Specialty Department Lead

Healthy Living; Town of Clifton Park (NY); On-site; USD 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental and Vision Insurance

Short Term Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

Critical Illness Insurance

Flex Spending Accounts

Health Spending Accounts

Paid time off

Job summary

Healthy Living in Clifton Park is seeking a Specialty Department Lead to join our team. You will oversee purchasing, inventory, and merchandising to ensure fresh, well-stocked departments and a great guest experience.

The Lead will train staff, coordinate with the Specialty Manager on product performance and trends, and support promotions and new product introductions. This is a full-time role with a starting pay of $20.00–$23.44 per hour, plus benefits and opportunities for growth.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year of leadership or retail team experience.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience with cheese, wine, beer, bread, or related specialty products.
• Experience with inventory management, ordering, merchandising, or department operations.

Responsibilities

• Leads, trains, and supports Specialty Associates, fostering a positive, collaborative, and productive department environment.
• Provides day-to-day direction to associates, including prioritizing tasks, assigning work, and supporting department needs.
• Helps address staff call-outs by assisting with coverage and shifting priorities as needed.
• Communicates staff concerns or operational issues to the Specialty Manager.
• Supports associates in staying productive throughout their shifts, including during downtime, while following safe work practices.
• Helps maintain and delegate cleaning and department maintenance tasks.
• Trains new associates and provides ongoing product, operational, sanitation, and department training.
• Assists with maintaining task lists, training materials, cleaning procedures, and department processes.
• Uses sound judgment and seeks guidance from the Specialty Manager or store leadership when needed.
• Communicates regularly with the Specialty Manager regarding department operations, staffing needs, and other relevant issues.
• Completes replenishment ordering for designated Specialty Departments and/or categories.
• Maintains accurate inventory levels, cycle counts, and backstock.
• Tracks product movement, sales trends, and out-of-stocks and shares relevant information with the Specialty Manager.
• Communicates product performance, guest feedback, vendor concerns, and product opportunities to the Specialty Manager
• Monitors inventory and adjusts ordering to maintain appropriate shelf and backstock levels
• Completes shrink and credit reporting responsibilities and follows through on credits as needed
• Uses ordering systems accurately and prepares orders based on sales trends, seasonal needs, and anticipated demand
• Coordinates new item ordering, product placement, and related department changes
• Maintains accurate purchase orders and follows receiving and PO procedures
• Completes regularly scheduled cycle counts and inventory adjustments
• Maintains accurate product tags, signs, and promotional information
• Works with the Specialty Manager to review product performance and identify opportunities to improve assortment, sales, and inventory

Skills

Leadership

Inventory management

Vendor relationships

Customer service

Job description

Description

Be part of something new! Healthy Living is opening a new store in Clifton Park and is seeking a Specialty Department Lead to join the Specialty Department team!

Company Overview

Healthy Living is a locally owned, independent chain of supermarkets serving communities in Vermont and New York. Our mission is to fuel a passion for great food, health, and well-being and be the place where people gather to shop, eat, and work. We are committed to providing super healthful, innovative, and delicious food while maintaining exceptional hospitality and creating an inviting place to shop and eat. We also prioritize our relationships with local farmers and producers, and actively contribute to our community.

Position Overview

The Specialty Department Lead supports purchasing and inventory management across the Specialty Departments, using sales trends, product knowledge, and vendor relationships to support appropriate stock levels and department needs.

The Lead provides day-to-day direction and support to department associates, helping prioritize tasks, maintain department standards, and provide a strong guest experience. They work closely with the Specialty Manager on product performance, sales trends, and guest preferences to support purchasing and merchandising decisions. The Lead also supports product presentation, rotation, freshness, and cleanliness while assisting with ordering, inventory tracking, vendor communication, merchandising, and identifying opportunities for new products and promotions.

Job Type: Department Lead

Schedule: Full-Time, flexible scheduling, weekend and holiday availability required

Pay: Starting at $20.00-23.44 /hour (Previous experience will be taken into consideration)

Requirements

Experience

• At least 1 year of leadership, team lead, or relevant retail experience
• At least 2 years’ experience working with cheese, wine, beer, bread, housewares, and/or related specialty products, preferably in a retail environment
• Experience with inventory management, ordering, merchandising, or other department operations
• Experience working with local products is preferred

