Associate Store Director Jobs in Appleton, WI (NOW HIRING)

At Festival, people are at the top of our list. You'll see it in everything from our daily interactions to how we treat our guests - even in our extensive associate benefits and programs.

Job Title: Sr. Fresh Manager

Reports to: Store Director

Direct Reports: Fresh Department Manager(s); including Bakery, Deli, Meat, Produce

Indirect Reports: Fresh Department Assistant Manager(s), Fresh Department Assistant Manager-PM, Fresh Department Associates

SUMMARY:

The Fresh Foods Senior Manager provides strategic in-store leadership across Bakery, Deli, Meat, Food Court, and Produce departments, ensuring alignment with store and company objectives. This role focuses on future-oriented planning, overseeing inventory management, vendor coordination, and department standards while directly leading Fresh Department Manager(s) and providing indirect leadership to Assistant Manager(s) and Associate(s) to drive operational execution. This role supports overall store operations by stepping in as acting Store Director when needed, managing storewide functions and covering calls.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee Fresh Food Operations: Lead, coach, and develop associates across Bakery, Meat, Deli, Produce, while ensuring department goals of helpfulness & in-stock are achieved.
• Develop Future Leaders: Train and mentor department leaders and associates, fostering growth and preparing helping them prepare for future advancement opportunities.
• Strategic Planning & Organization: Provide expertise and focused planning, ensuring efficiency in balancing orders and vendor coordination across departments.
• Offer Helpful Guest Service: Actively promote and execute exceptional guest service, ensuring an outstanding experience for every guest and living out our boomerang principle.
• Provide Leadership Support: Support overall store operations, including covering store calls, overseeing storewide operations, and/or managing perishable departments.
• Communicate and Collaborate: Partner with support teams, including Buying, Accounting, Store Operations, and HR, to support the operation of perishable departments.
• Optimize Performance: Monitor the daily budget and labor projections for the fresh departments, adjusting scheduling as necessary to optimize productivity and profitability.
• Ensure Food Safety: Ensure compliance with sanitation standards and guidelines set by local and company officials, particularly for food safety in fresh departments.
• Reduce Waste: Uphold asset protection policies and ensure proper inventory management, with a focus on minimizing shrinkage in perishable departments.
• Operate & Maintain Equipment: Ensure the proper and safe use of fresh department equipment, including ovens, slicers, mixers, fryers, scales, etc.
• Drive Inventory & Merchandising Excellence: Maintain proper inventory levels, ensure accurate pricing, and execute strong display standards for in-line, end caps, seasonal, etc.
• Build Cross-Department Collaboration: Work closely with the Store Director, Guest Service Manager, Center Store Sr. Manager, and department teams to align on overarching programs, store initiatives, and operational improvements.
• Ensure Compliance & Safety: Uphold safety policies, company procedures, and regulatory standards to maintain a safe and efficient store environment.
• Honor Commitments: Regular, timely attendance in compliance with the work schedule, and adequate notice to find a replacement for occasional absences.
• Support the Team: Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• High School Education or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least five years of relevant experience with two years in a key leadership position. Previous experience managing a department preferred.
• Thorough knowledge of the retail food business and perishable department operations
• Proven merchandising skills, with ability to make timely and effective decisions.
• Ability to deal tactfully and effectively with guests and all associates in fast-paced environment
• Good organizational skills, with a full understanding and ability to learn operation systems.
• Good oral and written communication skills and the ability to handle a diverse crew
• Must have WI Certified Food Manager License (Festival will pay in order to get certified if not)
• Ability to learn and use technology and department equipment, including Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Excel, Word), and Fresh department operating systems, etc.
• Thorough understanding of all safety requirements and company safety policies.
• Must possess the ability to complete and apply on-the-job safety training to recognize and react to possible safety hazards on store premises, and safely operate equipment.  Also requires proper training and knowledge of the following equipment/procedures: Hand jack, slicers, baler, trash compactor, fryer, oven, grinders, mixers, blaster, chiller, and cook and holds.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

• The employee must possess the ability to stand in place for long periods of time; walk in the store; bend, stoop and kneel regularly.  Requires fine finger and broad manual dexterity, and eye-hand-foot coordination in order to operate equipment. 
• This position requires the employee have the ability to have full range of upper body motion in order to occasionally lift stock, lifting up to 50 pounds on a frequent basis.  Requires the ability to perform repetitive tasks for prolonged periods of time.
• Must possess functional sensory abilities in order to visually monitor the store, create attractive displays, and to operate equipment.
• Working conditions consist primarily of a temperature-controlled environment.  The ability to work in walk-in coolers or freezers for short periods of time is necessary. 
• This job involves exposure to changing temperature and humidity (i.e. freezers, coolers, kitchen, ovens, fryers). Chemical cleaning agents, irritating or competing noises or other irritating substances, and working in areas with wet and slippery floors.

WORK SCHEDULE: The Fresh Food Sr. Manager is a full-time position.  The work schedule will include mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends, and holidays.