Company description

Grassroots Local Market is a cooperatively-owned grocery store in Downtown Lynchburg, Virginia. Grassroots is currently in the build-out phase -- we have secured funding and a location, and are currently scheduled to open the store in the summer of 2018.

Our goal is to strengthen the downtown by forming a community owned and governed full service natural foods store. We want to solve several downtown and greater Lynchburg needs with one effort: create a full service grocery; provide a one-stop shop for natural, organic, and local foods; help relieve the downtown food desert; and improve the vitality of downtown.

We envision a natural foods grocery concentrating primarily on natural, organic, and local products which does not exist in Lynchburg. In addition the store will contain a full commercial kitchen offering a good selection of freshly prepared grab-n-go foods and a small cafe for light dining.

Job description

NOW HIRING

GENERAL MANAGER - FULL TIME POSITION

Grassroots Local Market Co-op is seeking an outstanding individual to join, start up, and and lead our team. Grassroots is a natural foods cooperative in Lynchburg, Virginia. We are in the store build-out and start-up phase. The store is expected to open in the spring/summer of 2018.

Qualifications:

• Five years grocery management and supervisory experience (store manager, assistant manager, or department manager).
• Experience managing to and accountable for a budget.
• Experience developing and implementing marketing and advertising strategy.
• Exceed our customers’ expectations for service and provide a welcoming environment for all in accordance with Grassroots’s customer service standards.
• Strong communication skills are a must for this position. Working with employees and the public is 80%+ of this job!
• Must be able to prioritize job duties and multi-task, as well as be organized and efficient.
• Must embrace opportunities to learn and grow, develop efficiencies that better support and enhance the store, and increase sales – all in a team environment.
• Proficiency with word processing and spreadsheet applications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Commercial and/or restaurant prep, line, and production experience.
• Experienced in natural foods grocery and the cooperative business model.
• Experience in communicating with and reporting to a board of directors.
• Experience using retail (preferably grocery) point-of-sale software.

Overall Responsibilities:

The general manager is empowered to make all decisions, create all policies, and authorize all engagements that he can demonstrate to be consistent with a reasonable interpretation of board policy as provided for in board/general manager relations policies.

The general manager’s performance will be evaluated through systematic and rigorous monitoring of expectations established in policies on asset protection, financial conditions, business planning and financial budgeting, health and safety of employees and customers, staff treatment and compensation, treatment of consumers, membership equity and benefits, communication and support to the board, board logistical support, and emergency management succession.

Lynchburg Food Cooperative Inc is a start-up. As such the first general manager will be responsible for setting up and opening the store within the time frame and policies set by the board. Start-up activities include creating personnel policy, hiring and training staff, ordering the initial stock and incidental equipment, stocking the shelves, managing builders and other trades workers to build out the store space, creating displays, setting up all electronics (POS, stereo, alarm, security cameras), interacting with governmental and regulatory authorities and ensuring compliance, and interfacing with the public.

A full set of the board’s policies is available upon request.

Reporting Relationships

The general manager reports to the board of directors, which is elected by the members of the cooperative. The board operates under Policy Governance, a system that emphasizes vision and values empowerment and accountability. The board uses policy to define the results the general manager is expected to achieve within defined limits of prudence and ethics. The general manager has the authority to hire, direct, structure, and evaluate all other staff.

What to Expect

After submitting an application you can expect to receive a confirmation email with 48 hours. No further communication from you is necessary, we will process all applications within the schedule described below. We will contact you if we need any additional information or to schedule an interview.

• Janury 16 - 31: Accept applications
• January 22 - February 7: Rolling interviews
• February 8: Final selection

Pay commensurate with experience.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, varies DOE, $40,000.00 - $65,000.00

Application instructions

Deadline

January 31, 2018