The Carlisle Group is pleased to be partnered on a retained search with East End Food Co-op (EEFC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the search for their next General Manager.
Founded in 1980, East End Food Co-op has grown into a respected community-owned grocery cooperative with more than $14 million in annual sales and over 15,500 member-owners . The Co-op's mission is rooted in building a prosperous, just, and vibrant local food economy by connecting consumers with local and organic food choices.
For more than four decades, EEFC has been an important part of Pittsburgh's East End community and the region's natural foods movement. The Co-op is now seeking a General Manager who can build upon that history while leading the organization through its next phase of sustainable growth, financial stability, operational excellence, and community impact .
This is an opportunity for an experienced grocery leader who understands that a successful cooperative must balance strong business fundamentals with a deep commitment to its members, employees, producers, and community.
East End Food Co-op is located in Point Breeze North , a residential neighborhood in Pittsburgh's East End that combines historic character, green space, local businesses, and convenient access to the broader city. The neighborhood features a diverse collection of historic homes, apartments, and architectural styles, reflecting a rich history that includes connections to Pittsburgh industrialists George Westinghouse and H.J. Heinz.
The neighborhood also places residents close to Westinghouse Park, Frick Park, Mellon Park, the Frick Pittsburgh campus, and the Pittsburgh Zoo , providing exceptional access to outdoor recreation, culture, and family activities. For someone seeking a neighborhood with urban accessibility, historic character, abundant green space, and a strong sense of community , Point Breeze North offers an appealing place to call home.
Job Purpose
The General Manager is responsible for leading East End Food Co-op so that it achieves the goals and expectations established by the Board of Directors and operates as a thriving, financially sustainable cooperative.
Reporting to the Board, the General Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership across the organization, ensuring that EEFC continues to serve its member-owners and community while maintaining strong financial performance and a competitive position in the natural foods and grocery marketplace.
The General Manager will lead an organization that values:
- Cooperative ownership and participation.
- Local and organic food systems.
- Community engagement and economic vitality.
- Financial sustainability.
- Inclusivity and respect.
- Employee development and engagement.
- Learning, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Overview of Responsibilities:
Strategic Planning & Organizational Leadership
- Develop and implement long-range strategic plans that address EEFC's ends, policies, and organizational priorities.
- Translate strategic objectives into measurable departmental goals and ensure that progress is regularly evaluated.
- Review department reports with managers and hold leadership accountable for performance.
- Provide regular written and verbal reports to the Board of Directors, including monthly Board meetings.
- Identify new business opportunities and make recommendations to the Board regarding expansion, relocation, acquisitions, and other strategic initiatives.
- Lead negotiations and planning associated with approved business opportunities.
- Plan and implement facility improvements, renovations, and updates while developing appropriate budgets and timelines.
- Continuously evaluate the organizational structure and make adjustments necessary to support long-term success.
Financial Management
- Maintain accountability for the financial performance of a cooperative with more than $14 million in annual sales.
- Work with accounting services to ensure accurate and timely financial statements.
- Coordinate development of the annual business plan, including operating, capital, and cash budgets, for Board approval.
- Monitor financial performance and identify trends, opportunities, and potential risks.
- Provide the Board with clear analysis of current financial performance and future financial plans.
- Translate financial information into meaningful business decisions and communicate financial concepts effectively to Board members, managers, and other audiences.
- Ensure that EEFC maintains the financial stability necessary to fulfill its mission and invest in its future.
Operations
- Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, permits, licenses, and other requirements.
- Work with department managers to ensure EEFC policies and practices are consistently implemented.
- Oversee major repair, renovation, maintenance, and potential expansion projects.
- Manage relationships with landlords, contractors, vendors, and other operational partners as appropriate.
- Evaluate the Co-op's operational structure and implement improvements that enhance efficiency and customer service.
- Ensure high standards of cleanliness, safety, and store presentation.
