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Hiring: Retail Sales Manager – Lexington Community Farm

Retail Sales Manager 2023

Lexington Community Farm, Lexington, MA

About the Farm

Lexington Community Farm Coalition, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (LexFarm), was founded in 2011 by community members to protect one of the few remaining farms in Lexington, MA. LexFarm grows certified-organic food with sustainable farming practices, connects and educates community members, and provides fresh produce to all including those in need.

LexFarm grows on roughly 5 acres of land that has been farmed continuously for hundreds of years. Our goal is to improve the land we grow on, while providing food for our community. We sell directly to community members with a CSA program that distributes vegetables, mushrooms, flowers and, new this year, fruit. In addition, we grow and sell thousands of organic vegetable and flower starts for local gardeners.

The farm is  a model for responsible land and soil stewardship, a place for fresh local organic produce and for community connection. We are committed to increasing access to certified organic produce for households of all income levels. We donate seedlings and produce (at least 10% of our produce) to people in need through local food rescue and community organizations. We participate in the SNAP and HIP programs so that people of limited means can shop in our farm store. We also subsidize some of the CSA shares for SNAP recipients.

Farm leadership gives staff the support they need to succeed and take ownership of responsibilities. The Farm Managers, Education Director and Retail Sales Manager will collaborate and communicate as a team with each other and with the Executive Director.

About the Farm’s Retail Business

The farm’s retail business is a core part of LexFarm’s operations. Retail sales include produce grown at LexFarm and by local partner farms, high-quality local food (dairy products, meats, cheeses, bread, condiments, etc.), flowers, seedlings, gardening supplies and artisanal products. Sales are conducted in-store, self-serve, and via Square, an on-line sales platform. The farm runs a CSA program with multiple offerings – vegetables, mushroom, fruit and flowers. All except flowers, which are pick-your-own, are distributed in the Farm Store.

In 2022, the interior of the store was redesigned to increase capacity and accessibility, including new refrigeration and freezer units, and a new exterior walk-in cooler added further storage capacity.

The farm store serves as the hub of the farm and all retail sales. The farm store staff are the face of the farm, as well as its eyes and ears. The proper running of the farm store is key in maintaining excellent relations with the public and helping coordinate many of the events that we hold on the farm every year.

 

About the Position

We are looking for a skilled and experienced manager to run the retail side of the farm, year-round, including a busy farm store and sales of all items in-person, self-serve and online, through the Square POS platform. The role is ideal for a food and farm savvy professional with a passion for leading successful teams in a customer facing environment. The position is full-time and year-round. Scheduled for Tuesdays through Saturdays weekly, and 3 Sundays for farm events.

A successful Retail Sales Manager enjoys people, being outside, conceiving and working toward big picture vision and goals as well as being efficient and detail oriented in their work. Great customer service skills, an ability to work quickly and efficiently, and a good sense of humor are vital to this position. Interest in sustainable agriculture, local food systems, and cooking is a plus.

The Retail Sales Manager reports directly to the Executive Director and collaborates with the Farm Managers, Harvest Manager, and Education Director.

Job Description

  • First and foremost, the Retail Sales Manager is the lead good-will ambassador of the farm store. They should be bright, positive, empathic, patient, a problem solver, and an excellent listener and communicator. They should excel in customer service.
  • Responsible for store systems, hiring, training, scheduling (including time off and coverage) and managing all Retail staff (includes one Retail Sales Associate and 4 workshare volunteers). The Manager should instruct the staff about all that the farm offers and instill in them excellent customer service skills. Every staff member should be an ambassador of the farm.
  • Knows about produce varieties and growing standards. Works closely with the Farm Managers regarding the produce that will be available for distribution, and produce and quantities selected from other local farms.
  • Ensures the farm store is stocked with LexFarm and other farm produce as well as local food products. Oversees pricing and stock control; and ensures information about all goods is actively shared with the team and customers.
  • Creates and delivers training that improves staff knowledge regarding food handling, products, and store operations to improve team’s overall job quality and performance
  • Responsible for store setting up and breaking down the farm store and maintaining produce quality standards throughout the day (i.e. temperature control, hydration).
  • Oversee the ordering, procuring, and maintaining of inventory for the farm store and update the inventory systems weekly.
  • Understand what is selling and what is not through analyzing and interpreting sales reports; the Retail Sales Manager is responsible for bringing in new items to increase profits and cutting items that do not sell.
  • Operates cash registers, scales, and shares cash counting duties in coordination with Retail Associate.
  • Engages meaningfully with company finances including submitting and paying invoices in a timely manner, and setting and being accountable to budgets and profit goals.
  • Ensures that unsurpassed service is being given by farm store staff and work shares.
  • Handle complex customer service issues.
  • Responsible for farm store marketing, including signage inside and outside the store, weekly newsletter communications, and posting on social media..
  • Responsible for smooth POS operations, maintaining proper records of sales, updates, and troubleshooting with tech support services
  • Maintains the cleanliness and organization of the Farm store, including the area around the outside of the store.
  • Planning and executing the Pre-Thanksgiving and Pre-Christmas sales events.
  • Develops and pilots an online farm store sales program.

 Requirements

  • At least 2 years of experience in food and retail, and 1 year of experience in management.
  • Experience selecting and buying farm store products, merchandising and product displays
  • Experience sourcing new food products
  • Flexibility in your schedule with the ability to work on Saturdays and on 3 Sundays when there are farm events.
  • Marketing and creative experience
  • Prior experience with a CSA or knowledge of cooking, gardening, or farming. Should be a proponent of sustainable growing practices and display a willingness to develop knowledge base and skills to talk about it with customers.
  • Must enjoy a fast-paced environment when we are busy and have the ability to create projects and tasks for those times we are slow.
  • Able to bend and lift 50 lbs repeatedly and safely.
  • Be willing and able to work in all weather conditions, stand for long periods of time

Schedule

This is a full time position that begins April 11th, and includes 3 weeks of cleaning, organizing, stocking the Farm store, and training. The farm store opening day is May 3rd, and the store will be open Wednesday-Saturday. The Retail Sales Manager is expected to work Tuesday-Saturday with the addition of a Thanksgiving pop-up sale on Tuesday November 21st and a Christmas Pop-up sale on Saturday December 23rd. After a brief winter break, the farm store will reopen in January. Farm store hours are as follows:

Hours

Wednesday – Friday 2-7 (Manager works 12-8)

Saturday 9-2 (Manager works 8-3)

There is some flexibility with the schedule depending on the staff schedule, but the Retail Sales Manager is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the farm store is staffed during all open hours. A Retail Associate will be hired, and workshares and volunteers will also be retained.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a year-round, salaried, full-time managerial position offering low $40’s annually. An additional 10% of salary is provided in the form of a healthcare stipend. The healthcare stipend may be received in the form of a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) program.

Benefits include a summer vegetable CSA share, a PYO flower share, a fall vegetable CSA share and a discount on all produce and products sold at the farm store.

Benefits also included two weeks of vacation (only one of which can be taken within the 20 week Summer CSA window), paid holidays and 5 days of paid sick time.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and 3 references to employment@lexfarm.org

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