Key Responsibilities

• Leads, trains, and supports Specialty Associates, fostering a positive, collaborative, and productive department environment
• Provides day-to-day direction to associates, including prioritizing tasks, assigning work, and supporting department needs
• Helps address staff call-outs by assisting with coverage and shifting priorities as needed
• Communicates staff concerns or operational issues to the Specialty Manager
• Supports associates in staying productive throughout their shifts, including during downtime, while following safe work practices
• Helps maintain and delegate cleaning and department maintenance tasks
• Trains new associates and provides ongoing product, operational, sanitation, and department training
• Assists with maintaining task lists, training materials, cleaning procedures, and department processes
• Uses sound judgment and seeks guidance from the Specialty Manager or store leadership when needed
• Communicates regularly with the Specialty Manager regarding department operations, staffing needs, and other relevant issues
• Completes replenishment ordering for designated Specialty Departments and/or categories
• Maintains accurate inventory levels, cycle counts, and backstock
• Tracks product movement, sales trends, and out-of-stocks and shares relevant information with the Specialty Manager
• Communicates product performance, guest feedback, vendor concerns, and product opportunities to the Specialty Manager
• Monitors inventory and adjusts ordering to maintain appropriate shelf and backstock levels
• Completes shrink and credit reporting responsibilities and follows through on credits as needed
• Uses ordering systems accurately and prepares orders based on sales trends, seasonal needs, and anticipated demand
• Coordinates new item ordering, product placement, and related department changes
• Maintains accurate purchase orders and follows receiving and PO procedures
• Completes regularly scheduled cycle counts and inventory adjustments
• Maintains accurate product tags, signs, and promotional information
• Works with the Specialty Manager to review product performance and identify opportunities to improve assortment, sales, and inventory

Benefits we're proud of! Staff at Healthy Living enjoy:

• Health Insurance (we pay 75% you pay 25% for single health benefits)
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Short Term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Accident Insurance
• Flex Spending Accounts
• Health Spending Accounts
• Paid time off (Full time staff receive 2 weeks, gain additional week on 1st and 4th anniversary)
• Sick time (Part time staff receive 40 hours of sick time a year)
• Paid Maternity/Paternity time, up to 8 weeks paid time off!
• Generous store discount: 20% off grocery, 20% off hot bar/salad bar/coffee and juice bar, 10% off beer, 20% off wine, 30% off vitamins/supplements
• Half price one month bus passes
• 401(k): 100% match of the first 3% of the staff member’s contribution. 50% match on the staff member’s contribution above 3% and up to 5%. Staff are 100% vested in Healthy Living’s contribution from day one
• Income advance program with North Country Federal Credit Union - AKA a loan program, another way we help you get money!
• Free Celtics tickets
• Plus many more!

Healthy Living's Essential Behaviors

Make Someone’s Day

You’re here because you’re a true 51%er and we want you to bring genuine enthusiasm to work daily. You get that warm, fuzzy, tingly-from-head-to-toe feeling when helping others – staff and guests! You see getting to “yes” as a super-fun challenge! You readily and freely interact with every guest. There’s nothing you like more than seeing guests leave happier than when they arrived. When your teammates are having a tough day, you use positive energy to bring them up. When you smile, everyone smiles.

Move fast and be thorough

You work with a purposeful sense of urgency. You will be trained to achieve excellence in your job to complete tasks quickly, efficiently, and with great skill, and at the same time remembering to look up and connect with each guest. You LOVE getting the job done and doing it well.

Create a team people want to stay on

Your genuine, positive energy contributes to an upbeat, effective team where you and your co-workers thrive and express a desire to stay and to grow together. You treat your teammates with respect and kindness every single day. You offer empathy and an open ear. You bring special skills to the team that are respected by your teammates and in turn you see the value in others’ skills and talents.

Show Up

You show up to work. You are fully present for your teammates, our guests, and our trade partners. You’re a reliable, invested member of the team. You bring authentic, positive energy to work every day. Deep down you care.

“What can I do?”

The words, “What can I do?” and “How can I help?” fly out of your mouth because you recognize that the collective goal of the team and the store is bigger than the task at hand. You anticipate the needs of your coworkers and the guests and are proactive in helping others.

Come with a solution

You have a keen eye for identifying pain points in our systems, but you always come to the table with a solution to offer. You think outside the box, you’re creative in solving problems, and you adapt to change with grace. You always speak up and let us know what you need!

Own it

You hold yourself accountable and you’re accountable to your teammates. When there is an issue, ask yourself, “What can I do to help fix it?” When there is success, you and your team celebrate! The details matter, and you are attentive to all of them.

Seek knowledge

At Heathy Living we love learning and are naturally curious. We love feedback; it is an opportunity to improve ourselves. You reflect deeply on feedback by frequently looking inward and evaluating your own performance at HL. You are personally fulfilled by helping others grow and love taking on new challenges and new opportunities to learn.

Healthy Living is an equal opportunity employer and we’re proud to hire a diverse, inclusive Staff!