Produce Associate

About Butterfield Market:

Butterfield Market is an upscale New York City market known for exceptional food, quality products, and personalized service. Our success is driven by a talented team that takes pride in delivering memorable experiences and maintaining the high standards our customers expect. We foster a collaborative, welcoming workplace where employees are valued, supported, and encouraged to grow. Join our team and build your career with a company that values passion, professionalism, and a commitment to excellence.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Provide customers with friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable service.
• Stock and replenish fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other produce throughout the day.
• Inspect produce for freshness, quality, appearance, and proper condition before placing products on the sales floor.
• Rotate products using proper FIFO practices and remove damaged, spoiled, or poor-quality merchandise.
• Maintain attractive, abundant, and well-organized produce displays consistent with Butterfield’s presentation standards.
• Wash, trim, prepare, package, weigh, label, and price produce as needed.
• Maintain accurate product signage and pricing.
• Assist with receiving produce deliveries and verify products are handled and stored properly.
• Safely move merchandise from receiving and storage areas to the sales floor.
• Maintain organized refrigerators, storage areas, workstations, and back-of-house areas.
• Monitor inventory levels and communicate low-stock, quality, or product concerns to management.
• Follow proper food handling, sanitation, temperature control, and food safety procedures.
• Maintain clean and sanitary equipment, work surfaces, shelving, displays, floors, and storage areas.
• Follow company safety procedures and use equipment safely and properly.
• Assist customers with locating products and answering basic questions about produce when possible.
• Work collaboratively with Produce Department leadership and other market departments to support daily operations.
• Assist with opening, closing, cleaning, stocking, and other department procedures as assigned.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements:

• Previous grocery, produce, food retail, restaurant, or hospitality experience is preferred.
• Interest in fresh food, fruits, vegetables, and high-quality products is strongly preferred.
• Ability and willingness to learn proper produce handling, storage, rotation, and merchandising practices.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to follow instructions and complete assigned tasks accurately and efficiently.
• Strong attention to product quality, cleanliness, organization, and presentation.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and adjusting priorities as business needs change.
• Basic communication skills in English required; bilingual English/Spanish skills are a plus.
• Previous experience using scales, labeling equipment, carts, or similar grocery equipment is a plus.
• Basic knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices is preferred.

Physical Requirements: 

This is an active position requiring regular physical work throughout the shift.

Employees must be able to:

• Stand and walk for extended periods of time.
• Regularly bend, reach, push, pull, squat, and perform repetitive movements.
• Regularly lift and carry boxes, cases, and merchandise weighing approximately 50+  pounds, with heavier items requiring team assistance or appropriate equipment.
• Push and maneuver carts and other product-handling equipment.
• Work safely in refrigerated and temperature-controlled environments.
• Work around wet surfaces, food products, cleaning products, and standard grocery equipment.
• Perform repetitive stocking, trimming, packaging, and product-handling tasks.

 Schedule Requirements:

• Must have flexibility to work a schedule based on the needs of the business.
• Availability may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Regular and reliable attendance is an essential requirement of the position.
• Schedule requirements may vary based on department staffing, seasonal demand, and business needs.