Who is New Leaf Community Markets?
New Leaf Community Markets opened its doors as a small cooperative in 1985 on the Westside of Santa Cruz. We learned early on, that the well-being of our guests, staff, and community starts with sustainable, locally-produced food. Farm-to-table all the way! We’ve partnered with open-minded producers who care as deeply about our people, the planet, and social justice as we do, from day one.
Our mission is to be a purveyor of good – from offering the best local and natural foods to taking care of our staff, community, and environment. We love what we do, and we know that it’s our passionate staff who make it all possible. We’re committed to taking care of our people by leading the way with progressive employment practices.
Every day, we work to create an atmosphere of openness, caring, trust, and fairness – a place where staff can thrive, and differences are celebrated. As a member of the New Leaf Community Markets team, you can count on an inclusive, friendly environment and a welcoming group of inspired individuals who love people, great food, and being a part of a community gathering place.
Ingredients You’ll Bring to the Table:
You love food and have the ability to create an experience that is beyond the everyday. You have a positive attitude and work well in a team environment. You can connect with people and reach a level of hospitality that exceeds guests’ expectations. You are warm, outgoing, authentically amazing, and want to be inspired, challenged, and proud of where you work.
You embody the spirit of New Leaf Community Market's core values: Community, Integrity, Sustainability, Quality, and Respect; and you are driven by our mission to nourish and sustain our community by using business as a force for change.
What’s on Your Plate:
Job Title: Field Specialist – Grocery & Dairy, Temporary Assignment
Department: Merchandising
Reports To: Category Manager - Grocery
FLSA Status: Exempt

• This position will be for a minimum of three months.

Summary
Responsible for the implementation of grocery category strategies in stores, including resets and new item cut-ins. Acts as liaison between grocery merchandising team and store and grocery leadership teams. Assists in creating an inspiring customer experience in our grocery department by ensuring an innovative product mix and assortment that is best in the industry and tailored to meet the needs of each of the neighborhoods we serve.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
General Requirements:

• Understands and models our company culture. Acts as a steward of company resources, mission, vision and values. Promotes sustainable business practices.
• Embraces an agile work environment and guides others through change and continuous improvement.
• Builds community within and outside of New Leaf Community Markets. Works in stores and other offsite events and locations as needed to support our core business and community.
• Works cooperatively and positively with fellow team members, customers and vendors spiriting a respectful workplace where everyone is welcome.
• Demonstrates ability to manage own time and models a flexible work style. Shifts tasks as priorities and circumstances change based on needs and conditions of department. Creative with problem-solving and is solutions-oriented.
• Utilizes strategic thinking, data and industry knowledge, and calculated risk-taking to create competitive advantage.
• Communication style is confident, informative, adaptive to different styles and effective.
• Gives and receives feedback in a constructive manner demonstrating company Speak Up culture.
• Maintains confidentiality and exercise good judgment around sensitive information.
• Adheres to work and food safety policies set forth by the company and all local, state and federal regulatory agencies. Contributes to store and office cleanliness, maintains equipment.
• Observes all company rules and policies. Understands and complies with specific department or location guidelines, tasks and responsibilities.

Position Responsibilities:

• Partners with the grocery merchandising team to implement category strategies at store level, optimizing the category role to fit the needs of the local neighborhood and communities.
• Works with department managers to maintain grocery sets and perform category resets as needed and directed by the category management team. Follows and maintains a set schedule as directed by category management team.
• Utilizes tools to optimize facings for holding power and assortment, working with the category management team to ensure category roles and assortment targets are in place.
• Collaborates with store and grocery leadership teams and uses tools and reports to identify category opportunities for expansion or retraction of facings. Identifies additional ways for item pack out and inventory control.
• Stays on top of category trends by evaluating assortment, zero movers, items not carried, shelf standards, tagging and rotation.
• Leads and executes “new item cut in” process for assigned stores. Manages a broker team, including giving instruction and ensuring follow through.
• Manages the new store opening process and ensures deadlines are met. Orders, sets and merchandises in partnership with merchandizing and store team. Assistance may include ordering, receiving, freight breakdown/staging, backroom organization, display building, proper signage etiquette, scheduling and mentoring staff on acumen and consistency with department goals and standards to ensure the highest level of product availability.
• Provides mentorship to grocery department staff to achieve operational and merchandising excellence. Assists with back room and inventory organization, inventory preparation and other basic grocery processes and procedures.
• Partners with grocery leadership and merchandising teams to quickly resolve issues impacting store operations. Identifies and communicates best practices, with support of store leadership teams.
• Performs and provides recaps of store walks with store and grocery leadership teams.
• Collaborates with store leadership and serves as a resource for the development of grocery managers. Provides insightful, helpful and consistent performance feedback.
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with our vendor partners, upholding our Pledge to Vendors and ensuring we are the “best place to do business”. Ensures our vendors grow as we grow and provides appropriate assistance so they can achieve their full potential.
• Performs other tasks and duties as assigned.

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties, responsibilities and requirements, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function within our company. New Leaf Community Markets reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet changing industry or business needs as necessary.
Qualifications

• Previous retail experience with ordering/inventory/staff management experience required. Grocery experience strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of category schematics and planograms preferred.
• Previous visual merchandising experience a plus.
• Associates or Bachelor’s Degree in Business or related fields or equivalent experience preferred.
• Excellent organizational and project coordination skills, with an eye for process improvement. Previous project management experience a plus.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, with skills to learn new computer programs and systems.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with ability to respond to urgent job responsibilities as they arise and flexible when priorities redirect.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including tact and diplomacy, to collaborate, negotiate and communicate effectively and professionally with cross-functional partners at all levels in the company.

Language Skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills required.
Mathematical Skills
Basic to intermediate math and computation skills required.
Reasoning Ability
Skills to read, understand and follow through on verbal and written instructions. Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise good judgment around sensitive information. Strong analytical, critical thinking and decision-making skills.
Knowledge of English
Should have the ability to speak, read and understand English.
Physical Demands
This position works consistently at a light work level in the office, and at medium or heavy work level when supporting stores or other offsite events. Frequently required to sit, walk, reach and grasp. Occasionally required to be on feet with a mix of standing and walking throughout shift. Up to occasionally, dependent on location, required to climb stairs, step stool and /or ladders.
This position works with standard office equipment. May be required to use the following tools and equipment when working in stores or offsite; baler, hand truck, POS, industrial kitchen equipment (i.e. blast chiller, grill, knives/blades, oven, grills, scales, etc.) and basic housekeeping / janitorial items.
Work Environment
Work occurs in office, a variety of off-site environments and 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, and depending on location, working outside in all temperatures. There may be exposure to certain allergens and / or chemicals. 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.
Travel
Ability to travel regularly to store locations, trade shows and other off-site locations throughout the region.Valid Driver License and vehicle required.
Why You’ll Love Working at New Leaf Community Markets

• Amazing Benefits Package – Including comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and 401k at 25 hours a week.
• Great earning potential with the opportunity for growth within our family of brands
• Paid Parental Leave available
• Lifestyle Scheduling
• Public Transport Benefits
• Paid Community Service Hours
• 30% discount at all New Leaf Community Markets, Bristol Farms, and Lazy Acres Natural Market locations

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