Company description

The Springfield Food Co-op has been a community staple for almost 30 years. We are open to all, and work to provide healthy, natural affordable grocery, wellness, fresh produce, meats, and deli items to everyone in our community. We are member-owned by over 2,300 individuals, and we serve anyone who walks through the doors. We strive to support our local economy with excellent jobs, fair prices to local farmers and vendors, accessible food options, and community giving.

Job description

Springfield Food Co-op, in Springfield, VT, seeks our next general manager. Founded in 1991, our co-op serves over 3400 active members, with annual sales of $3.7 million. We employ 37, with non-management staff represented by United Food & Commercial Workers. The General Manager reports to a nine-member Board of Directors that is elected by the cooperative’s member-owners.

We are open to all, and work to provide healthy, natural affordable grocery, wellness, fresh produce, meats, and deli items to everyone in our community. We strive to support our local economy with excellent jobs, fair prices to local farmers and vendors, accessible food options, and community giving.

Springfield, with a population of 9000, is located in southeastern Vermont, near the Connecticut River.

Our next GM will have retail grocery experience, be strong in people management, financial management, business planning and team-building. For more details, see the job description below.

General Manager Job Summary

Job Purpose

To lead our cooperative so that it achieves the ends policies determined by our board of directors, as follows:

The Springfield Food Co-op operates as a member-owned store that provides healthy, natural foods, emphasizing local and organic products in keeping with the International Cooperative Principles and Values.

As a result of all that we do there will be:

• An enriched community life among our members and beyond;
• Accessible wholesome food options as inexpensively as possible;
• An increase in production, consumption and use of local organic and sustainable products;
• A stronger local economy;
• A better-educated community of consumers; and
• A workplace community where employees are valued and treated equitably.

Overview of Responsibilities
The job of the general manager is to ensure achievement of organizational results as defined in ends policies and to avoid unacceptable conditions as defined in executive limitation policies. The general manager has the authority to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies.

The general manager is empowered to make all decisions, create all policies, and authorize all engagements that they 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, staff treatment and compensation, treatment of consumers, membership equity and benefits, communication and support to the board, board logistical support, and emergency management succession.

Reporting Relationships

The general manager reports to the board of directors, which is elected by the members of the co- operative. 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.

Qualifications

• Retail grocery experience: At least at the level of a store or operations manager. Familiar with how stores operate to meet goals, understands key metrics. Knows enough about administrative departments to effectively manage them.
• Financial management: Knows meaning of financial variables, how to find them, and how to place them in business context. Creates and uses meaningful business and financial reports. Creates, and manages to, operating, capital, and cash budgets. Knows how to adjust key operational variables to respond to negative trends.
• Business planning: Takes vision and strategies and turns them into operational plan(s), aligns plans to mission, vision and values
• Building and leading teams: Effectively facilitates the formation of teams by creating a climate of trust and encouraging information sharing.
• Managing people: Makes good hiring decisions. Evaluates, inspires, recognizes, delegates work and provides feedback. Provides timely coaching and guidance
• Embraces cooperative structure: Articulates what makes Springfield Food Co-op different, works successfully within the cooperative structure
• Accountability for self: Willing to be held accountable. Listens to feedback without defensiveness. Takes ownership and accepts responsibility for actions, decisions and impacts.
• Accountability for others: Is willing and able to hold people accountable for performance.
• Courage: Willing to make unpopular decisions when needed, and to have difficult discussions with stakeholders
• Self-motivated: Does not require constant oversight, proactively identifies opportunities and challenges
• Respectful: Demonstrates respect for others, even when a conflicting opinion is held
• Discretion: Accurately assesses when to share information, when to keep information private; no gossip
• Experience working with a unionized workforce.
• Environmental awareness: Takes environmental sustainability into account with all decisions.

Compensation

Base salary range $70,000 to $85,000 depending on management experience.

Health insurance stipend, staff discount, Paid Time Off

The board is open to discussing a bonus program based on measurable results.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $75,000 - $100,000

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline