Senior Bakery Operations & Product Specialist

Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) is hiring a Senior Bakery Operations & Product Specialist on a permanent basis on our Food team.
This position is a hybrid opportunity and is based out of our Home Office in Saskatoon, SK.

Do you enjoy dynamic retail operations, collaborating with cross-functional teams and providing bakery technical support and expertise to local co-ops and zone teams, as well as developing innovative products and programs that support our strategic initiatives to enhance the customer experience and collectively grow the business? If this sounds like you, apply today!

What you'll do:

• Work and collaborate with Sr.
  Manager, Bakery & Deli Operations to develop and execute plans that support the goal of retail operational excellence.
• Develop, maintain, and update all training programs and materials, program recipes and SOPs, procedure manuals, and all support resources to assist retail store employees improve skill level and operational effectiveness.
• Propose new differentiation and consumer-relevant products and programs that will enhance retail performance and profitability.
• Work in collaboration with the Category Management team to provide input on branded and private label products, assortment, and SKU rationalization needed for category growth and improved retail profitability.
• Manage and maintain commodity departments packaging including vendor relationships, sourcing, pricing, and listing.
• Assist and support Operations Advisors (OAs) in executing merchandising standards, improving sales, margin enhancement, and marketing programs.
• Conduct, participate and attend all Commodity, Marketing, and Operations meetings including all Zone and FCL commodity conference calls.
• Work with the Manager, Food Safety to ensure all Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulations are enforced, specifically labelling, Nutritional Facts table (NFT), and ingredient declarations are kept current in the CRS Commodity Departments.
• Prepare and communicate merchandising notes to the Local Cooperative commodity departments for upcoming promotions while providing merchandising assistance to the category team.
• In collaboration with the Operations Manager, assist with project planning in CRS food stores where new or renovated projects are identified and follow through to project completion.
• Manage and maintain commodity departments smallwares and equipment including vendor relationships, sourcing, pricing.

Who you'll work with:

The Team:
You will work closely with Zone Operations Advisors, Managers and the Category Management team and report into the Senior Manager, Bakery & Deli Operations.
This team strives to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, innovation, and excellence!

Why it matters:

We help local Co-ops serve their communities by providing support and leadership to food, pharmacy, liquor and convenience stores, and by delivering quality products and exemplary customer service.

Who you are:

You are looking for a career in Sales & Marketing and:

• Have 6-9 years of relevant progressively responsible leadership experience in the retail/wholesale food industry, including experience in Bakery operations.
• Have a bachelor's degree in business or marketing (a combination of relevant education and experience may be considered).
• Are familiar with Microsoft Office Programs and experience with Genesis Software is an asset.
• Have experience in OneScreen/Toolbox, Category Analyzer, Microsoft Project, and FIM (Fresh Item Management) software is an asset.
• Have Journeyman Baker Certification or comparable Bakery production experience is an asset.

What we offer:

• Competitive salaries, short-term incentives, a comprehensive benefits package, and an employer-contributed pension plan.
• Encouragement to take advantage of learning opportunities to grow and develop as a Team Member.
• As a co-operative, we do business differently.
  We believe in working together to serve Western Canadians, delivering profits back to our communities and investing in sustainable growth.
  To learn more about who we are and what we offer, visit fcl.crs.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process to ensure an enjoyable candidate experience.
If you require an accommodation during the recruitment process, we invite you to submit your requests to us via fclhr@fcl.crs.
All information received will be kept confidential.

If this opportunity speaks to you, we invite you to apply by January 24, 2025.

We thank all candidates for their interest, however only those selected to continue in the recruitment process will be contacted.

As this position is considered a position of trust, you may be required to complete a criminal record check in accordance with FCL policies.

FCL embraces diversity and inclusion.
We're working to create a workforce that is as diverse as the communities we serve and an environment where every team member brings their whole self to work.
We believe all candidates should feel at home with us and be given the opportunity to fully participate during the recruitment process.