Do you care about providing access to healthy food, natural products, and sustainable practices in our area? Do you want to work in a place that supports local farmers, purveyors, producers, and suppliers? Do you have concern for the community and want to help bring support to different organizations & food initiatives in the area? Do you want to be part of an environment creating a place where everyone is welcome, safe, and respected?

At Common Ground Food Cooperative, we do all these things and more. We are here to serve the local CU area by providing nutritious groceries, house-made delights, and natural products for your body & home. We also strive to create a place for gathering & learning for our neighbors. We believe that good people and good food combined with hard work and care for community can bring great things to us all.

Join the fun! Common Ground isn't your average employer: we provide competitive wages and benefits, a great work environment, and plenty of opportunity for growth. You can make a difference here.

Common Ground offers:

• Great work environment

• 3 weeks paid vacation (for Full Time and Part Time)

• Sick pay (for Full Time and Part Time)

• Staff discount for you and 2 others

• Employee charge account

• Relaxed dress code

• Flexible scheduling

• Opportunity for advancement

• Transparent payroll - See your timecard & approve your check a week early

• Sustainable transportation to work program

• Retirement Simple IRA & company matching

• Health benefits

• Life Insurance

• Employee referral program

• Employee assistance programs

• Employees included in Policy and Decisions

Common Ground's first and most important End is "The Co-op is the center of an inclusive and vibrant community." Everyone is welcome here. What this looks like for us regarding hiring: we do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Offers consistent, fair, and respectful customer interactions to ensure satisfied shoppers and encourage repeat customer traffic.
• Projects a helpful, approachable manner – smiling, eye contact, open posture, greeting nearby shoppers. Stops tasks to help a customer with full attention.
• Uses knowledge of body language and cues, along with talking to customers to understand and provide the desired level of personal service.
• Answers all phone calls within 3 rings.
• Understands and communicates the particulars of ownership to shoppers and staff alike.
• Looks at the sales floor from the perspective of the customer to ensure shelves are full and inviting.

COOPERATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively helps create an environment that is inclusive, safe, and respectful for everyone who works and shops at the co-op.
• Knows and promotes the cooperative principles and our Ends.
• Speaks positively and respectfully to and about coworkers, customers, local businesses, farms, and vendors.
• Operates with a sense of teamwork in daily tasks; approaches all things with solution-oriented thinking. Exhibits calmness under pressure.
• Supports customers, department, and store by being on time and ready to work at the beginning of scheduled shift. Demonstrates regular, predictable attendance.
• Works with a sense of energy and completes tasks in a timely manner.
• Understands the importance of and demonstrates excellent communication. Uses knowledge of store organization to determine what information to share with whom, both within and across departments.
• Assumes the best in people. When facing an issue, goes direct to the person involved to work together toward a solution. Doesn’t engage in gossip.
• Promotes sustainability and reduces waste.
• Reads department and store communications.
• Attends all department and store meetings as required.
• Receives feedback and evaluations with a willingness to improve and better performance.
• Acts in a manner consistent with Common Ground’s principles, mission, and vision.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Meets with Operations Manager weekly for planning and review of department projects and results. Identifies needs and issues and brings proposed solutions.
• Understands and works to achieve all department and personal performance goals.
• Understands and follows store policies; trains and holds staff accountable to policies.
• Checks in with Wellness staff about the day’s responsibilities, training, delegating, and coaching as needed.
• Meets all established deadlines for product and personnel management.
• Ensures Wellness operations are effective and efficient; regularly evaluates processes and operations for improvement.
• Establishes, documents, and maintains standard operating procedures for the department. Ensure staffs is aware of and trained in these procedures and in any changes to these procedures.
• Effectively manages department inventory.
• Attends all mandatory Manager and store meetings.
• Performs other tasks as assigned by supervisor or GM.

