Prepared Foods Bakery Manager - Northampton

River Valley Co-op is a community-owned cooperative grocery store that is deeply committed to creating a just marketplace that nourishes the community. The Co-op embraces cooperative values and the broader cooperative movement, inspiring its staff to work collaboratively for a sustainable and equitable future. This mission is executed through a focus on social justice, anti-racism, and multicultural skills development across the organization. River Valley Co-op values strong partnerships with local food producers, vendors, community organizations, employees, and customers to sustainably meet community food needs while supporting mutual aspirations and economic growth within the local area. The Co-op specializes in fresh, local, organically grown, and natural foods, fostering community resilience and bolstering the local economy. The culture here promotes honesty, kindness, respect, continuous improvement, and fun in the workplace.

The Prepared Foods Bakery Manager at River Valley Co-op plays a pivotal role in this mission by leading and managing the bakery within the Prepared Foods Department. This position is exempt and reports directly to the Prepared Foods Manager, requiring open availability including evenings and weekends. The manager supervises the bakery staff and is responsible for ensuring high-quality product execution, strong financial performance, and fostering a positive and engaged team environment. The role blends hands-on production activities with full managerial responsibilities, encompassing daily operations, production planning, staff leadership, and financial management. The manager also ensures that the bakery aligns with River Valley Co-op’s standards, systems, and values. This leadership position drives product quality by overseeing the production of a variety of baked goods including cookies, scones, muffins, cakes, bars, and pies. The manager also ensures recipes, presentation standards, allergen and dietary requirements are consistently met and maintains visually attractive, fully stocked service and Grab-and-Go dessert sections.

In addition to managing product quality, the Prepared Foods Bakery Manager actively participates in purchasing and inventory processes alongside the Prepared Foods Manager and Buyer, overseeing ordering, proper storage, labeling, and First-In-First-Out inventory procedures. The manager also ensures the bakery operates in a safe, clean, organized manner that meets health and food safety regulations while maintaining efficient production workflows. Merchandising responsibilities involve creating visually appealing displays with accurate pricing and signage. The manager works in partnership with other department leaders and the Director of Food Services on bakery and broader department initiatives to enhance operational excellence.

Financial accountability is a key component of this role, requiring the manager to meet department goals for sales, margin, labor, and minimizing shrinkage. The Bakery Manager monitors production, sales, and waste data to make informed decisions that improve financial and operational outcomes. Personnel management responsibilities include hiring, training, onboarding, coaching, setting performance expectations, and maintaining a positive, inclusive team culture. The manager leads by example, providing shift leadership and ensuring clear communication across bakery, kitchen, and front-of-house teams. Collaboration with various stakeholders such as marketing and category teams supports product launches, pricing, and promotional efforts. Overall, this role requires a dynamic leader who can effectively balance production demands, team development, and cooperative values to contribute to River Valley Co-op’s mission of delivering quality prepared foods products while supporting community and employee well-being.