Deli, Dairy & Specialty Foods Lead (Toronto & Mississauga)

Job summary

The lead will manage the day-to-day operations of the deli, dairy, and specialty foods department, including sales, merchandising, and inventory control. They are also responsible for scheduling, training, and supervising staff to ensure high standards of service and food safety.

Job details

Love good food? Run the counter you'd want to shop at. Meaty Eats is a specialty food retailer with two GTA locations, known for fresh organic meats, charcuterie, cheese, and prepared foods made in-house. We are not a big-box chain — we are a neighbourhood shop where regulars know our staff by name, and where the person behind the counter genuinely knows the difference between a Prosciutto di Parma and a San Daniele. We're looking for a Deli, Dairy & Specialty Foods Lead to take full ownership of one of our most important departments. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who wants their name on the section: what goes in the case, how it's merchandised, how the team is trained, and how the numbers land at the end of the week. Why You'll Want This Job Real ownership, not just a title. You set the order guides, par levels, schedules, and merchandising for your department — and you'll have the authority to make day-to-day calls without waiting on head office. Product you can be proud of. Curated cheese, charcuterie, deli, dairy, and specialty grocery — plus in-house prepared foods and fresh organic meats from our own butchery and kitchen. A short commute, not a downtown slog. Both shops are transit-friendly — steps from Line 2 in Bloor West Village, right on the 23 Lakeshore in Port Credit. Work close to home instead of burning two hours a day on the highway. Room to grow. We're a growing specialty food business with retail and production sides. Leads here get exposure to purchasing, food safety, and merchandising — and the next step up is a real one. Staff perks. Employee discount on everything we sell, a team that eats well together, and a workplace where food knowledge is genuinely valued. What You'll Own The department. Day-to-day operation and performance of deli, dairy, cheese, charcuterie, and specialty grocery — sales, service, presentation, and standards. The buy. Ordering and product flow end to end: order guides, par levels, seasonal plans, receiving, rotation, and shrink — managed to agreed cost, margin, and waste targets. The team. Scheduling to labour targets, onboarding, training, coaching, and day-to-day supervision of your staff. The case. Counter and display execution, seasonal merchandising, product launches, sampling, and promotional features. The standards. Food safety, handling, labelling, dating, cleanliness, and health and safety compliance within the department. The customer. Resolving questions and concerns at the counter, and making the recommendation that turns a first-time shopper into a regular. What You Bring Supervisory or department leadership experience in a fast-paced retail food environment — a premium food shop, deli, butcher shop, cheese shop, or specialty grocer is ideal Strong working knowledge of deli, dairy, cheese, charcuterie, and specialty grocery: handling, rotation, merchandising, and service standards Hands-on experience building schedules to labour targets and managing ordering, par levels, and vendor order guides The ability to lead, train, and motivate a team when the counter is three deep on a Saturday Comfort with POS and inventory systems, and solid general computer skills Organized, dependable, and detail-oriented, with sound judgment on day-to-day operational and customer issues A genuine commitment to food safety, quality, and cleanliness A willingness to learn, develop, and take on more over time Second-language skills (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Cantonese, Mandarin) are an asset given the neighbourhoods we serve, but are not required. How to Apply Send us your résumé and a short note telling us about the best thing you've ever sold across a counter. No cover letter formalities required — we'd rather hear how you think about food and about running a team. Meaty Eats is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and provide accommodation throughout the recruitment process on request under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Please let us know if you require accommodation at any stage. A note on our emails: most of our communication is sent by email through BambooHR, our HR platform. These messages are sometimes filed as spam by email providers. If you don't hear from us, please check your spam folder — and add app.bamboohr.com to your safe-sender list to make sure our messages reach you.

What you’ll do

The lead will manage the day-to-day operations of the deli, dairy, and specialty foods department, including sales, merchandising, and inventory control. They are also responsible for scheduling, training, and supervising staff to ensure high standards of service and food safety.

Requirements

Candidates must have supervisory or department leadership experience in a fast-paced retail food environment. A strong working knowledge of deli, dairy, cheese, and specialty grocery products is required, along with proficiency in inventory systems and staff management.

Benefits

• Employee discount • Professional development

Listed skills

• Customer service · Preferred
• Food safety · Preferred
• Quality Control · Preferred
• Team Leadership · Preferred
• Inventory management · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Retail management
• Inventory management
• Staff scheduling
• Food safety
• Merchandising
• Customer service
• Ordering
• Team leadership
• Product rotation
• Quality control
• POS systems
• Staff training
• Butchery knowledge
• Charcuterie knowledge
• Cheese knowledge
• Communication
• Leadership
• Detail Oriented
• Italian Language
• Coaching
• Sales
• Willingness To Learn
• Computer Literacy
• Spanish Language
• Service Standards
• Cleanliness
• Scheduling
• Purchasing
• Inventory Management System
• Food Safety And Sanitation
• Portuguese Language
• Mandarin Chinese
• Product Flow Diagram
• Cantonese Chinese
• Butchering

Job areas

• Retail
• Food & Beverage
• Management & Leadership
• Customer Service & Support
• Dairy Specialist
• Restaurant / Food Service Supervisor
• Restaurant Managers
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers