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Meat & Seafood Department Associate

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Who We Are: 

Food is the foundation of good health. Forty Acres Fresh Market (FAFM) is an independent, Black woman-owned grocery business offering high-quality, fresh food to people across Chicagoland. We are working to restore healthy food access so that people across Chicago neighborhoods can have a worthwhile grocery experience regardless of zip code.

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Forty Acres Fresh Market is preparing to open its first brick and mortar store in Chicago's Austin neighborhood in 2025 and is currently building the store opening team. 

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Who You Are:

​Do you want to be part of building a business that is a catalyst for community change? Do you believe that everyone should be able to access affordable fresh food in their neighborhood? Are you interested in rebuilding neighborhoods that have endured years of divestment? If so then this is the company for you. We are seeking an energetic, detail and results oriented Meat and Seafood Department Associate who is eager to play a part in launching a new store. This individual must be accustomed to working with food and helping customers in a fast paced retail environment.

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The Job:

Are you looking for a fun and positive experience in a locally owned fresh market? Do you have three to four days a week you would like to spend helping customers and packaging and restocking proteins in a butcher department? Forty Acres Fresh Market (FAFM) is hiring part time team members for the meat and seafood department in our Austin neighborhood grocery store.

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual with a strong work ethic and an interest in fresh meat who is dedicated to food safety and customer service. This detail oriented person will join a dynamic team to help ensure the highest standards of product quality, while providing best in class customer service. Your responsibilities would include portioning, trimming and wrapping cuts of meat upon customer request. Packaging, tagging, and displaying fresh meats according to the established training and planograms, ensuring proper food handling for safety regulations, and maintaining a clean and organized retail area. Maintaining exceptional food quality and safety will be essential to ensure proper presentation of the butcher shop.

This onsite position is an exciting opportunity within the grocery industry to learn the ins and outs of a best in class butcher shop. As a FAFM team member, the team member will exemplify Forty Acres’ Values of Quality, Sustainability, Community Engagement, and Integrity.

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Duties include but are not limited to:​

  • Follow the leadership and direction of the Meat & Seafood Department Manager and Butcher to perform assigned tasks according to Standard Operating Procedures and training.

  • Maintains a clean, eye-catching display for meat, poultry, and seafood

  • Uses heat sealer and scale for packaging proteins for restocking the upright and bunker coolers

  • Moving pre-packed proteins from the cooler and/or freezer to the retail displays according to FIFO

  • Offers friendly, knowledgeable, efficient and courteous assistance to customers by providing them with current store and product information as well as cooking tips on all cuts of meat offered

  • Maintains proper safety practices and care while using knives in the retail space as you will be asked by customers to portion steaks and roasts out of the display case

  • Checks product date codes to validate proper rotation, stocks shelves, displays and refrigerated/frozen cases

  • Checks product quality daily and reports any spoilages to manager

  • Cleans and maintains sanitation standards in all areas of the department and related equipment

  • Takes customers orders at the display case and tags and wraps them properly

  • Occasionally check out customers using POS system, according to Standard Operating Procedures. Includes cash handling and processing various payment types.

  • Adhere to all food safety regulations, as well as all local, state, and federal laws, and company guidelines.

  • Practice preventive maintenance by properly inspecting equipment and notifying the appropriate department or store manager of any items in need of repair.

  • Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.

  • Other duties related to general store operations as assigned by management

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Requirements

  • Minimum 6 months  experience working with food

  • Ability to stand for duration of shift

  • Must be capable of providing exceptional customer service

  • Basic math skills and ability to learn POS and scale systems

  • Must have a means of communication via personal email and phone

  • Must be detail oriented, self-motivated, and able to work independently or in groups

  • Available to work three to four shifts per week (20-25 hours/week) including weekends and holidays

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Preferred Qualifications 

  • At least 1 year of relevant retail experience​

  • A background in cooking, professionally or at home, would help in communicating proper cooking techniques to customers

  • Any experience working with raw meat and/or seafood is a huge plus

  • Bilingual in English and Spanish

 

Other Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities​

  • Ability to manage time effectively, and prioritize tasks

  • Must be detail oriented, self-motivated, and able to work independently or in groups.​​

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Work Environment/ Physical Demands

  • Must have the physical ability to stand for extended periods of time, bend, climb, balance, stoop to grasp objects, kneel, crouch, crawl, frequently push/pull up to 75 lbs., frequently lift and/or move loads up to 50 lbs.

  • Ability to enter the coolers and freezers thereby being subjected to and withstanding frequent temperature changes for extended periods of time.

  • Occasional high stress when dealing with systems/customers/staff.

  • Able to work a flexible schedule with various shifts, including weekends and holidays, as determined by the store/business needs and as required to ensure adequate store staffing.

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The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

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Job Type: Part-time 

This position is Chicago-based

Salary: $17.00 per hour

Benefits:​

  • Up to 40 hours paid sick time annually

  • Up to 40 hours paid vacation time annually

  • 10% in-store employee discount (excludes alcohol and Mabel's Meals)​​​

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Forty Acres Fresh Market is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

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