Director of Fromagère - Exciting Opportunity in Midtown Sacramento!

Good Eats Grocer, Inc. is a start-up, natural and organic crossover market and café/grille, sourcing only the finest quality foods at remarkably compelling prices. Our markets are smaller, more intimate, feature locally grown organic produce, and provide an overriding emphasis on exceptional customer service, convenience, and ease of access.

While we offer a broad selection of natural, organic, and specialty foods and beverages from around the world, we specialize in creating an abundance of take-home meals and prepared dining solutions, as well as offer a Café/Grille location which has everything under one roof: our unique neighborhood market, a beautiful open kitchen café, an espresso and wine bar, an on-site caterer and bakery, a wood burning pizza kitchen, a fromagérie, a delicatessen, carry-out meal solutions, and even your own personal wine steward.With attractive compensation plans, and one of the most comprehensive and generous benefits packages in the industry, Good Eats Grocer should be your employer of choice.  With locations to be strategically located throughout the Sacramento County area, Good Eats Grocer, Inc. is poised to build an impressive network of stores. Apply for a position with us today and become part of something truly special – the best team of Chefs, Guides & Grocers, at the best business, serving the best people, in the best county in California.

We are looking for an exceptional and experienced Director of Fromagère to establish Good Eats Grocer, Inc. as the best overall cheese, charcuterie, and olive destination in the communities served by the Company. This position is headquartered in our corporate office in the heart of Midtown Sacramento, CA. Relocation compensation may be considered for this opportunity.Position Summary:The Director of Fromagère is charged with the responsibility of establishing Good Eats Grocer, Inc. as the best overall cheese, charcuterie, and olive destination in the communities served by the Company. This key in-store role is responsible for working effectively as part of the cohesive store operations team, with guidance from the GEG Leadership team, to shape and drive the Company’s exquisite selection of cow, sheep, and goat cheeses, including delectable artisanal and farmstead varieties, from the ground floor. This key in-store leadership role is also responsible for developing, implementing, and managing a comprehensive charcuterie program for the Organization. The company looks to this Director role to formulate and establish our initial retail product offering, identify and set up key vendors, assist the Chef’s d’ Equipe(s) by collaborating with and recommending the most suitable cheeses for their menu selections, and develop retail programs for point of sale and associated materials. In this role, the Director of Fromagère has daily interaction with customers and Team Members, and guides them through the pleasant predicament of choosing from a myriad of cheese offerings from around the world. Through one-on-one relationships with customers, and through the training & development of the GEG team, and by designing a robust series of classes on the Fromagèrie and Charcuterie, this key role will communicate taste descriptions, prices, and ratings of any of the hundreds of widely available cheeses.Ideal Candidate:The ideal candidate has an extraordinary knowledge of global and local cheeses, olives, charcuterie, and is passionate and enthusiastic about building the best Fromagèrie in the business. The ideal candidate possesses a true entrepreneurial spirit and is self-motivated and driven to succeed. To be successful in this role, the ideal candidate must have excellent buying connections, and must be able to source the best cheeses, meats, and olives from around the world, to keep the product pipeline full of the best, and “hard-to-getâ€� selections. They will be responsible for hiring, training, and retaining the most informed and engaging Fromagère staff, and consistently create excitement about cheese through various events, educational courses, sampling programs, and website presentations. The Director of Fromagère shall be passionate about the pairing opportunities of cheese with wine and other fine foods, and help create and promote those opportunities whenever possible. Along with all Team Members at Good Eats Grocer, enthusiasm, abundant passion, and drive are essential to the ideal candidate’s success.Primary Responsibilities:•  Develops, implements, and manages all Fromagère operations in Good Eats Kitchen and Good Eats Grocer locations •  Successfully and actively creates and sources the Good Eats Cheese, Charcuterie, and Olive Collections from among the top producers and purveyors, both locally and internationally•  Willing and able to work in a very hands-on environment, working the retail floor to assist customers with product knowledge, selection, and value recognition, and also serving as a role model and coach to less knowledgeable Team Members•  Develops successful, long-term, win-win relationships with cheese purveyors and artisan cheese makers•  Assists Chef’s d’Equipe(s) by collaborating with and recommending the most suitable cheeses, olives, and charcuterie for the menu and prepared food selections•  Interacts and communicates successfully and consistently with customers, vendors, Team Members, and Company Leadership in person, via email, and via phone•  Maintains exceptionally high safety and cleanliness standards of the Fromagère and deli areas at all times; enforces high safety and cleanliness standards by training, coaching, and developing Team Members•  Establishes, performs, and trains Team Members on effective point-of-sale procedures•  Hires, trains, develops, leads, motivates, recognizes, and schedules Fromagère managers and Team Members•  Establishes and consistently maintains the highest levels of guest service, salesmanship, and professionalism•  Coordinates with the Catering Manager, Store Manager, Director of Wine & Spirits, and Chef d’Equipe(s) in an ongoing series of cheese and cross-merchandising opportunities and events•  Develops and executes curriculum, training, and development programs for all Good Eats Grocer Team Members as part of the Good Eats University Program to build and sustain a high performing team while minimizing turnover and creating repeat business•  Manages inventory, is involved in budgeting, and setting targets for sales and margins, purchasing, and pricing to meet defined targets•  Develops and maintains a creative store layout and product merchandising, including Cheese, Olives, Charcuterie, and accessories, to support the Good Eats Grocer mission, vision, and values•  Manages and provides accurate weekly, monthly, and annual management reports•  Establishes and maintains a positive work environment, making the Cheese department a fun, thriving place to work and grow•  Authorized to make significant managerial decisions regarding the Fromagère, charcuterie, deli areas of operationsExperience Required:•  Bachelors Degree or equivalent; Culinary Arts Degree preferred•  Extensive experience (minimum 10 years) in the Cheese Industry, including but not limited to, sourcing local and international artisan cheeses•  Possesses extensive knowledge of cheese-making methods•  Substantial experience managing and directing a team consisting of different experience levels, including management, and creating and delivering robust training programs•  Minimum 10 years retail sales experience a must •  Must have strong vendor contacts and influence with industry leaders•  Minimum 5 years in a progressively responsible management role with demonstrated experience in hiring, progressive discipline, mentoring, coaching, scheduling, and employee relations•  Must have genuine enthusiasm, self-directed drive, and passion for working with the public and working with cheeses and charcuterie•  Experience in pricing, gross margin and inventory management, and labor scheduling and control, food costing, and profit margin development with proven success managing a department in a similar work environment, showing growth in both sales and profit with minimal waste•  Strong ability to conduct high-energy, entertaining, and educational cheese tastings and seminars•  Outstanding ability to pair cheese with food and wines•  Excellent oral and written communication skillsMust have excellent judgment skills and make decisions alone and as part of a team•  Must be detail oriented, organized and possess basic grocery/restaurant math skills•  Passion for natural and organic foods desired, with an interest in creating and maintaining sustainable, green practices•  Able to stand for long periods of time•  Able to communicate effectively with different personality styles•  Able to lift a minimum of 50 poundsPlease submit your resume to jenniferfarrelly@goodeatsgrocer.com , kindly stating the job title in the subject line. ABSOLUTELY NO Recruiters, Agency or 3rd Party Vendor contact, please. NO PHONE CALLS.The incumbent must be able to perform this job safely, without endangering the health or safety of him/herself or others. Management reserves the right to modify this position description at any time, according to business needs. EOE M/F/D/V