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

• Ensures Wellness dept. operates within established metrics: Sales growth, Margin, Shrink & Inventory.
• Is responsible for all Wellness inventory management and for ensuring quarterly inventories are completed accurately.
• Manages selection and purchasing of product offerings for all Wellness vendors in line with Common Ground’s standards and practices.
• Manages Wellness special orders, following established procedures to ensure clear and timely communication and great service.
• Ensures displays and shelves are fully stocked, rotated, faced, and fronted. Set stocking priorities for department staff based on department needs for sales generating work.
• Accurately figures cost and price of product line according to dept. Margin goals.
• Maintains items in POS system, including accurate, up-to-date costs, pricing, and all other information according to standards.
• Effectively manages merchandising of the Wellness products, training staff to consistently high standards in stocking, service, safety, and cleanliness.
• Coordinate with OM and Marketing to effectively merchandise products through store newsletter, social media, store website and other established avenues.
• Builds and maintains category planograms and merchandising sets. Determines new product slotting and shelf space allocations.
• Evaluates suppliers, as necessary, and investigate new sources of supply, negotiating for favorable terms, quantity, and delivery.
• Ensures prompt correction of pricing and scanning problems.
• Ensures all shrink is properly recorded and tracked.
• Ensures clean, timely and accurate shelf tags, sale signs and coupons are on shelves and displays.
• Regularly evaluates product performance and adjusts mix as needed; track product and category trends using available resources.
• Ensures adequate supply and selection of products keeping out-of-stocks to a minimum, back stock inventory levels down and meeting order and credit deadlines.
• Coordinates sampling for Wellness, both in store and with vendors.
• Conducts periodic price comparisons with competitors

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

• Ensures Wellness department operates within established metrics: Labor % and SPLH, turnover.
• Ensures excellent communication with staff, other departments, and whole store. Manages staff email group.
• Thoroughly understands attendance and time off policies; trains and coaches staff to properly use the Paycom app and to follow all store policies;
• Reviews all staff members time clock punches, requests off and shift switches; adds notes, ensures accuracy, and completes approval process balancing staff and department needs.

• Completes staff schedules no later than 2 weeks in advance; schedules Wellness staff according to availability, department needs, sales budget and labor goals.

• Directly manages Wellness staff: including hiring, training, coaching, performance management, reviews, processing wage or status changes, terminations; meets staff management deadlines, including EAFs and other required paperwork.
• Determines, with the OM, all hiring needs and coordinates all interviews and needs for HR.
• Creates in partnership with HR all department training materials.
• Ensure all staff have access to and know they can use the Open-Door Policy.
• Ensure all staff provide excellent customer service.
• Provide regular feedback on performance; develop staff for promotional opportunities
• Provides support, direction, and supervision to Wellness staff during shift; works on the sales floor and provides leadership by example.
• Supports staff enrichment and involvement opportunities at CGFC.

DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE & SAFETY

• Understands and adheres to store emergency and safety procedures.
• Understands employee safety measures for food handling and preparation. Uses the most functional and efficient methods that meet all local and federal health codes.
• Ensures all staff maintain any required certifications.
• Observes good ergonomic practices, uses equipment safely and ensures staff are trained to observe all safety practices and expectations.
• Ensures department work areas and aisles are clean and orderly and meet all Health Department, OSHA, and ADA requirements.
• Develops and maintains Preventative Maintenance schedules, Daily/Monthly/Quarterly/Bi-yearly cleaning schedules; follows up to ensure completion.
• Coordinates repairs of equipment with store leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of two (2) years previous management experience preferred.
• Minimum of two (2) years in a customer service position.
• Minimum of one (1) year experience in retail purchasing or merchandising position.
• Experience in personnel management (hiring, training, motivating, coaching, evaluating and discipline).
• Knowledge of natural foods industry, especially natural supplements and personal care strongly preferred.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to handle multiple demands.
• Calmness under pressure.
• Ability to project an outgoing, friendly personality.
• Strong communication and listening skills.
• Ability to work well with other in a cooperative environment where teamwork and constant communication is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to follow through on commitments.
• Commitment to superior customer service and to provide the highest quality shopping experience possible.
• Flexible schedule and availability for being scheduled during any store hours.
• Illinois Food Handlers Card and Allergen certification required.
• Displayed ability to lift 50# and stand for long periods.
• Regular, predictable attendance.
• Willingness and ability to learn and grow to meet the changing requirements of the job.