The Produce Operations Manager oversees all aspects of the produce department across store locations, ensuring optimal merchandising, product quality, pricing, and profitability. This role is responsible for assisting in managing vendor relationships, assist in supply chain coordination, seasonal planning, and execution of promotions.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities:
Oversee day-to-day produce operations across all stores, ensuring consistency in execution of merchandising standards.
Monitor product quality and freshness standards, implementing corrective actions where needed.
Analyze sales, shrink, and margin reports to identify opportunities for improvement and profitability.
Develop and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling, rotation, and merchandising.
Provide training and coaching for store produce managers and associates on best practices in quality control, merchandising, and customer service.
Conduct regular store visits to ensure compliance and provide feedback.
Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement within the produce team.
Education/Qualifications:
3+ years of experience in produce management, grocery operations, or perishable supply chain.
Strong knowledge of produce commodities, seasonality, and handling standards.
Proven ability to negotiate with vendors and manage large-scale purchasing.
Excellent leadership, communication, and team development skills.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Analytical Thinking – Uses data to make informed purchasing and promotional decisions.
Vendor Relations – Builds strong partnerships to drive pricing, quality, and promotions.
Operational Excellence – Ensures consistent execution across all stores.
Creativity in Merchandising – Develops engaging displays that drive customer excitement.
Leadership – Inspires, trains, and motivates produce teams to exceed expectations.
Safety & Health Responsibilities
Pay-Less Markets is committed to providing and maintaining a safe, secure, and healthy work environment for all employees and customers. As part of this commitment, Pay-Less Markets has developed safety, security and occupational health policies, practices, and standards.
With this understanding, all employees are required to: Adhere to all local and federal safety and environmental codes, ordinances, standards and laws; adhere to all Pay-Less Markets and local safety plans, policies, practices and standards; be aware of and follow all safety rules of your work site; report any unsafe conditions or accidents to your supervisor and participate in mandatory or available safety training.
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.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and respond to customers and employees. The employee frequently is required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to walk and sit. The employee must regularly 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, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.