Job Description

Position:

Store Manager - Local Store (maternity leave, excluded)

Deadline to apply:

November 30, 2025

Compensation:

$24 -- 26/hour depending on experience

Scope:

30 -- 35 hours / week

Number of positions:

One

Start Date:

ASAP

Location:

Fernie, BC

Term:

Nine (9) months with possibility of extension into other positions in the store or elsewhere within the organization

Job Summary

The Local Store Manager is responsible for overseeing and maintaining the daily operations of the Local store, and reports to the Wildsight Elk Valley Board of Directors. The Store Manager manages Local's team of staff and volunteers, and is responsible for developing and maintaining positive relationships with Local vendors. The Store Manager works closely with Local staff to coordinate merchandising, marketing and communications, and is constantly seeking ways to improve the success and profitability of Local. They are solely responsible for invoicing, calculating vendor payouts, reporting, and communicating with the Wildsight Elk Valley Board, Treasurer, and bookkeeper.

About Local

Located in Downtown Fernie, Local is a retail food store and social enterprise operated by the Wildsight Elk Valley non-profit, with a focus on local, sustainable food products. We support farmers and producers from the Elk Valley, Southern Alberta, and the BC interior to get their product to market. By providing shelf-space for local food products, we aim to strengthen our local food system and inspire sustainable and resilient food practices.

Work Schedule

The Store Manager sets their own schedule, with most hours worked being during store open hours The Store Manager ensures the store is always staffed during scheduled open hours and may adjust their own schedule to accommodate other staff availability

Time Off

The Store Manager will not have any scheduled vacation time during the nine-month term Vacation will be paid out regularly at 4% of each pay period, in liu of vacation time The position is entitled to the BC minimum five paid sick days

Important Considerations:

Applicants must live in or within commuting distance to Fernie, BC to be considered for this position Applicants must be available to work five days per week through December except statutory holidays This is a management position which is excluded from parts 4 and 5 of the BC Employment Standards Act - therefore this position is not entitled to overtime pay or statutory holiday pay

Key Attributes

A proactive and self-motivated individual who takes initiative, anticipates needs, and follows through reliably Able to prioritize tasks, manage competing deadlines, and keep store operations running smoothly Comfortable working independently and making informed decisions quickly and effectively A strong leader who provides clear guidance, sets expectations, and empowers staff and volunteers Comfortable addressing performance issues in a respectful, constructive way Competent with analyzing financial statements and reports, providing recommendations, and making decisions to support both business growth and risk management Friendly, community-oriented, and service-focused individual who enjoys building relationships with customers, vendors, staff, and community partners Represents Local with professionalism and enthusiasm Collaborative and communicative, committed to maintaining open lines of communication with the Board of Directors, bookkeeper, vendors, and staff Shares updates and issues proactively and seeks support where appropriate Comfortable working with systems, checklists, and procedures, and committed to keeping processes organized and up to date Combination of education and/or experience in retail management, business communication, marketing, and/or merchandising is an asset

Key Responsibilities

COORDINATION

Oversee store operations

- including cleaning, temperature checks, store operation

Teamwork

- collaborate with and support the Retail Coordinator(s) in their role to ensure smooth operations and store growth

Customer service

- promote a culture of high quality customer service and oversee and remedy customer complaints / issues.

Stock store

- ensure Local is well-stocked with a variety of local products, recommend new products, take regular inventory of all products to ensure accuracy, place wholesale and consignment orders, process new inventory

Systems

- develop and update systems and procedures, including Health and Safety plans; develop and update an operations manual to have a record of how the store is run

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Hiring Local Staff

- lead the recruitment and hiring of Local staff with the support of Board delegates

Manage Local Staff

- manage and supervise the Local Retail Coordinator(s) and any future Local staff

Local Staff Performance Reviews

- complete biannual performance reviews for Local staff with support from the Wildsight Elk Valley Branch HR Committee

STAFF SUPPORT

Support Staff

-be prepared to support staff to complete work as required and cover shifts for illness or other staff shortages

Store Knowledge

-aim to understand all aspects of Retail Coordinator(s) job and be able to cover as needed

VENDOR SUPPORT

Vendor relationships

- support vendors in selling at Local. Develop and maintain positive working vendor relationships. Track vendors' concerns and comments to identify ways to improve working relationships. Field inquiries from and look for new prospective vendors.

Local Line support

- train and support vendors on Local Line, the store's online shopping platform

VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

Oversee volunteer coordination

- support volunteer recruitment, orientation, ongoing training and scheduling; troubleshoot any issues that arise from the work of volunteers; help develop materials for volunteer training; promote volunteer opportunities at Local

Train volunteers

- assist in training and supporting volunteers to create a culture of advancement and skill development

REPORTING

Vendor payouts

- calculate monthly payouts for vendors and communicate to bookkeeper

Bookkeeping

- monitor cash flow and bookkeeping, including spoiled or lost products; work closely with Wildsight Elk Valley Bookkeeper and Treasurer on financials, including month-end bookkeeping, submitting invoices, and tracking expenditures

Reports

- complete monthly Wildsight Elk Valley Branch reports, daily cashouts and store updates, and develop Annual Impact Report in collaboration with the the Board

Product profitability

- track profitability of products and income

Track stats

- update KPI tracking including sales, volunteer stats, and distance of vendors, and donations

COMMUNICATION

Engage Board of Directors

- chair biweekly meetings with Board delegates for planning, direction, reporting and seeking feedback

Basecamp

- utilize Basecamp project management software to communicate with the Board, delegates and volunteers; track work completed at Local via the platform

CiviCRM

- utilize CiviCRM platform to send communications; keep contacts and groups (i.e. Newsletter, Active Volunteers) up-to-date

Newsletter

- develop and distribute monthly Local newsletter, including new vendors, updates, and events; attract new subscribers

MARKETING

Social Media

- work with Retail Coordinators to create timely and engaging social media content and engage with the community online

Presale

- develop and implement presale campaigns for novel or seasonal items

Email Marketing

- develop content for store email marketing

Website

- ensure online content is accurate and up to date

Public relations

- respond to requests for public relations and other information

How to Apply

Send your resume and cover letter to the Wildsight Elk Valley HR Committee, .

Wildsight is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our hiring processes and work environment. We encourage women, People of Colour, people of Indigenous ancestry and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals to apply for this position.

The deadline to apply is November 30, 2025. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Organizational Background

Wildsight Elk Valley is a branch of Wildsight, a BC registered non-profit organization, governed by an engaged Board of Directors and supported by active members and volunteers. Wildsight's work aims to promote environmental stewardship and conservation in our community.

The Elk Valley Branch prioritizes support for locally-produced food and food-growing space. Our passionate volunteers established and continue to manage the Community EcoGarden, the Cold Climate Seed Library, Keeping Food Real cold-climate gardening course, Elk Valley ToolShare, and the Local Store. We work together with Wildsight Regional and the five other Wildsight Branches.

Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 9 months

Pay: $24.00-$26.00 per hour

Expected hours: 30 - 35 per week

Benefits:

Casual dress
Education:

Bachelor's Degree (preferred)
Experience:

Retail management: 2 years (preferred) Retail sales: 3 years (preferred) Food handling: 1 year (preferred) Marketing: 1 year (preferred) Communication skills: 1 year (preferred)
Location:

Fernie, BC (required)
Work Location: In person