Grocery Buyer

The Belfast Community Co-op is looking for an experienced Grocery Buyer to curate a successful selection of Grocery Department products while meeting sales goals and providing excellent customer service. The ideal candidate would be organized, a self-motivator, solution-oriented, and an effective communicator.  

Starting at $18.00 to $20.00 per hour, this is a Full-Time position (30+ hours per week).

Sourcing from local, regional, and national vendors, the Grocery Buyer maintains a department that meets goals for customer demand, sales, merchandising, and profitability. The Grocery Buyer works with the Grocery Department Manager to determine product mix, and is responsible for placing orders, maintaining inventory, and providing customer service. With the assistance of Clerks, the Grocery Buyer creates a consistently excellent shopping experience for a wide range of customers.

Belfast Community Co-op’s mission is to bring locally sourced, reasonably priced, organic and natural products to all while fostering an environment where everyone is truly welcome.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Maintains an active awareness of industry trends, customer preferences, and product movement and oversees department accordingly
• Is aware of price perception and create a department with products accessible to a variety of customers
• Meets quarterly financial goals including sales, margin, and labor
• Orders within guidelines to maintain consistent inventory levels.
• Fills special orders appropriately, ensuring that product is present and priced as ordered, and that guidelines for communicating with customers are followed
• Tracks department waste as required and takes appropriate action to reverse negative trends.
• Orders to fill shelves and ensures a fully stocked and merchandised department to create a consistently excellent shopping experience
• Follows store-wide guidelines for planning and executing seasonal and special promotions
• Actively participates in promotion planning, using knowledge of trends and product availability to enhance offerings
• Models leadership in maintaining excellent merchandising throughout the promotional period
• Follows departmental procedures for receiving product, uploading invoices, and recording spoilage
• Sets and maintains pricing to meet departmental and store-wide margin goals, reviewing margins regularly and taking corrective action as needed
• Tracks sales performance and takes appropriate action to keep sales in line with departmental and store-wide goals
• Participates regularly in Quarterly inventory
• Participates in setting schedules for regular cleaning and maintenance. Performs cleaning and maintenance tasks as needed.
• Notifies management when equipment or fixtures are not functioning properly. Makes recommendations for repair or replacement of equipment or fixtures as needed.
• Leads efforts in maintaining safety and sanitation standards in the department.

Belfast Community Co-op Worker Benefits include:

• Sponsored Co-op Ownership/ Equity Share
• Generous Store Discount
• In-Store Charge Account
• Paid Sick Time
• Paid/Earned Vacation Time
• Retirement Account with Employer Matching
• Regular Free-to-Staff Food and Wellness Items
• CSA/Farmers Market Reimbursement
• Education Credits (PTO for exploring interests related to work)
• Professional Development & Continual Training Opportunities

Full Time Workers (30 hours or more) are also eligible for insurance benefits including::

• Co-op Subsidized Health Insurance Plans
• HSA plans with Matching
• Dental insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Fully Paid Life Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Short Term Disability

QUALIFICATIONS (knowledge, skills, and abilities)

Preferred:

• Merchandising and retail sales experience
• Natural foods retail experience, particularly ordering/stocking
• Can explain retail concepts (revenue, margin, etc)

Minimum:

• Can work successfully in evolving and growing environment
• Able to follow written and verbal instructions
• Able to balance multiple tasks and competing priorities

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT (in a usual workday)

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to handle, feel, and for fine manipulation. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus. This position requires frequent interaction with the public, in person and over the telephone.

Note:

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than the “at will” relationship.

The Belfast Community Co-op is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.