Contract Cooking Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

Overview

The Job in a Nutshell:
This role requires an outgoing personality and passion for sharing nutrition knowledge and inspiring people to act and achieve their health goals. You’ll wear many hats while working in a fast-paced retail setting conducting classes, private coaching sessions, community outreach, and retail operations (e.g., customer service, stocking shelves, cleaning, etc.). As the store’s nutrition professional, you will act as an educational resource providing science-based nutrition education/training to the store Crew, our customers, and the community. This position is a front-line contributor to the Natural Grocers mission and plays an integral role helping Natural Grocers improve the health and wellbeing of our communities. Through providing free nutrition education and helping people understand why their food choices matter, you will play an important role in Natural Grocers commitment creating a sustainable, Just, regenerative food system where humans, animals, and the earth can thrive.
Applications are accepted by the date below, which may be updated if the hiring timeline is extended.
07/14/2026

Responsibilities

Main Ingredients:

1. Acts as the nutrition education resource for the customers, Crew, and community.
2. Provides customer service on the floor in the vitamin aisles (assists customers with product
   purchasing, provides education resource, etc.)
3. Performs retail Operations
   a. Maintain Customer Literature Files
   b. Maintain Book Department
   c. Stock and Face Product
   d. Assists with cleaning the Vitamin Department and store
   e. Assists with merchandising product
4. Provides Nutrition Education
   a. Offers instore nutrition and recipe demonstration classes
   b. Offers outreach nutrition classes
   c. Provides regular trainings to Crew
   d. Maintains the Crew Wellness Board
   e. Motivates and provides encouragement for Crew to participate in Employee Nutrition
   Challenges
   i. Respond to questions and review summaries
5. Provides private individual one-on-one health coaching sessions
6. Works to build community relationships (practitioner partners for referrals, Guest presenters,
   event partners, etc.)
7. Seeks outreach opportunities (to provide nutrition education and build brand awareness)
8. Maintains Continued Education requirements
   a. Reads and reviews research
   b. Completes CE assignments
9. Assists management with coordinating, organizing, and executing companywide events
10. Responsible for printing materials used in classes, outreach, and coaching sessions
11. Responsible for placing orders for nutrition education supplies
12. Provides training to Crew on promoting the NHC services, instore events, and promotions
13. Attends monthly meetings (NHC webinar, Regional and Sales Building calls)
14. Acts as an event ambassador for instore guest presenter classes during floor days
    Although this is a general outline of job responsibilities all employees are expected to be “hands on”
    and do whatever it takes to get the job done and make the company thrive.

Qualifications

Recipe for Success:

1. A degree/certification in nutrition or a related field (e.g., dietetics, Bachelor of Science or Master of
   Biology, Biochemistry, Naturopathy)
2. Microsoft Office skills (i.e., Excel, Outlook, etc.)
3. Excellent public speaking skills
4. Confidence in front of an audience providing cooking demonstrations and nutrition education
   classes
5. Ability to engage customers and start conversations to promote events, services, and sales
6. Excellent interpersonal skills
7. Excellent organizational skills and priority management
8. Self-directed and able to maximize time management
9. Able to work well with a team and accept constructive feedback
10. Motivated to grow and develop knowledge and skills
11. Inspired to provide nutrition education to employee Crew, customer’s and the community
12. Comfortable working in a retail setting performing retail operations (stocking, facing, checking
    product expiration dates, cleaning, etc.)
13. Friendly, outgoing, and approachable

Maintaining Nutrition Knowledge

1. If the degree and/or certification requires continuing education to maintain, then those requirements must
   be fulfilled.
2. If the degree and/or certification do not require CEC, maintaining 16 Continuing Education (CE) Hours (or
   two CE units) per year is required.
   This job description is not an employment contract. It does not guarantee a job or that the above
   listed duties are the limit of responsibilities. The job and job description are subject to change with
   and without notice. Employees are required to accomplish any and all tasks assigned to him/her by
   their Manager and/or other Store Support Center manager that might not be listed in this job
   description

This job description is not an employment contract. It does not guarantee a job or that the above
listed duties are the limit of responsibilities. The job and job description are subject to change with
and without notice. Employees are required to accomplish any and all tasks assigned to them by
their Manager and/or other Store Support Center manager that might not be listed in this job
description.

Here’s an overview of the benefits we offer our good4u Crew to help ensure the health and wellbeing of you and your family, now and well into the future:

All Crew Members

• Birthday Bonus Pay
• Vitamin Bucks (up to $2,080 earned as store credit annually)
• Holiday Pay for 5 Holidays – Stores Closed
• Paid Time Off (sick days and vacation) that Increases with Tenure
• Paid Nutrition Education
• good4u Crew Member Discount
• {N}power Program (customer appreciation and rewards program)
• Regular, Scheduled Pay Increases
• Advancement Opportunities and Career Development
• Health and Wellness Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee Referral Program

Full-Time Crew Members (30+ hours/week)

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Medical Leave (through company paid short-term disability insurance)
• Company Paid Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits Including Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance, Term Life Insurance
• Retirement Savings Plan (401k) with discretionary Company Match
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with Company Match

Diversity Statement

At the heart of Natural Grocers' commitment to our community and crew is this belief: All people should be empowered to experience health and wellbeing! We cannot be true to this conviction without honoring diversity and cultivating inclusion throughout every aspect of our organization.

At Natural Grocers, we honor our differences, embrace diversity, and cultivate inclusion because both individual and societal health are rooted in these principles. Our Crew is diverse not only in gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, abilities, and age but also in cultural backgrounds, thoughts, and ideas. Celebrating our diversity refreshes, expands, and shapes our perspective, energizing our mission of equitable access to health and wellness for all. We welcome everyone who would like to join us in this mission, with gratitude for the unique life experience each person brings to the table. We’re committed to nurturing an ecosystem of diversity and inclusion in which our Crew can continue to thrive.

Physical Capabilities and Environmental Demands:

N = Never

O = Occasional; 1-33% of time

F = Frequent; 34-66% of time

C = Constant; 67-100% of time

Physical Requirements:

• Must have the ability to constantly lift or carry up to 10 lbs., frequently lift or carry 11-20 lbs., and occasionally lift or carry 21-50 lbs. Must also have the ability to occasionally lift or carry 51-100 lbs. with a team lift.
• Must have the ability to frequently push or pull up to 15 lbs. and occasionally push or pull 16-100 lbs.
• Must be able to occasionally use the computer for data entry and use of mouse.
• Must be able to constantly walk, stand, use fine motor manipulations, grip, bend, twist, turn, and reach outward for the duration of the work shift.
• Must be able to frequently to reach above chest.
• Must be able to occasionally sit, squat, kneel, and climb as needed.

Environmental Requirements:

• Must be able to frequently work with sharp tools and equipment, dust, fumes, and congested worksite.
• Must be able to occasionally work with noise, cold, heat, wet, humid, outside, heights, and contact stress.