• Seeking an energetic Market Manager for a community food project in Melton
• Do you believe quality, affordable, culturally appropriate food is a human right?
• Have you got fantastic people skills and project management experience?
• Can you spot the difference between a squash and a zucchini?
• Are you confident operating and promoting a small business? Looking for an entrepreneurial challenge?

If the answer is YES then we’d love to have you at The Community Grocer.

ABOUT US

Our vision is for a just food system that ensures fruit and vegetables are socially and economically accessible to everyone in the community.

The Community Grocer is a not-for-profit social enterprise that runs fresh produce markets and programs to increase social, economic and physical access to fresh food. Our markets offer choice and nutrition in a dignified setting, creating inclusive and vibrant gathering spaces.

We address the physical, economic, and social barriers to fresh food access by: holding markets in targeted communities; stocking culturally appropriate produce; creating weekly gathering spaces that celebrate diversity; and ensuring affordability - with prices 35% more affordable than any other local fresh food outlets.

THE ROLE - MARKET MANAGER

An opportunity is now available for a dynamic community leader to join The Community Grocer team in the role of Market Manager for our new Melton location which will launch in February 2025 and run weekly. We are looking for someone to lead a small team and create a vibrant and engaging market at The Community Grocer Melton.

The Market Manager hours on market day will be roughly 7.30am – 2.30pm which will include running the market, reporting, and deliveries. There is an additional 3 hours self-scheduled for key administrative and partnerships work to support the delivery and growth of the market.

See the attached Position Description for our Market Manager - a 10 hour per week role.

ORGANISATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

• Reports to: CEO
• External contacts: Staff, volunteers, local organisations and key stakeholders, suppliers, customers
• Location: Melton

POSITION OBJECTIVES

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Market Manager will be responsible for the operational management, community engagement and promotion of the weekly market held in Melton.

You will be responsible for all elements of the market operations, including volunteer management, stock and cash control, set-up and pack down, sales reporting, and supplier relationships. You will also be required to promote the market and recruit extra volunteers by building and strengthening community partnerships and networks.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Stock ordering input and stock control (including quality assurance)
• Weekly market set-up and pack down
• Volunteer recruitment, rostering and management
• Customer service (including site specific retention and growth strategies)
• Engagement with customers and community to increase customer base
• Cash control and reconciliation
• Managing existing community relationships and creating new ones to increase sales
• Working to agreed budget and key performance indicators
• Completing weekly market sales logs and other tasks for site specific monitoring and evaluation
• Participate in awareness raising, community events and brand representation

SELECTION CRITERIA

Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrated experience in a social enterprise and/or in a fruit and vegetable market/retail/customer service environment.
• Experience in food security, community development, social work, nutrition or related roles.
• Strong understanding of fruit and vegetable varieties, seasonality, handling and storage.
• Proven experience recruiting, managing and supervising diverse teams, including volunteers.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver outcomes within set timeframes, with skills to plan and prioritise, work efficiently and multi-task in a fast-paced environment and to work autonomously and as part of a team.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with experience in community consultation and promotional activities with individuals, groups, organisations and businesses to build and maintain partnerships.
• Excellent numeracy and literacy skills, including written and verbal communication skills with the ability to use Microsoft Excel, Square, Slack and Notion.
• Ability to assist with manual handling tasks and commitment to occupational health and safety.
• Drivers Licence and access to a vehicle for market day.

Personal Attributes

• Warmth and energy – an ability to oversee a public space and enjoy interactions with a diverse range of individuals. It is your energy that sets the tone for the whole market!
• Flexibility - demonstrated ability to adapt and be responsive in a work environment. A willingness to take on new challenges and adjust plans to meet new priorities. You are working in the elements (open-air markets) and with perishable products – every market is different.
• Initiative - demonstrated tendency to contribute ideas and initiate new ways of working. This role is very entrepreneurial and autonomous.
• Celebrate Diversity – any given market will have upwards of 30+ nationalities represented so the ability to celebrate the unique differences in our cultural backgrounds and practice patience and understanding around any potential language barriers is essential.

REMUNERATION

The Market Manager will be a casual employee and paid $36/hour (Level 6 - General Retail Award).

Hours are set at 10 hours per week. The hours for each market include:

• Market day set up/ trading/ pack down/ deliveries (7 hours)
• Volunteer management and rostering (0.5 hours)
• Cash reconciliation and reporting (0.5 hours)
• Community and partnership development (1 hour)
• Participation in team meetings (Monday mornings, 1 hour)

Applying

At The Community Grocer, we celebrate diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We encourage applications from people of all cultural backgrounds, abilities, and identities. We are keen to hire someone with lived experience of food insecurity, and we're interested to hear from young people in particular. You don't need to meet all the listed Selection Criteria to apply. As a child-safe organisation, we prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in everything we do.

This role will commence in early February 2025. We deliver place-based activities and as such, we are keen to receive applications from people who live in Melton or the surrounding suburbs.

For further information on The Community Grocer refer to our website: www.thecommunitygrocer.com.au.

Click Apply Now and follow the prompts to submit your application.

For any questions about the role please contact Georgia on [email protected] using the subject line: Market Manager enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.