ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provides enterprise leadership for the Produce and Floral business, overseeing Produce & Floral Training and Execution Specialists and Buyers while developing department managers across all company store locations.
- Analyzes market trends, category performance, and guest insights to introduce new items and drive innovation & technology enhancements within Produce and Floral.
- Establishes, executes, and continuously improves standards for team performance, guest service, food safety, and in-store merchandising.
- Directs all purchasing, product selection, promotional strategy, and advertising plans to support profitable growth and market competitiveness.
- Oversees and ensures compliance with all food safety programs, maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and regulatory adherence.
- Manages everyday and seasonal assortments across all store locations, ensuring alignment with consumer demand, seasonal availability, and brand standards.
- Leads retail pricing strategy for Produce and Floral, including competitive price indexing, promotional pricing, and value positioning by market.
- Plans and executes advertising strategies by regional market in partnership with internal teams and external partners.
- Regularly evaluates the competitive landscape through market visits and analysis.
- Partners with Store Operations leadership to drive strong store execution, effective merchandising programs, and consistent guest experiences through regular store visits.
- Builds and maintains strategic supplier relationships, creating joint business plans that support quality, innovation, and profitable sales growth.
- Establishes and maintains quality standards for Produce and Floral, addressing opportunities related to product quality, sourcing, and presentation.
- Oversees departmental profitability, ensuring results align with the Annual Operating Plan and adjusting strategies as needed to meet financial goals.
- Leads annual forecasting, budgeting, and the development, compilation, and review of the Annual Operating Plan for Produce and Floral.
- Investigates and resolves escalated concerns related to product quality, quantity, and service to protect guest trust and brand integrity.
- Develops standard operating procedures (SOPs) and identifies training needs to support consistent execution and capability development across teams.
- Maintains deep industry knowledge, including seasonality of fresh produce & floral business, through participation in Produce and Floral events, supplier engagement, and visits to core growers to strengthen sourcing and supply chain insight.
- Regular, timely attendance in compliance with the work schedule, and adequate notice to find a replacement for occasional absences.
- Other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duties 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.
- 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in a retail environment, including a minimum of 3 years leading Produce (preferred), with demonstrated success operating at the Director or Senior Director level.
- Strong knowledge of category management principles, including assortment strategy, pricing, promotion, and space optimization.
- Demonstrated understanding of market share dynamics and the ability to develop and execute strategies that positively impact competitive position and growth.
- Actively engaged in the Produce and/or Floral industry, including regular attendance at relevant industry events, conferences, and forums to stay current on trends, data, innovations, and best practices.
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, quantitative analysis, resource allocation, human resources, leadership techniques, coordination of people and resources.
- Strong executive communication skills, including clear verbal and written communication, active listening, influence through negotiation, analytical problem solving, and decisive judgment.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office; Excel, Word, Outlook, OneNote.
- Monitoring and assessing performance of self, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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.
- Spend time in stores as needed, being hands on with the Produce Departments, standing in place for long periods of time; walking in the store; bending, stooping and kneeling regularly. Remainder of time spent in an office environment.
WORK SCHEDULE
The Produce & Floral Senior Director is a full-time, salaried position. The work schedule will include days, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
- Ability to travel as needed, for competitive market analyses, industry events, store visits, conferences, and grower visits.
