How to hire a produce department manager

How to hire a produce department manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step produce department manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a produce department manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new produce department manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your produce department manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a produce department manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A produce department manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, produce department managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of produce department managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Produce Department Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Produce Department Manager		$17-28
   Manager	Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department... Show more	$17-44
   Co-Manager	A co-manager's role is to supervise business operations and perform administrative tasks as support to a manager. One of the primary functions of a co-manager is to delegate tasks of team members and arrange schedules... Show more	$16-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Floor
   • Product Quality
   • Store Management
   • Gross Profit
   • Customer Service
   • Leadership
   • Slicers
   • Operational Processes
   • Cleanliness
   • Food Safety
   • Gross Margin
   • Disciplinary Actions
   • Product Knowledge
   • Front End

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Promote from associate to manage several departments including jewelry, housewares, automotive and electronics.
   • Ensure cleanliness of produce aisles, storage area, and work area.
   • Monitor cleanliness of the store, perform troubleshooting and attract more customers by offering more variety in the department.
   • Aggregate, analyze and organize information from QC reports into a department-wide WIKI to facilitate information sharing and best practice utilization.
   • Provide ongoing performance management training and conducts timely formal performance appraisals for direct reports.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your produce department manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A produce department manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, produce department managers' average salary in illinois is 38% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level produce department managers earn 38% less than senior-level produce department managers.
   • Certifications. A produce department manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a produce department manager's salary.

   Average produce department manager salary

   $47,643yearly

   $22.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level produce department manager salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a produce department manager job description

   A produce department manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a produce department manager job description:

   Produce department manager job description example

   About Us
   
   Join our Winning Team today and start your ownership journey!
   
   WinCo Foods is a rapidly growing family of over 135 grocery stores, complete with our own distribution centers and transportation network. We're proud to operate across 10 states west of the Rockies with more than 20,000 employee owners.
   
   At WinCo Foods we act like owners - because we are! We believe, as the Low Price Grocery Leader, that we make the lives of the communities where we operate better by giving them the best possible prices to feed their families and by focusing on the success, well-being and diversity of our employee owners.
   
   Currently, WinCo is the third largest Employee-Owned company in the United States. WinCo has more than 500 millionaire employee-owners in our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Once eligible, you can start your journey to ownership with an annual gift of stock equaling 20% of what you make each year. (ESOP available at most locations and subject to vesting)
   
   WinCo Foods offers the very best benefits in the industry, with low cost, high quality medical benefits with rates as low as $40 a month, enrollment in our ESOP after 6 months, career advancement opportunities, paid vacation and sick leave, competitive wages, tuition reimbursement, employee assistance, discount program - and even voluntary benefits like Pet Insurance!
   
   Overview
   
   Job Summary
   
   This position is responsible for directing and controlling the operation of the Produce Department by understanding related work areas, supervises department personnel, plans and orders merchandise while ensuring customer service and product quality, freshness and selection.
   
   Typical Duties and Responsibilities
   
   * Supervises employees by motivating, training, participating in the hiring of personnel, monitoring employee performance, recommending personnel action (i.e., hiring, firing, layoff and disciplinary action, scheduling personnel according to coverage needs and service level), maintaining a safe and secure work environment, etc.
   * Satisfies departmental projected sales and gross margin objectives by providing customers with fresh quality goods; creating effective promotional and seasonal displays; maintaining/organizing cooler; ensuring proper temperature levels for product are maintained; preventing shrink; damage and spoilage of product; trimming, cutting, wrapping, traying, displaying and watering produce; building produce displays; rotating stock; discarding outdated or spoiled product; ensuring proper pricing and signing of products; using related equipment such as those listed below.
   * Maintains an atmosphere of enthusiastic customer awareness with an emphasis on providing fast, friendly customer service.
   * Engages in suggestive selling and other sales techniques.
   * Performs receiving duties including: verifying orders against invoices; reporting shortages and claims to ensure proper billing; breaking down loads and dating product; cutting cases; stacking, pricing and marking merchandise; maintaining produce storage area; etc.
   * Maintains cleanliness and eye-appeal of work area, storage area, and selling floor.
   * Performs other duties as assigned or needed.
   
   Requirements
   
   Education:
   
   * High School Diploma or equivalent
   
   Experience:
   
   * As a produce clerk, Lead Clerk, MIT or equivalent to understand the Produce department procedures.
   * Providing leadership through skills in communication, interpersonal, management of people, customer relations, and employee relations, analysis, planning orders, judgment, reaction to business activity, etc.
   * Communicating (hearing & speech) with customers during the day shift.
   * Conducting visual inspection of product, display, ready written material, etc.
   * Communicating in writing to others.
   * Performing safe/quick movements and operate related equipment listed below with manual dexterity and hand/eye coordination.
   * Performing basic math (add, subtract, divide and multiple) and compute weights and measures.
   
   Ability to:
   
   * Perform supervisory skills (e.g., interviewing, scheduling, hiring, counseling, training, disciplining, etc.).
   * Understand overall company practices through previous experience in produce department or equivalent.
   * Reach, lift and maneuver objects of varying dimensions and weights up to 50 lbs. frequently.
   * Push and pull fully loaded hand trucks and pallet jacks.
   * Stand for long periods of time, walk and move rapidly, bend, twist and turn frequently.
   * Work with hands exposed to moisture, fruits and vegetables.
   * Learn taste, proper handling, preparation, seasonality, and perishability, product safety, sanitation procedures and dept. policies.
   * Perform primary duties efficiently and accurately.
   
   Additional Requirements:
   
   * Food Handlers Certification (Per State Laws)
   
   Machines and Equipment Operated:
   
   * Knives, wrappers, scales, compactors, garbage disposals, hand trucks, pallet jacks, fork lift; etc
   
   The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of work performed by the employees assigned to this job. All employees must comply with Company policies and applicable laws. The responsibilities, duties and qualifications required of personnel may vary.
   
   EEO/Inclusivity
   
   As WinCo Foods continues to grow, our diversity-from our variety of perspectives and wide range of experiences-is essential to our strategy and success. We are committed to continue to cultivate and celebrate an inclusive environment in which all employees are valued and respected regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right produce department manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with produce department managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit produce department managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your produce department manager job on Zippia to find and recruit produce department manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting produce department managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new produce department manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the produce department manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new produce department manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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