Produce Associate

About the Role

Increases customer confidence and loyalty by promoting and executing consistent and compliant operating conditions. Stocks and rotates products to provide fresh and appealing products. Provides courteous, knowledgeable and prompt service. Values diversity and supports an inclusive environment by embracing the backgrounds and experiences of the team.

Key Responsibilities

SERVICE (60%)

• Creates an environment that enables customers to feel welcome, important and appreciated, increasing customer confidence and loyalty.
• Ensures the department is merchandised per plan.
• Delivers daily conditions that meet company expectations for at-shelf product availability, freshness, quality, and value.
• Offers product samples, answers product questions, and assists customers in finding or suggesting products.
• Ensures customer requests and special orders are fulfilled.

LEADERSHIP (20%)

• Promotes trust and respect among associates by collaborating, promoting teamwork, and communicating company, department, and job-specific information.
• Breaks down pallets to prep produce for the sales floor, cooler, or backroom to optimize sales and reduce shrink.
• Operates department equipment and tools.
• Adheres to all local, state, and federal laws, and company guidelines.

FINANCIAL (10%)

• Maintains inventory/stocking conditions and reports any discrepancies.
• Stocks and rotates department produce to ensure freshness and date control.
• Reviews/inspects products for quality and freshness and takes appropriate action.
• Restocks and uses supply items efficiently to eliminate waste and maintain the lowest supply cost.
• Utilizes production planning tools to accurately produce fresh products and ensures discarding or markdown processes are followed to reduce shrink.
• Ensures product is held at the proper temperature per food safety guidelines and retains documentation of temperature logs per policy.

COMPLIANCE/SAFETY (10%)

• Ensures company standards for safety, proper food handling practices, sanitation, and productivity are maintained.
• Adheres to all regulatory compliance requirements pertaining to food safety, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) & Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), and Department of Agriculture (DOA).
• Executes all product recalls and withdrawals in a timely manner, ensuring all items are secured and removed from customer access.
• Reinforces safety programs by complying with safety procedures and inspects/identifies unsafe conditions to report to store management.
• Notifies management of customer or employee accidents.
• Reports all safety risks, issues, and illegal activity, including robbery, theft, or fraud.
• Ensures adherence to wage and hour policies and regulations.
• Cultivates a culture of safety within the store.
• Ensures self and all associates are working safely and have received necessary safety training.
• Ensures Hazardous Assessments are posted for associate reference and that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is available and utilized by all associates executing tasks within the department, as required.
• Ensures equipment is in good repair; reports and assists with remediation (e.g., lock-out/tag-out of equipment) of safety hazards within the department.

Qualifications

Education

• High School / GED (Preferred)

Language(s)

• English
• Spanish (Preferred)

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Must be 18 years of age.
• Authorization to work in the United States or the ability to obtain the same.
• Successful completion of pre-employment drug testing and background check.
• Strong customer service skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal, motivational, and communication skills.
• Proficient with computer applications used for online training.
• High standard of integrity and reliability.

Environmental Factors & Physical Demands

• Retail - Produce environment.
• Physical Demands: Regularly required to stand or walk, utilize manual dexterity, talk, see, hear, smell, and perform repetitive movements. Frequently required to reach, carry, push, or lift up to 50 lbs. Occasionally required to sit, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb up to 10 ft.
• Working Conditions: May be exposed to indoor, outdoor, cold, freezing, heated, and wet/humid conditions.
• Safety Risk Factors: Frequently required to twist back/neck, walk on slippery/cluttered surfaces, work with hazardous equipment, and be exposed to sharp objects. Occasionally exposed to loud noise, skin irritants, nuisance dust, fumes, sprays, hazardous cleaning solutions, and other toxins.

Required Equipment

• Cleaning supplies and equipment
• General office equipment
• Register
• Pricing gun
• Scales
• Scanner
• Various material handling equipment (e.g., racks, carts, pallet jacks, shopping carts)
• General hardware tools (e.g., ladder, pliers, wire cutters)
• Floral equipment (e.g., helium tank, cutting implements, heat shrink dryer, ice machine)
• Shovel
• Produce equipment (e.g., watering machine, pineapple corer, various knives)
• Wrapping equipment

Preferred Equipment

• Baler/compactor
• Box cutter

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Goggles
• Gloves
• Cutting Gloves
• Back Brace

Pulling Requirement: 250 lbs.

Lifting Requirement: 50 lbs.

Shifts: Varied shifts.