Fresh Merchandising Operations Manager

Coborn's is hiring a Fresh Merchandising Operations Manager to lead the execution, maintenance, and continuous improvement of merchandising programs across all our Fresh departments-including Produce, Meat, Bakery, Deli, and Floral. If you enjoy managing a team, you will have the opportunity to manage one assigned Fresh department to drive sales, margin, and profitability goals. This will allow you to gain day-to-day insight of our fresh departments.

As the manager of this team, you will serve as the strategic bridge between Fresh Category leadership and Store Operations - translating plans into executable standards, influencing field performance through collaboration, and leading a support team that drives program readiness, training, and compliance across all Fresh categories.

If Fresh Merchandising is your passion and you are ready for a new role, apply today!

Additional Duties Include:

Category Leadership & Financial Performance:

• Own one assigned Fresh department (e.g., Produce, Meat, Bakery, Deli, or Floral) with full accountability for driving sales, margin, and shrink performance.
• Collaborate with Category Directors and vendors to define product strategy, promotional plans, and operational execution standards.
• Analyze category performance reports to identify opportunities, build corrective plans, and drive profitable growth.
• Partner with Store Operations and Fresh leadership to ensure store execution supports category objectives and guest experience.

Merchandising Program Execution & Rollout:

• Lead the development and rollout of Fresh merchandising programs and seasonal transitions across all Fresh departments.
• Ensure programs are clearly communicated, operationally feasible, and aligned with company calendars and department priorities.
• Collaborate with the Fresh Merchandising Operations Lead to monitor rollout progress and resolve execution challenges in partnership with Store Operations.

Auditing, Compliance & Standards:

• Oversee auditing and compliance processes executed by the Operations Lead, using exception reporting and field feedback to assess program effectiveness.
• Partner with Store Operations to address execution gaps and ensure corrective actions are implemented and tracked.
• Drive consistency in merchandising, food safety, and visual standards across all Fresh departments.

Shrink & Waste Management:

• Lead shrink and waste reduction efforts across all Fresh department categories, with specific accountability for your owned department.
• Review exception and financial reports to identify root causes of loss and develop actionable plans in collaboration with Store Operations.
• Partner with Category and Operations leadership to balance freshness, availability, and financial performance.

Tool, Process, & Resource Development:

• Lead the creation of store-facing playbooks, execution standards, and communication templates for Fresh merchandising programs.
• Ensure all tools and resources are accurate, timely, and aligned with merchandising and food safety expectations.
• Partner with the Training Lead to integrate these materials into learning modules and operational training content.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence:

• Serve as the primary link between Merchandising and Store Operations for Fresh departments.
• Collaborate with Category Directors, Pricing, Space Planning, Marketing, and Store Operations to align on timelines, goals, and store readiness.
• Influence execution quality and compliance through communication, reporting, and data-driven insights-rather than direct store oversight.

Team Leadership & Coaching:

• Lead, coach, and develop the Fresh Merchandising Operations and Training Leads.
• Establish performance goals, monitor KPIs, and conduct performance reviews to ensure accountability and development.
• Build a culture of collaboration, communication, and continuous improvement within the Fresh merchandising support team.

What's In It For Me?

Our remarkable employees are at the heart of everything we do. At Coborn's, we're committed to creating a supportive and rewarding workplace-one that offers a vibrant, team-oriented environment, ongoing career growth, and meaningful benefits. As an employee-owned company, we believe in investing in our people and their futures.

We're proud to offer a variety of benefits to both our full-time and part-time employees, including:

• 10% employee discount on grocery items, with additional franchise-specific discounts available at company owned Ace Hardware, Caribou Coffee, Erbert and Gerbert's, and Pet Supplies Plus locations.
• Get Paid Daily with DailyPay - for employees who would like access to their pay before payday, we offer this great benefit!
• Paid Time Off (PTO/Vacation)
• Paid Floating Holidays & time and a half (1 ) paid for hours worked on a company-recognized holiday!
• Sunday Premium Pay - an extra $1 per hour for hours worked on Sundays (some exclusions apply)
• Paid Military Leave
• Employee recognition programs with monetary rewards including in-store vouchers, years of service, and employee of the month
• Employee Health & Wellness Programs, Challenges and Resources - to assist our team members in living a life of wellbeing!
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - unlimited phone access to legal, financial, and work-life services and up to five free in-person counseling sessions, per situation/issue, per year
• Access to a national discount marketplace for travel, electronics, auto/home insurance , entertainment and more!
• Tools, resources and opportunities for career growth and development
• 401(k) plan options - we also match up to 20% of the first 5% contributed
• Participation in our Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) - yes, we're employee-owned! Our team members benefit from the success of the company through this company-sponsored benefit!
• Education benefits including tuition discount and scholarship programs
• Additional Voluntary Benefits - such as vision, accident and critical illness insurances

If you're hired or promoted into a full-time position with our company, you will also be eligible for: Medical & Dental Insurance, Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Tuition Reimbursement, Adoption Reimbursement, Paid Family Caregiver Leave, as well as company-sponsored Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, and Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance!

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising, or related field preferred.
• Advanced coursework or certification in Retail Operations, Category Management, or Food Safety preferred.
• 7+ years' of progressive experience in grocery retail merchandising, operations, or category management with a focus on fresh departments, including 3+ years in Fresh category management or merchandising leadership.
• Familiarity with food safety standards, handling requirements, and regulatory compliance for perishable departments preferred.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop a cross-functional support team.
• Knowledge of food safety standards and regulatory requirements (FDA Food Code, HACCP, state/local jurisdictions) required.

We believe that building a team of people with different backgrounds, beliefs, experiences and perspectives inspires fresh thinking and opens us up to new possibilities. We are an EEO/AA Employer - All qualified individuals, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Are you friendly, dependable, and passionate about working with people? At Coborn's, Inc., we love serving our guests, supporting our communities, and helping our team members grow their careers. If you're looking for a place where you can build a future while making a positive impact every day, we'd love to talk to you about joining our team!

Coborn's, Inc. is a fast-growing, employee-owned grocery retailer proudly serving communities across the Midwest. Our family of grocery stores includes Coborn's, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods, Hornbacher's, Tadych's Marketplace Foods, Sullivan's Foods, and Kessler's. We offer our guests an elevated shopping experience-both in-store and online-focused on freshness, value, and convenience. Guided by our company vision to inspire happiness, healthy living, and simplicity, this principle has fueled our growth for more than 100 years and is at the heart of everything we do.

Coborn's, Inc. also owns and operates liquor stores under the Coborn's Liquor, Cash Wise Liquor, Andy's Liquor, and Captain Jack's brands. In addition, we operate fuel kiosks and convenience store locations under the Little Dukes and Coborn's Express names. Many of our grocery stores also feature full-service pharmacies to support the health and wellness of our guests. We manage a variety of other retail businesses in markets where the fit is right, including Ace Hardware, Country Floral Gifts & Greenhouse, Caribou Coffee, Dunn Brothers Coffee, Erbert and Gerbert's, Godfather's Pizza, and Pet Supplies Plus. To support our diverse retail operations, we operate our own central bakery, fresh foods commissary, and grocery warehouse and distribution center.