Job Details: Job Location: Hickory - Hickory, NC, Salary Range: $19.25 - $20.00Hourly, SUMMARY   The primary responsibilities of the Merchandiser are to process deliveries, rotate, restock, merchandise, and build displays in assigned accounts. The Merchandiser ensures products are properly presented at customer locations, maintains backroom storage standards, and supports the sales team by identifying account opportunities and maintaining strong customer relationships.  ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:   Represent the company in a professional manner and provide excellent customer service at all assigned accounts.  Restock cold boxes, displays, shelves, and other areas where products are available for sale, ensuring proper product rotation and freshness standards.  Merchandise products at customer locations based on product orders and planograms, including building displays and assisting with promotional setups.  Maintain backroom storage at customer locations in a clean and organized manner. Record stocked cases and out-of-stock products using the VIP merchandising application.  Adhere to out-of-date beer policy and product rotation standards, maintaining accurate inventory levels.  Adhere to company account and merchandising standards across all assigned locations.  Alert presales personnel and sales consultants of out-of-stock situations and relay orders to appropriate personnel when required by the customer.  Maintain a friendly, working relationship with account managers, owners, and staff. Communicate with retailer management regarding display locations, promotions, and market opportunities.  Identify account opportunities and communicate new leads to the merchandiser supervisor or sales consultant.  Monitor competitor pricing, promotions, and product activity; report competitive information to manager.  Visit each account on scheduled days to meet delivery or stock cold box requirements. Perform weekend pull-ups at specified times per company policy.  Confer with merchandising supervisor to resolve customer problems, address competitive activity, and take advantage of market opportunities.  Ensure proper stocking, restocking, and loading of assigned vehicle with product. Maintain proper appearance, care, and maintenance of vehicle and equipment.  Maintain a safe driving record and comply with company driving policy.  Adhere to company dress code and grooming standards, maintaining a professional appearance at all times.  Attend all scheduled meetings and company functions as required.  Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including State ALE/ABC regulations.  Establish and maintain relationships to foster teamwork and cooperation across the organization.  Perform other duties as assigned.  MERCHANDISER CAREER PATH   Through achievement of required experience, training, and certifications as outlined in merchandiser training, merchandisers can progress through the following career progression:    Apprentice Merchandiser   Merchandiser   Advanced Merchandiser   Senior Merchandiser   COMPETENCIES REQUIRED   Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; develops alternative solutions; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.   Technical Skills – Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; shares expertise with others.   Interpersonal – Listens to others without interrupting; remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things.   Oral Communication – Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; responds well to questions; participates actively in all company meetings.   Teamwork – Puts success of team above own interests; able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; recognizes accomplishments of other team members.   Business Acumen – Understands business implications of decisions; demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals.   Organizational Support – Follows policies and procedures; supports organization’s goals and values; benefits organization through outside activities.   Judgement – Displays willingness to make decisions; supports and explains reasoning for decisions.   Motivation – Sets and achieves challenging goals; measures self against standard of excellence.   Professionalism – Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position.   Safety and Security – Observes safety and security procedures.   Qualifications: QUALIFICATIONS   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Qualifications listed below are representative of those necessary for the Apprentice Merchandiser.   EDUCATION    Duties require the ability to read, write and understand simple instructions. Requires an understanding of basic math, accuracy in checking, sorting, counting, and other routine procedures. A high school education is not required but would provide the basic skills necessary to learn the job.     Degree: 1, Points: 15  EXPERIENCE   Up to and Including 3 Months  Degree: 1, Points: 20   MENTAL / VISUAL / AUDITORY DEMAND    Continuous mental and visual attention; usually repetitive work or diversified operations requiring constant alertness or activity.  Degree: 3, Points: 15   WORKING CONDITIONS   Somewhat undesirable working conditions. Exposed to noise, dust, heat, oil, and other elements but with none continuously present to the extent of being disagreeable.   Degree: 3, Points: 15   INITIATIVE AND INGENUITY   Requires the use of some judgement to use required job knowledge to comply with instructions and standard procedures, methods, or practices involving the making of minor decisions.  Degree: 2, Points: 28   PHYSICAL DEMAND   Considerable physical effort consisting of*  Continuously lifting or moving average-weight material, or  Continuously lifting or moving light-weight material in difficult work positions, or  Frequently lifting or moving heavy-weight material, or   Frequently lifting or moving average-weight material in difficult work positions, or  Occasionally lifting or moving heavy-weight material in difficult work positions or in each case expending equivalent effort pulling, pushing, carrying, or shoveling.   Degree: 4, Points: 40   RESPONSIBILITY FOR EQUIPMENT    Limited – has little responsibility for equipment which, under normal use and care, would not result in damages.   Degree: 2, Points: 10   RESONSIBILITY FOR MATERIAL OR PRODUCT    Works with parts/materials where inferior quality or defect would usually be detected quickly with minimal loss of material or rework time involved.   Degree: 2, Points: 10   RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY OF OTHERS   Only reasonable care to own work necessary to prevent injury to others and accidents, should they occur, would be minor in nature, such as cuts, abrasions, burns, bruises, etc.   Degree: 2, Points: 10    TOTAL POINTS: 163 GRADE: 1  CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS   Clean driving record (MVR) or within company Driving Points Policy.   PHYSICAL DEMANDS   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee must frequently lift and/or move more than 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.   The demands include considerable physical effort consisting of:   Continuously lifting or moving average-weight material, or   Continuously lifting or moving light weight material in difficult work positions, or   Frequently lifting or moving heavy weight material, or   Frequently lifting or moving average weight material in difficult work positions, or   Occasionally lifting or moving heavy weight material in difficult work positions.     Minimum Qualifications  A candidate who does not meet the following minimum qualification will not be considered for this position.  A high school education is not required but would provide the basic skills necessary to learn the job.  Up to and Including 3 Months experience in beverage or related field  Internal candidates must have a recommendation from their manager or department head.  A job description, by its nature, cannot include every aspect of the job. Because of this, any function that would reasonably fall under the responsibility of the Merchandiser is assumed and it is expected that the Merchandiser will act accordingly. The Merchandiser will be expected to perform any other task not included in this job description requested by management.