General Manager

The Carlisle Group is pleased to be conducting a retained search for the next General Manager of Gem City Market in Dayton, OH.

The Gem City Market is a community-centered, full-service grocery cooperative with a focus on affordable conventional groceries, serving a diverse low to moderate income neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio. Gem City Market is strongly committed to uplifting the local culture by engaging with and being a pillar in the community we serve.

“Dayton is affordable, it has a long history, a rich culture, tons of enrichment opportunities, beautiful green spaces and trails, and the people are fantastic. Rated No. 2 on this list of most affordable places to live in the United States, Dayton and surrounding cities are known nationally for their affordability and high quality of life. Dayton and its surrounding communities are rich with academic institutions such as the University of Dayton, Wright State University, Sinclair Community College, School of Advertising Art and Miami of Ohio. If you’re interested in education for your kids, Beavercreek, Oakwood, Kettering, and other surrounding towns have excellent public and private school options.

There is also significant research and development happening in industrial, aeronautical and astronautical engineering here in Dayton, due in part to the the role that Wright-Patterson Air Force Base plays within the community. CBS News ranked Dayton one of the best up-and-coming towns for college grads in the United States. Forbes has referred to Dayton as the happiest place in the country to work. Dayton is home to the nation’s largest paved trail network, 3 State Designated Water Trails, along with award winning mountain biking, hiking, and events.”

The job of the General Manager is to oversee a profitable store that meets the needs of its customers and creates a welcoming environment for the community. The General Manager will ensure that the Market operates efficiently and achieves the goals developed by the board of directors including quality of product, affordability, cleanliness, and inclusion.

Reporting Relationships

The general manager reports to the board of directors, which consists of market staff and community members. The general manager has the authority to hire and direct all other staff.

Specific Responsibilities:

Operations

• Ensure an efficient, ultimately profitable co-operative business.
• Create a positive store atmosphere and lead a motivated staff team.
• Maintain knowledge of grocery retailing and industry trends, particularly cooperative markets serving urban and low to moderate income communities.
• Maintain appropriate relations with market partners, wholesale distributors, local markets, and other industry resources.
• Establish and maintain a product mix that meets shopper needs.
• Plan and execute a margin strategy designed to be price competitive and maintain adequate cash flow.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws regarding licenses, permits, health regulations, employment, etc.

Financial and Planning

• Develop and recommend to the board of directors long- and short-range plans to achieve co-op purposes.
• Direct all financial operations of the cooperative.
• Prepare operating and capital budgets for approval by the Board and be . accountable for control of resources.
• Provide regular financial reporting to the board.
• Investigate new business opportunities and make recommendations to the board.
• Participate in regional and national co-op and industry events.

Personnel

• Determine staffing structure and job descriptions.
• Hire management staff and oversee hiring and training of all market staff.
• Manage and evaluate staff; create productive, positive working relationships and store culture.
• Determine pay scale based on budget and local job market and ensure up-to-date employment policies.
• Organize staffing to promote fair distribution of work while maintaining maximum service to customers.
• Develop and maintain an employee benefit program.

Marketing

• Develop an advertising and marketing strategy to maintain a high level of public awareness of the cooperative’s products and services.
• Execute the advertising and marketing plan within budgetary guidelines.
• Communicate information about the business to co-op members, including an annual report.
• Prepare or oversee store displays, signage, and other promotions to maximize marketing impact.

Perform other duties assigned by the board of directors.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have proven successful experience with the following:

• Retail Grocery Experience: as a Store Manager or Operations Manager; familiar with how grocery stores and their various departments operate to meet goals; knows and understands key industry metrics.
• Financial Management: understands financial variables and their meaning relative to a business context and a profitable grocery store operation.
• Strategic Thinking: thinks conceptually, imaginatively, and systematically about success.
• Managing People: makes good hiring decisions; inspires, evaluates, and recognizes staff; delegates work and provides timely coaching and guidance and holds staff accountable. Brings experience with leading management level employees.
• Embraces Cooperative Structure: understands and articulates what makes a co-op different; works successfully within the cooperative business model.
• Ease with Transparency/Discretion: understands the importance of sharing information throughout the organization when needed. Accurately assesses when to keep information private.
• Problem-solving: accurately diagnoses root causes of issues and correctly identifies appropriate resolutions.
• Financial Reporting: creates and uses meaningful business and financial reports; creates and manages operating, capital, and cash budgets.
• Entrepreneurialism: appropriately assesses and judges’ risk to leverage opportunities; seeks innovation.

Additional qualifications include:

• Managing retail and administrative functions
• Collaboration and Open-mindedness
• Building and Leading Teams
• Working with a Board of Directors
• Accountability
• Service mindset
• Self-aware
• Self-motivated
• Respectful
• Values outside expertise
• Stakeholder alignment
• Visioning

Physical Demands - Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information. Environment: Work is performed primarily in a grocery store setting with extensive public contact and frequent interruptions.

Gem City Market is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. People of color, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, women, and members of other historically marginalized or hard-to-employ communities are encouraged to apply.

All applicants will be considered without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, sex, marital or parental status, disability, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis prohibited by law