Wellness Assistant Manager

Position Title: Wellness Assistant Manager

Department: Wellness

Supervisory Responsibility: Collaborates with department manager to supervise all department staff.

Reports To: Wellness Manager

Region: Oregon/SW Washington

FLSA Classification: Non-exempt

Position Description: Partners with Wellness Manager to manage department and staff, including financial stewardship, customer service, department conditions, merchandising, food safety, work safety, communication, hiring, training and performance management. Ensures the department provides an exceptional customer shopping experience, with the highest level of service and product knowledge. Provides leadership in line with company values and promotes a positive and progressive work environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership

• Creates a positive and supportive work environment.

• Promotes a collaborative team environment through recognition, leading by example and working alongside staff. Demonstrates approachability and fosters open communication. Creates an environment where staff are invested and encouraged to contribute ideas. Demonstrates a pro-active approach in resolving staff issues and conflicts.

• Partners with department manager to build and sustain a high performing team. Contributes to the development of team members including interviewing and hiring, training and development and performance management.

• Seeks opportunities to train and develop staff members to take on increased responsibilities. Demonstrates ability to adapt approach to different learning styles among staff.

• Builds trust and respect through dependability, organization and follow through.

• Demonstrates adaptability, flexibility and creativity in problem-solving and is solutions-oriented.

• Bases decisions on analysis, experience, resources and circumstances. Prioritizes and acts decisively under pressure.

• Demonstrates self-awareness and seeks opportunities for professional growth. Seeks and responds positively to feedback.

• Partners with department manager to establish and maintain effective verbal and written communication systems.

• Partners with department manager to ensure effective scheduling and labor allocation to meet business needs and labor budget.

• Partners with department manager to prepare and deliver corrective actions and performance reviews in a timely manner. Follows documentation and compensation guidelines.

• Communicates in a professional and constructive manner. Responds to and follows through on emails and other communications in a timely manner.

• Demonstrates an understanding of basic Human Resources concepts; works with resources at store level to increase knowledge.

• Acts as a steward of company resources and Vision/Mission/Values by training, modeling and promoting sustainable behaviors/operations.

• Balances administrative tasks with presence on floor.

Position Specific Functions

• Partners with department manager to manage and provide oversight to all areas of the department. Assesses, prioritizes and delegates tasks and production.

• Ensures consistency of department conditions. Ensures all areas of department are stocked, rotated, faced and adhere to merchandising standards and category schematics.

• Partners with department manager to ensure satisfactory in-stock conditions in department. Maintains appropriate inventory levels to achieve sales and margin goals.

• Orders Wellness products according to anticipated sales and seasonal needs. Trains staff to write orders and production schedules consistent with department goals and standards to ensure the highest level of product availability.

• Builds displays and arranges department products to make attractive presentations, highlighting featured/unique/seasonal items.

• Assists customers with product selection. Shares product knowledge with customers. Makes recommendations and suggestions based on customer needs in compliance with DSHEA guidelines. Use appropriate reference materials to assist customers.

• Partners with department manager to plan for weekly ads, events and holidays using tools and reports.

• Maintains professional vendor relationships.

• Ensures customer special orders are accurately placed and delivered.

• Receives and unloads merchandise; checks quality, count and condition. Communicates any issues to management and merchandising team.

• Stocks and rotates products with attention to product quality and expiration dates.

• Maintains the organization, rotation and cleanliness of back stock areas.

• Partners with department manager to plan, lead and analyze inventory.

• Demonstrates ability to multi-task and manage own time. Adjusts priorities, productivity, efficiency and speed based on needs and conditions of department and store.

• Observes all rules and policies as listed in the New Seasons Market Staff Handbook and Operations Manual.

• Performs other duties and tasks as assigned.

Customer Service and Merchandising

• Maintains excellent department conditions, including appearance, cleanliness, signage, staffing and service levels. Models friendly and attentive customer service, coaches staff, recognizes accomplishments and identifies areas of opportunity.

• Handles escalated difficult customer service situations and seeks solutions to delight the customer. Trains and coaches staff to do the same.

• Reads and understands merchandising information. Partners with department manager to develop and execute merchandising plans to promote peak seasonal/ad item/holiday products, drive sales and create an optimal customer shopping experience.

