Fresh Operations & Promotions Specialist FT

Fresh Operations & Promotions Specialist

Full-Time | Lawrence, KS (On-Site)

Help Shape the Future of Fresh at The Merc Co+op

The Merc Co+op is seeking a highly organized, proactive, and relationship-focused Fresh Operations & Promotions Specialist to support our Fresh Departments, including Produce, Bakery, Kitchen/Deli, and Meat & Seafood.

This role combines promotions, pricing, analysis, training, process improvement, and operational support. You'll work closely with department managers and store leadership to improve sales, profitability, efficiency, consistency, and the overall customer experience.

Success in this role requires someone who can work independently, build strong relationships, solve problems, and adapt quickly as priorities change. You'll regularly collaborate with managers and staff, develop and improve processes, and help move projects from idea to implementation.

The Fresh Operations & Promotions Specialist plays a key role in supporting the success of The Merc's Fresh Departments. This position helps drive promotions, pricing strategy, training, operational consistency, and process improvements that directly impact the customer experience and department performance.

If you enjoy working with people, solving problems, improving systems, and helping teams succeed, we'd love to hear from you.

• Coordinate Fresh Deals, flash sales, seasonal promotions, and other sales-driving initiatives.
• Analyze sales, margin, inventory, and pricing data to identify opportunities and challenges.
• Research new products, vendors, and category trends.
• Support merchandising plans, store resets, and promotional programs.
• Help departments balance strong customer value with profitability goals.

• Work with managers to identify opportunities, address challenges, and improve department performance.
• Partner with Fresh Managers to evaluate recipe costs, labor inputs, yields, and pricing for Merc-made products.
• Maintain product, pricing, inventory, and recipe databases.
• Monitor key initiatives and follow through to ensure projects are successfully completed.
• Spend time in departments observing processes, gathering information, and supporting implementation of improvements.
• Adapt quickly when priorities shift and respond to changing business needs.

• Create, update, and maintain SOPs, training materials, and department resources.
• Help managers implement new programs, policies, and procedures.
• Train and communicate changes effectively to staff and department leadership.
• Support consistency, accountability, and operational excellence across Fresh departments.

The most successful candidates are:

• Self-directed and productive without constant supervision.
• Comfortable balancing multiple projects and shifting priorities.
• Strong communicators who can work effectively with managers, staff, vendors, and leadership.
• Skilled at building relationships and navigating different personalities and perspectives.
• Detail-oriented and comfortable learning new systems, software, and technical processes.
• Comfortable analyzing data, margins, recipe costs, and operational information.
• Able to identify opportunities and solve problems rather than waiting for direction.
• Equally comfortable working at a computer, training employees, or spending time in the departments they support.

• Demonstrated history of dependability, reliability, integrity, accountability, and consistent follow-through on commitments.
• Strong communication, organization, and time management skills.
• Exceptional customer service and relationship-building abilities.
• Ability to prioritize, reprioritize, and follow through on commitments.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel, with the ability to learn and effectively utilize new technologies and business software.
• Working knowledge of recipe measurements, ingredient yields, food costing, or food production processes preferred.
• Ability to regularly work a full-time schedule of 35-40 hours per week,…