Manager - Front End

OVERVIEW

The Front End Manager reports to the Store Manager and is a key individual contributor of the Brattleboro Food Co-op (BFC) store leadership team. As a member of the leadership team Department Managers are responsible for helping the BFC meet our stated Ends and are expected to model the Cooperative Principles and Values.

Why work for us?

We are 50 years strong in the community.

We give back to organizations with shared values.

We offer great benefits and competitive compensation.

We are continually innovating and investing in the future.

We offer opportunities for personal and professional growth; about half of our managers were promoted from within.

Tired of working for a company that leaves you feeling like you’re not appreciated? Would you like to join a team that actually enjoys what they do and believes in making a difference?

The Brattleboro Food Co-op is owned by thousands of local shareholders and is committed to improving the quality of life for our community, one meal at a time. We offer competitive wages, great benefits, and an excellent work-life balance.

Our Ends, as articulated by our Board of Directors are:

• An open, inclusive and welcoming marketplace
• Access to and education about goods and nutritious food that are ecologically sound and responsibly sourced
• An organization that contributes to a just and resilient local economy
• An enterprise that engages in sustainable and regenerative environmental practices

The Cooperative Principles are:

• Open and Voluntary Membership.
• Democratic Member Control.
• Members' Economic Participation.
• Autonomy and Independence.
• Education, Training, and Information.
• Cooperation Among Cooperatives.
• Concern for Community.

The BFC believes in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Cooperative Values are:

• Self-help
• Self-responsibility
• Democracy
• Equality
• Equity
• Solidarity

The Front End Manager is responsible for managing the front end and curbside departments and ensuring accurate cash handling and prompt, courteous customer service. The Front End Manager will utilize appropriate tools and technology to develop, implement, and maintain core retail processes to facilitate operations that support the financial stability and high standard of customer service for the Co-op. Additionally, this role involves developing and training customer service skills for the rest of the Co-op staff, ensuring all employees are equipped to deliver exceptional service to customers.

PEOPLE

• The Brattleboro Food Co-op is proud to be a Union workplace. All managers must be familiar with our Union Contract and abide by it at all times while maintaining a positive relationship with Union leadership
• Create an outstanding shopping experience for our shoppers by assisting customers with product, shareholder, and general store questions
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders such as management team, staff, shareholders, community, and others as necessary
• Lead and supervise the front end team providing clear direction, training, and guidance to ensure adherence to BFC procedures and protocols.
• Hire, schedule and assign tasks to front end staff, coordinating workloads effectively to meet operational needs. This includes reviewing and approving time sheets on a weekly basis
• Conduct performance evaluations, provide feedback, and address any performance or disciplinary issues as necessary.
• Celebrate and recognize team member successes
• Keep staff up to date and informed of key business information, policies, and updates. Maintain departmental communication systems that encourages staff participation
• Be a present, engaged, and active participant in Leadership Team meetings and activities
• Rotate Manager on Duty responsibilities (along with other members of the leadership team) and support special and off-site events.

PROCESSES

• Ensure accuracy and security of all cash received through the front end
• Partner with department managers to develop customer service training program for Co-op staff. Lead onboarding customer service training and annual staff training
• Helps customers place special orders, answer phones, fill gift card requests
• Oversee the curbside program, ensuring a personalized and accurate experience for our shoppers, while maintaining documented procedures and financial reporting
• Partner with the Merchandising and Marketing Manager to maintain the e-commerce webpage
• Partner with Shareholder Services to onboard new shareholders and update existing shareholder information
• Partner with the Pricing and Receiving Manager to ensure accurate transactions at the point of sale
• Ensures all front end staff receive necessary training such as customer service, WIC, SNAP and alcohol service training
• Ensures all procedures relating to returns and paid ins and outs are done accurately and documented for Finance
• Ensures all cashier drawers and tills are counted with accuracy and overs and shorts are tracked for each cashier
• Ensures the safe is counted before the store opens and after the store closes each day
• Tracks voids and canceled sales each day
• Ensures there is ample change on hand for each day’s business and extra for holidays
• Ensures that the deposit is brought to the bank as needed or directed by the Finance Department
• Ensures all areas in the front end are in clean, orderly condition
• Ensures front of store, including vestibule is at store readiness level for opening and closing
• Maintain bulletin board
• Ensures proper levels of front end supplies – register tape, bags, pens, copies of forms, beans
• Partner with the Safety and Wellness Manager to establishes policies and procedures to ensure safety compliance and adherence
• Carry out established opening and closing procedures

TECHNOLOGY

• Utilize software and tools necessary to perform the work of their department as defined by the Store or General Manager in accordance with BFC policies and procedures
• Department Managers are required to use Paylocity, POS (currently Catapult), and other tools at the direction of the Store or General Manager.

• Co-op experience, or experience in the natural and organic grocery industry preferred
• Experience working with POS systems and cash registers
• Must have basic math skills – adding, subtracting, multiplication and division, fractions and percentages
• Excellent communication skills: good listener, clear instructions. Demonstrated ability to handle multiple demands.
• Experience hiring, training, coaching, developing, and leading a team
• Outstanding customer service skills
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Computer literate, with experience in word processing, spreadsheet usage, and POS systems preferred.
• Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds.

At Brattleboro Food Co-op, we do not just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Brattleboro Food Co-op is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.