• Demonstrates excellent knowledge of products in the department and understanding of nutrition, health conditions, food sensitivities, specialized diets, wellness terminology and product labeling.

• Shares product knowledge with customers and staff. Makes recommendations and suggestions based on customer needs. Partners with department manager to establish consistent program for communicating product information and knowledge to staff.

• Demonstrates an awareness of trends in the industry.

Financial Stewardship

• Demonstrates a solid understanding of labor, sales and margin goals and factors that influence them. Partners with department manager to meet labor and margin goals.

• Ensures that department adheres to company invoice, credit, transfers and inventory procedures.

• Coaches department to maintain appropriate, accurate and organized inventory and back stock. Handles damaged and spoiled product according to company policy.

• Demonstrates creativity in merchandising and utilization of products in order to increase sales and minimize waste.

• Leverages resources and labor to maximize efficiency, without compromising quality and service standards.

Facilities, Sanitation, Work Safety and Food Safety

• Participates actively in the maintenance and enrichment of a workplace safety culture.

• Understands and enforces New Seasons Market work safety policies and guidelines set forth by OSHA and other regulatory agencies.

• Identifies and addresses factors that contribute to the functionality of store and department equipment.

• Promotes the highest level of department cleanliness. Ensures general housekeeping and janitorial tasks are scheduled and conducted on a regular basis and ensures sanitation standards established by store policy and state and local health departments are practiced.

• Understands and enforces New Seasons Market food safety policies.

• Demonstrates proficiency with emergency procedures, safety equipment and MSDS.

• Frequent handwashing is required.

Tools and Equipment Used

This position may be required to use the following tools and equipment: box knife, baler, scanner, pallet jack, ladder, step stool, cart, hand truck, price gun, computer, and office equipment

Position Requirements

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, and other applicable state or local law, we will make reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Qualifications and Experience

• Friendly and customer service oriented, with an interest in food and cooking.

• Previous retail management experience required. Grocery experience preferred.

• Demonstrated passion for health and nutrition and product knowledge required, including wellness terminology and product labeling.

• Previous ordering/inventory management experience preferred.

• Ability to uphold DSHEA guidelines.

• Basic to intermediate math and computation skills required.

• Intermediate to advanced computer proficiency required. Experience with Excel and inventory software preferred.

• Skills to manage financial results, including labor and profit margin.

• Skills to plan, prioritize and delegate work.

• Skills to train, coach and hold staff accountable.

• Skills to work independently, effectively manage own time and multi-task in a fast-paced environment.

• Skills to adapt to the shifting priorities and needs of a retail environment.

• Skills to exercise good judgment at all times.

• Self-motivated, with high attention to detail, quality and presentation.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Skills to collaborate and communicate effectively and professionally in a team environment and one on one with coworkers, supervisors and customers.

• Skills to manage difficult customer interactions required.

• Skills to read, understand and follow through on verbal and written instructions.

• Ability to maintain a flexible schedule in order to meet needs of the department.

• Ability to reliably meet required work schedule and adhere to company attendance policy.

Physical Requirements

• Medium work level

• Continuously required to be on feet with a mix of standing and walking throughout shift. Sitting occasionally required.

• Continuously required to lift and carry 1-10 pounds; use arms, wrist and hands; grasping/squeezing

• Frequently required to: lift and carry 11-20 pounds; push and/or pull 1-20 pounds; twist; reach at/above shoulder; reach below shoulder

• Occasionally required to: lift and carry 21-50 pounds; bend/stoop; crouch/squat; kneel; climb step stools

• Frequency of climbing stairs and ladders dependent on location.

Work Environment

• Work occurs in a grocery store environment which includes surfaces that can be wet and slippery, moderate noise level, and temperature extremes in controlled environments in the cooler and freezer.

• There may be exposure to dust, mold, gluten, fragrances and other fumes and airborne particles, fresh fruits, vegetables, house plants, and flowers.

• Work requires use of and working in proximity to common commercial cleaning agents.

• This position works on or around moving machinery or moving parts.

Important Notice: The job duties, responsibilities, requirements and conditions, physical requirements and work environment listed in this job description are examples of the tasks that a staff member may be required to perform and may vary slightly based on location. New Seasons Market reserves the right to revise the job description at any time and to require staff members to perform other tasks as circumstances or conditions of business change.