills

Customer service

Multi-tasking

Cold environment work

Cash handling

Tools

POS system

Job description

Description

As a Retail Sales Associate, you create an exceptional experience for every guest by delivering Wild Fork’s service philosophy of personal chef and friendly butcher. You engage customers with expert product knowledge, meal inspiration, and warm hospitality while supporting replenishment, inventory accuracy, and store readiness.

You play a vital role in maintaining a clean, well-stocked, easy-to-shop store and confidently perform essential operational routines — including working in freezer environments, handling cash, and supporting opening and closing duties — even when leadership is not present.

You bring our values to life every day: Determination, Simplicity, Availability, Humility, Sincerity, Discipline, Ownership.

PositionType:Full-time+Part-time

StartingWage:$18.50 per hour + Bonus Potential

Location: Vernon Hills

CoreResponsibilities:

1. CustomerExperience&Selling
   • Deliverawarm,engagingpersonalchef&friendlybutchershoppingexperience.
   • Providerecommendations,cookingtips,recipes,andproductinsightsbasedoncustomerneeds.
   • Demonstrateunderstandingofdailysalesgoals,promotions,andstorepriorities,andapplythatknowledgethrougheffectivecustomerinteractionandsellingbehaviors.
   • Drivesalesbyengagingcustomers,buildingbaskets,andsuggestingproductpairings.
   • SupportWildFork’sservicestandardstoensurecustomersfeelwelcomed,valued,andinspiredtoreturn.
   • Leverageproductknowledgetoconfidentlyrecommendsolutions,buildbasketsize,anddeliverapersonalized,engaging customer experience.
2. Replenishment,Merchandising&StoreReadiness
   • Stock,rotate,andmerchandiseproductstoensureafull,fresh,andvisuallycompellingstore.
   • CompleteFIFOrotationandmaintainaccuratelabelingandpricing.
   • Keepthestoreclean,organized,andcustomer-readyatalltimes.
   • Supportplanogramchanges,promotionalsets,anddailyrecoveryroutines.
3. InventorySupport
   • Assistwithreceivingandprocessingdeliverieswithcareandaccuracy.
   • Maintainback-stockorganizationandcommunicatelowstockorproductissuespromptly.
   • Followshrink-preventionpracticesandreportconcernstoleadership.
4. Freezer&ColdEnvironmentWork
   • Confidentlyworkincoldtemperatureswalk-infreezertopullproducts,organizestock,andexecutecounts.
   • Adheretofoodsafety,sanitation,andfreezersafetyguidelines.
5. CashHandling&Opening/ClosingRoutines
   • OperatethePOSwithaccuracy;processtransactions,returns,andexchanges.
   • Performopeningandclosingdutieswhenleadershipisnotpresent,includingregistercounts, cashpulls, safe drops, store walkthroughs for readiness and safety.
   • FollowallcashhandlingSOPswithprecisionandintegrity.
6. TeamCollaboration &Support
   • WorkcloselywithTeamLeaderstoexecutedailyprioritiesandmeetstoregoals.
   • Participateintraining,productknowledgesessions,andnewprocesses.
   • Activelyparticipateinongoingtraininganddevelopmenttostrengthenproductexpertise,selling capability and consistency in execution.
   • Supportapositive,inclusiveteamculturewhereeveryonefeelsvalued.

Qualifications:

• 1yearofretail,grocery,hospitality,orfoodexperiencerequired.
• Strongcustomerserviceskillswithenthusiasmforfoodandculinaryexploration.
• Abilitytoworkinfast-pacedenvironmentsandmanagemultipletasks.
• Comfortableworkinginextremelycoldtemperatures.
• Abilitytoliftupto50lbsandstand/walk8–10hours.
• Flexiblescheduling(mornings,evenings,weekends,holidays).
• Basicmathskillsforcashhandling;POSexperienceaplus.

Values&Behaviors:

WelookforSalesAssociateswho:

• Showdeterminationandurgencyinservingcustomers.
• Engagewithhumility,sincerity,andprideintheWildForkbrand.
• Demonstratedisciplineandownershipineverytask.
• Workrespectfullyaspartofa team.
• Staycuriousaboutproducts,cooking,andcustomerneeds.

Benefits:

• Medical,Dental,&VisionInsurance
• HealthReimbursementAccount,FlexibleSpendingAccounts,BehavioralHealthMattersProgram,Live Health Online (Virtual Care)
• MonthlyBonus Plan
• 401(k)andCompanyMatch
• PTO:Vacation,Sick,BirthdayPTO
• CulinaryPerks:CulinaryTraining,ChewonThis–MonthlyProductGiveaway,WildChef–Monthly Allowance to Shop in Store
• OngoingDevelopment:MentorshipProgram,BetterFuturesProgram(freecommunitycollege)
• OptionalPerks:FinFit–FinancialResources,Discounts(cars,cellphones,services&more),Employee Referral Bonus Program

EOE,includingdisability/vets