- Conduct regular all-staff meetings and communicate important organizational, operational, and financial information.
- Maintain a culture of prompt, friendly, knowledgeable, and service-oriented customer interaction.
Marketing & Member Services
- Work with the Board and staff to coordinate Co-op-sponsored community events and activities.
- Represent the Co-op at owner meetings and communicate effectively with member-owners through available forums.
- Support programs designed to increase owner participation, engagement, and understanding of the cooperative.
- Help ensure that marketing and merchandising strategies reflect EEFC's natural foods identity while remaining competitive in the broader grocery marketplace.
- Strengthen the Co-op's visibility and reputation throughout the Pittsburgh community.
Human Resources & Employee Leadership
- Lead negotiations related to the Co-op's union contract.
- Hire and develop administrative and operational leadership staff.
- Ensure appropriate delegation of responsibilities throughout the organization.
- Evaluate management staff against clearly defined job descriptions and performance expectations.
- Foster a collegial, supportive, inclusive, and accountable workplace.
- Motivate, support, and develop a highly engaged unionized workforce.
- Promote open communication, collaboration, and continuous learning among employees.
- Build a culture in which employees understand the Co-op's mission and their role in achieving organizational goals.
The General Manager reports directly to the Board of Directors , which is responsible for providing governance, establishing organizational policies, and holding the General Manager accountable for results.
The General Manager will lead a management team that includes, but is not limited to, administrative managers, operations managers, facilities personnel, and administrative staff .
The successful candidate will understand the distinction between governance and management and will build a productive relationship with the Board based upon trust, transparency, accountability, communication, and mutual respect .
Qualifications
The Board of Directors is seeking a collaborative, financially astute, and experienced grocery leader with the following competencies, skills, and attributes:
Grocery Retail Leadership
- Minimum of five years of retail food store management experience preferred.
- Strong understanding of grocery store operations and the key metrics that drive sales, margin, labor, customer service, and profitability.
- Demonstrated bottom-line accountability for a business with annual sales exceeding $10 million.
- Understanding of natural foods grocery and café operations.
- Knowledge of natural foods industry values, trends, and evolving consumer expectations.
- Experience with marketing and merchandising in a competitive grocery environment.
- Ability to maintain organizational competitiveness in a crowded and continually changing marketplace.
Financial Management
- Strong financial acumen and ability to interpret financial statements.
- Experience constructing and managing operating, capital, and cash budgets.
- Demonstrated ability to use financial information to identify trends, solve problems, and improve organizational performance.
- Experience maintaining financial stability while investing strategically in growth and organizational improvement.
People & Leadership
- Demonstrated ability to foster a collegial, supportive, inclusive, and accountable work environment.
- Experience hiring, training, evaluating, developing, compensating, and terminating employees.
- Ability to motivate and develop a highly engaged workforce.
- Experience managing within a unionized environment is strongly desired.
- Ability to listen carefully and give and receive constructive feedback.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to engage effectively with a diverse population in an urban environment.
Cooperative Leadership
- Personal and professional values aligned with cooperative principles.
- Genuine understanding of the cooperative business model and its unique governance and ownership structure.
- Experience working effectively with a Board of Directors.
- Substantive experience working within a Policy Governance system is highly desirable.
Strategic & Operational Thinking
- Proven success developing strategic plans and translating them into actionable operating plans.
- Ability to establish measurable objectives and ensure accountability for results.
- Demonstrated organizational ability overseeing complex administrative systems.
- Experience managing renovations, facility improvements, or other major capital projects is desirable.
- Ability to investigate new opportunities and thoughtfully assess potential risks and rewards.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Ability to balance competing demands while maintaining focus on long-term organizational priorities.
Communication
- Ability to communicate financial and operational information to the Board, employees, and member-owners.
- Proven ability to meet management reporting requirements.
- Ability to represent the Co-op professionally with vendors, community partners, industry organizations, and other stakeholders.