Front End Department Team Leader

The Front End Department Team Leader (DTL) is responsible for overseeing and directing all aspects of the Front End department operations. The Front End DTL is responsible for ensuring an excellent experience for customers throughout the checking out process and information seeking processes. This customer experiences revolves around ensuring the team is providing prompt and accurate transactions, providing in-depth knowledge of products, membership benefits, and consistently providing excellent customer service either in person or on the phone. The Front End DTL is accountable for effectively developing, mentoring, and supporting their team, implementing efficient and productive systems, demonstrating stellar leadership, and being accountable for the financial performance of the department (in areas such as transaction accuracy, sales goals, labor budget) all in a manner that demonstrates the values of La Montañita Food Cooperative. This position oversees that the department adheres to labor and safety guidelines, and ensures compliance with policy and procedures by establishing clear expectations and guidelines.

SOME ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensures the department operates effectively and efficiently; facilitates day-to-day operation and guarantees performance standards are met and that team members consistently work towards their ideal and peak performance.
• Creates, develops, communicates, implements, audits, and evaluates operating standards and procedures and makes adjustments as needed.
• Supervises work performance and conduct of team members and supports the performance management practices as needed and in accordance with policies, procedures, labor and legal guidelines.
• Models behaviors that support the values, through supportive and participatory leadership, promoting cooperation, team building, and motivating team members to achieve goals.
• Establishes clear expectations for direct reports and supports direct reports to ensure expectations are exceeded.
• Delegates and assigns tasks for department team members as needed and ensures tasks are completed.
• Immediately addresses and reports concerns with team members’ behaviors or work performance and addresses the concern appropriately with guidance.
• Helps create and facilitates trainings for team members that enhance and build upon their skills, knowledge and abilities.
• Conducts regular performance evaluations, timely feedback sessions, meetings/huddles and provides coaching to promote the growth and development of team members.
• Responsible for recruitment, retention and engagement of team members for the department.
• Ensures new hires are trained appropriately and effectively.
• Supports the security and safety protocols and establishes strong departmental control measures.
• Supports marketing and outreach initiatives and contributes to marketing, outreach, and events as requested
• Establishes annual department with guidance from Store Management, budgets that include sales, gross margin, labor cost, and net profit.
• Monitors and ensures labor and margin ranges, direct and indirect expenses comply with approved budget.
• Creates and maintains an environment that enables customers to feel welcome, important, and appreciated by answering questions regarding products sold within the department and throughout the store by providing excellent customer service.
• Assists in inventory counts, storewide cleaning, and other projects as needed.
• Reinforces safety within the store by complying with safety procedures and identify unsafe conditions and notify store management or addressing the concern if appropriate.
• Practice preventive maintenance by properly inspecting equipment and notify appropriate department or store team leader of any items in need of repair.
• Ensures federal, state, local and La Montañita Food Cooperative regulations and standards for cash handling and safety are being adhered to and met.

SOME REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES (includes education, skills and experience): The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• High School diploma or GED.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ previous Customer service skills (able to complete the full customer service cycle).
• Minimum of three (3) years’ of years’ previous experience in food service purchasing, preparation, or merchandising perishable products.
• Minimum of three (3) years previous supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of products, buying, pricing, merchandising, and inventory management.
• Excellent interpersonal, motivational, team building, and customer relationship skills.
• Capable of teaching others positively and constructively.
• Proficient mathematical skills for assessing financial performance, monitoring profitability, and managing inventory.
• Food safety certification. If not currently certified, will commit to completing certification within 1 month.
• Demonstrates decision-making ability, leadership skills, and ability to prioritize and delegate.
• Experience with email, Microsoft Office, and operations-related applications.
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills and able to communicate with individuals of diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Effectively present information in one-to-one and small group situations to customers and other employees.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Ability to adhere and follow safety, regulatory, and wellness guidelines. Safety Conscious and adhering to required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is required.
• Good interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
• Able to act with integrity, ethically, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Able to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner.
• Able to deal and adapt to changes in the work environment, industry with a calm professional demeanor.
• Dependable, reliable and self-motivated.
• Able to work with a diverse group of people.
• Strong team player, friendly and patient.
• Excellent ability to prioritize and multi-task with attention to detail.
• Must be able to work mornings, afternoon, evenings, nights and weekends as needed.