Store Manager (Tacoma)

Position Description & Responsibilities

Want to be an integral part of a progressive, dynamic workplace devoted to supporting small vendors, local farmers, and transformative community impact? Central Co-op Tacoma, a natural foods cooperative with over 14,000 members, is hiring a Store Manager! This job is a great fit for someone who thrives on teamwork, creativity, and working with people in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Central Co-op offers competitive wages, 100% employer-paid-premium health/dental/vision insurance for employees working 28 hours/week, a 4% employer-matching 401k, a grocery discount, and generous vacation time. Plus, what’s better than getting to know you’re making a positive difference in the world?

Position Summary

The Store Manager is responsible for managing the overall operation and performance of the retail store, and creating a friendly, welcoming shopping experience for our customers. This position will lead and manage the operational departments within the store, including the Front End, Center Store/Grocery, Deli, and Produce teams, ensuring consistency in general management practices, adherence to labor guidelines, and administration of policies and procedures. In addition, the Store Manager will ensure adherence to budgeted goals for sales, labor, expenses, and profitability, as well as meeting company standards for customer experience through outstanding customer and member service, merchandising, cleanliness and general functionality.

The Store Manager will work closely with the Director of Operations and other senior leaders to implement Central Co-op’s strategic goals, while upholding and honoring Central Co-op’s values and principles. This position requires a strong understanding of grocery industry KPIs and measurements, including but not limited to: P&L, gross and net margin, department-level & storewide SPLH/CPLH, average basket & customer count, inventory turnover & control, variable pricing strategies based on item attributes, and promotional pricing & lift.

Position Responsibilities

Store Operations and Facility Management

• Ensures compliance with all retail operating standards, such as inventory control, stocking, receiving, food safety, workplace safety, cash handing, opening/closing procedures, etc. Works with the Director of Operations and departmental management to develop and improve operating standards.
• Obtains and uses sales, margin, and inventory data & metrics to guide operational decision-making.
• Assists and monitors department management in establishing budgets and goals for sales, margin, labor costs and effective inventory management.
• Operates in lockstep with company administrative departments, such as Pricing and Finance.
• Oversees facility and equipment maintenance, cleanliness, safety, and functionality.
• Reviews periodic financial reports to ensure operational goals and budgets are being met.
• Ensures department management is meeting obligations (such as hiring, training and evaluations, sales forecasts, and invoice submission), in a timely manner.
• Leads development and implementation of storewide merchandising plans.
• Assists with ordering, stocking, pricing audits, merchandising, and general upkeep of store conditions
• Ensures that product selection meets merchandising strategy, operational objectives, and product guidelines.

Customer Service/Customer Experience

• Ensures a safe and pleasant shopping experience for customers.
• Assists in development and implementation of customer service standards and training.
• Models, provides and ensures customers receive prompt, friendly and courteous service. Assist as needed with customer questions and resolves customer issues, concerns and complaints. Provides training and coaching to staff as needed.
• Maintains a calm and friendly demeanor with unsatisfied and/or difficult customers.
• Reports customer suggestions, comments or complaints to the appropriate department/s or position/s as necessary.

Workplace Safety, Food Safety, and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensures compliance with OSHA, ADA, APP (Accident Prevention Plan), Fire Safety and Food Safety guidelines.
• Reviews workplace injuries and incidents to resolve issues and prevent future incidents.
• Identifies and implements improvements to facility and practices to improve safety.
• Serves as primary contact for local Health Department and Weights and Measures.

Employee Management and Development

• Establishes clear expectations for direct reports and a means to hold each other accountable to ensure expectations are met and offers support to meet expectations.
• Creates and facilitates training for new employees, new procedures, and customer service standards that enhance and build upon employees’ skills, knowledge and abilities.
• Interviews and hires employees according to Co-op procedures.
• Establishes procedures to ensure proper administration of department programs.
• Conducts regular performance evaluations for department leadership and creates training and development opportunities that enhance the employee’s abilities and builds upon their skills, knowledge and abilities.
• Manages work performance and conduct of personnel and upholds Central Co-op’s performance management practices of offering progressive corrective action and staff recognition as needed and in accordance with Co-op policies, procedures, labor and legal guidelines.
• Facilitates regular manager team and/or department meetings.
• Models behaviors that support the values of Central Co-op, through supportive and participatory leadership qualities, promoting cooperative team building and motivating staff to achieve goals.
• Addresses daily attendance issues per procedures and re-allocates labor as needed.
• Knows and follows all aspects of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) including working conditions, break periods, scheduling, overtime, and progressive discipline.

Other Duties

• Supports and models Central Co-op’s principles and values in their daily work.
• Acts as a back-up for department management, as needed.
• Compiles or contributes to reports and newsletters as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Upholds Leadership General Responsibilities.

Position Qualifications

Essential Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in retail grocery management and/or supervision.
• Strong facility in calculating and utilizing key industry metrics for decision-making
• Demonstrable experience in achieving positive growth results through retail grocery margin management; comfort working within a variable price strategy set at a company level.
• Proven experience hiring, developing, and managing employees to meet standards for productivity and customer experience (helping set, and achieve, goals for SPLH, CPLH).
• Ability to build strong, positive, supportive, collaborative, and high performing teams.
• Strong communication skills and able to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Demonstrated ability to make good decisions using sound judgement.
• Demonstrated experience in effective retail grocery category management, inventory control, merchandising, and managing sales, margin, and labor budgets.
• Ability to create, implement and improve processes and procedures.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as department manual and collective bargaining agreements.
• Ability to prioritize work tasks, multi-task and maintain focus.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Flexible schedule to meet needs of the store.
• High School Diploma, GED or equivalent certificate.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software: Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Must obtain and maintain a valid WA State food worker card, a WSLCB Class 12 MAST Permit, and other required licenses or permits.
• Must be 21 years of age or older.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working in natural foods and cooperative models.
• Experience managing in a union environment.
• Dual or multiple language skills.
• Associates’ Degree or other degrees of higher education.

Physical Demands

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

• Frequently: Repetitive hand/arm/wrist movements (typing, writing, stocking and etc.), handling and feeling, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing, seeing, siting and computer usage, standing and walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching and crawling.
• Occasionally: Lifting and moving up to 50 pounds. Exposure to sounds, noises and changes in temperature, scents and odors such as natural oils and chemicals.

Salary : $75,000 - $85,000