DELI & MARKET MANAGER Job Opening

Locally-sourced & natural foods MARKET start up

Apply your combined culinary and business expertise and lead the successful launch and management of a local and natural foods deli and market. This role places you at the center of the fast evolving local food landscape. You will play a key role in the creation of a well-curated, affordable and bustling local and natural foods market that will anchor downtown redevelopment in Wheeling, West Virginia. Located right on Main Street, the market will provide crucial healthy food access in the heart of three USDA food desert census tracks.

You will create recipes for a healthy grab & go and prepared foods breakfast and lunch menu – featuring the freshest seasonal ingredients. Additionally, you will curate market inventory featuring the best local foods from more than 40 consignment vendors and a handful of distributors, including fresh produce, locally-made jams and ferments, regional meats and cheeses, natural grocery staples, and specialty and health foods otherwise unavailable in Wheeling. The market will also be a central venue for community cooking classes, nutrition and food literacy awareness, and other educational and cultural events, and will initiate significant outreach to draw in local communities. Curate a store full of the tastes of the Ohio Valley, and create a space for community health in downtown Wheeling.

Position Responsibilities

This position will be responsible for the successful launch and management of a local and natural foods market, including a deli serving made to order breakfast and lunch meals alongside fresh grab & go offerings, food and farm products from dozens of local farms, and a unique selection of healthy and natural foods. It will report the company’s Executive Director and Board of Directors. Responsibilities will include to:

• Develop successful recipes for breakfast and lunch options (made to order and grab & go) highlighting local, seasonal, and healthy ingredients. Create a high-quality, customer-responsive menu. Source locally as much as possible, while maintaining quality and price standards.
• Constantly seek creative solutions, adjust inventory and menu to be responsive to customers, improve operations to maximize market profitability while operating within its mission.
• Track and report sales and expenses via POS and accounting systems.
• Schedule and manage 3 - 4 additional market staff, and disburse payments to producers and vendors.
• Establish and maintain excellent vendor relationships with staff dedicated to producer relations.
• Ensure compliance with all licensing, hygiene and health and safety regulations.

Qualification Requirements

Qualified individuals will demonstrate evidence of the following skills, attributes and experiences:

• Self-starter, hard worker and confident leader
• Passionate local and/or natural food enthusiast. Interested in making healthy and local food accessible and convenient.
• Food service experience (minimum 2 years), preferably developing recipes and planning menus.
• Management experience: ability to manage additional staff, operations, P&L, etc.
• Commitment to customer experience: maintain high standards of customer service, be responsive to customer feedback.
• Reliable, organized, clear communicator.
• Constant drive to improve.
• Must have or gain immediate proficiency in Excel, POS and accounting software
• This position requires on-site management and thus must work at the Market located in downtown Wheeling.

Store Concept

Set to open in summer 2019, the Public Market is a non-profit deli and market that brings local and natural foods into the heart of downtown Wheeling (currently spanned by three USDA-classified Food Desert census tracts). The market will facilitate investment in local farmers by selling local foods on consignment when possible, returning 70-80% of sales dollars to farmers versus just 15% in traditional grocery stores. Using this model, the market anticipates channeling millions of dollars to local farmers. The market will emphasize local sourcing, high quality natural, and ethically sourced foods. It will be housed in one of the best downtown retail spaces in Wheeling, secured through a partnership with the City. The market is clearly differentiated from other regional markets through its unique local and natural-oriented product mix, its prime location, and strong support from regional farmers and funders.

About Grow Ohio Valley

Start-up food-hub Grow Ohio Valley is a fast growing non-profit with a vision to achieve regional food security. The company has built production, sales and distribution infrastructure to grow local agriculture into a force for social and economic change throughout the Appalachian rust-belt. Founded in 2014 by an urban farmer and a Harvard Business School graduate, the initiative is widely recognized as a positive change agent throughout the Ohio Valley. In four years it has developed six productive farming sites, a small hub, and a loyal customer base; aggregates fresh, healthy food from over 20 local farms; and delivers food-access and food literacy programs that reach over 5,000 students a year. Through these efforts, we hope to fashion a new economic landscape: one offering increased prosperity, improved health, and a better environment!

In addition to its food production, equitable access and related educational programs, Grow Ohio Valley hosts an AmeriCorps program, in which 15 service workers are trained in various aspects of local food systems each year. We also supply a FARMacy program, where participants receive medical prescriptions for healthy food to treat diet-related illness. Successfully launching the Public Market is our top priority for 2019.

COMPENSATION

Commensurate upon experience. The copensation range is $40,000 - $50,000 per year plus benefits.

Qualified applicants should submit their resume with a cover letter by June 30, 2019.

Equal Opportuity Employer