Sourcing from local, regional, and national vendors, the Beer & Wine Buyer curates and maintains a department that meets goals for customer demand, sales, merchandising, and profitability while following all state and local laws surrounding alcohol sales. The Beer & Wine Buyer can discuss wine and beer with a significant amount of industry knowledge and can explain wine varietals and brew styles in layman’s terms. The Beer & Wine Buyer works with the Grocery Manager and Assistant Grocery Manager to ascertain department labor needs to ensure a fully stocked department.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Curates a successful selection of wine, beer, and cider while meeting sales goals and providing excellent customer service

• 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
• Works with department leadership to keep the department staffed appropriately. Maintains task lists for clerks to ensure that department stocking is done efficiently
• Maintains a strong awareness of alcohol laws in Maine. Upholds standards throughout the department
• Tracks department waste lawfully and takes appropriate action to reverse negative trends.

Under the direction of the Grocery Manager, works with Merchandising and Marketing teams to meet storewide goals

• 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

Maintains financial and inventory records to meet departmental and store-wide needs for data tracking and pricing maintenance.

• 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

Works with the Store Service Team to create a safe, clean, attractive department

• 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.

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL WORKERS

Essential Functions of all Positions:

• Provides exceptional customer service to internal & external customers, both in person & via phone:
• Responds promptly and honestly to customer inquiries
• Greets customers with a smile and friendly demeanor
• Communicates respectfully
• Wears any required uniform (nametag, apron, chef coat, etc.) so as to be easily identifiable to customers and able to work safely (hair covering, closed toed shoes, etc.)
• Asks for help from co-workers and provides help to customers and co-workers as needed.
• Works efficiently and safely
• Takes initiative and works as a part of a team
• Approaches work with a positive attitude
• Collaborates with others to find solutions and accepts solutions once determined
• Continues to learn and develop knowledge as it relates to the position, co-op, and industry
• Demonstrates regular and dependable attendance
• Follows department procedures and SOPs

------------ 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 plan with Matching
• Dental insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Fully Paid Life Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Short Term Disability

------Located in the heart of downtown, the Belfast Community Co-op has been serving the community since 1976. Everyone is welcome to shop at the Co-op: it is our mission and our pleasure to bring locally-sourced, reasonably priced, natural products to all. Whether you are looking for a job you'll love or a career you can grow with, Belfast Community Co-op provides the training, benefits, and supportive community to help you be successful.

The Belfast Community Co-op exists so that our member-owners and our community will have:

• A thriving, just, and sustainable local food economy
• A source of healthy, nutritious, affordable food, and water
• An efficiently managed, democratically governed, inclusive cooperative enterprise
• A greater understanding of health, food systems, cooperatives, and economic & environmental sustainability
• An invested, engaged, and empowered staff that thrive in a safe, respectful, inclusive, and equitable workplace

QUALIFICATIONS (knowledge, skills, and abilities)

Preferred:

• Merchandising and retail sales experience
• Passion for food/drink and professional development

Minimum:

• Industry knowledge of beer, wine, cider
• Understands retail concepts of merchandising, ordering, and margin
• 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.