Farm Market Manager

Salary: $82,642.00 - $128,357.00 Annually
Location : Merced College, CA
Job Type: Management
Job Number:
Division: Office of Instruction Division
Opening Date: 10/20/2026
Closing Date: 11/15/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Merced College is seeking an innovative and entrepreneurial Farm Market Manager to lead the development and daily operations of the new AgTEC Innovation Center Farm Market.

This position will oversee retail operations, staffing, inventory, merchandising, budgeting, point-of-sale systems, marketing, customer engagement, and business development. The Manager will work closely with Farm Operations, AgTEC personnel, faculty, students, and industry partners to coordinate products and create a professional, financially accountable, and educational farm-to-market experience.

This is a unique opportunity to help build a new agricultural retail enterprise from the ground up while supporting student learning, strengthening community connections, and showcasing products and programs from across Merced College agriculture.

We are looking for a leader with strong retail or business management experience who is excited to grow sales, develop partnerships, create new opportunities, and help shape the long-term success of the Farm Market.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

This is an exempt classified administrator position. Under the general direction of the Dean of Agriculture and Industrial Technology, and Director of Ag Innovation, and in cooperation with the Enterprise and Academic Partnerships Division, the Farm Market Manager provides leadership, strategic direction, and daily operational oversight for the Merced College AgTEC Innovation Center Farm Market.

The Manager is responsible for developing and operating the Farm Market as a professional, customer-focused, financially accountable, and educational retail enterprise. The Farm Market will serve as the primary public outlet for agricultural commodities, food products, value-added products, merchandise, and other items produced through the Merced College Farm, AgTEC Innovation Center, instructional programs, and approved College community partnerships.

The Manager plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates retail operations; develops annual operating and revenue plans; supervises assigned employees; oversees point-of-sale and cash-handling activities; manages inventory and merchandising; coordinates product availability with farm and food-processing operations; implements marketing and business-development strategies; and ensures compliance with applicable food-safety, fiscal, licensing, and regulatory requirements.

The Manager also plans promotions, educational activities, product launches, seasonal events, and community-engagement efforts that support Farm Market sales, expand public awareness, showcase student learning, and strengthen connections between the College, agricultural industry, and community.

The Farm Market Manager is not responsible for managing agricultural production or instructional food-processing operations but works closely with faculty and employees responsible for those activities to coordinate products for retail sale.

REPORTS TO
Educational Administrator

SALARY RANGE
Management Range 12
Salary will be commensurate with education and experience
Additional compensation for doctorate

Examples of Duties
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

• Plan, organize, direct, and evaluate the daily operations of the AgTEC Innovation Center Farm Market.
• Develop and implement annual operating plans, revenue goals, customer-service standards, and performance measures for the Farm Market.
• Establish and recommend Farm Market operating hours based on customer demand, seasonal production, staffing levels, and College schedules.
• Develop, implement, and maintain written procedures for opening and closing, cash handling, inventory control, customer service, sanitation, security, and emergency response.
• Ensure the Farm Market provides a professional, welcoming, accessible, and educational retail experience for customers and visitors.
• Oversee the opening and closing of the Farm Market and ensure appropriate staffing and operational coverage during all hours of operation.
• Oversee point-of-sale systems, cash drawers, payment processing, refunds, daily reconciliations, deposits, and related fiscal controls.
• Ensure compliance with District policies and procedures related to cash handling, purchasing, accounting, deposits, inventory, and audits.
• Develop and administer the Farm Market operating budget in coordination with College leadership and appropriate departments.
• Monitor revenue, expenditures, payroll, inventory costs, gross margins, credit-card fees, shrinkage, and overall financial performance.
• Prepare and present routine financial, sales, inventory, staffing, and operational reports.
• Analyze sales trends, customer traffic, product performance, seasonal demand, and operating costs to recommend operational improvements.
• Develop strategies to increase sales, improve margins, control costs, reduce product losses, and strengthen the long-term financial sustainability of the Farm Market.
• Coordinate with Farm Operations, AgTEC personnel, faculty, instructional technicians, and other employees regarding product availability, harvest schedules, processing schedules, and product launches.
• Oversee the receipt, inspection, storage, pricing, labeling, display, rotation, and sale of agricultural, food, and merchandise products.
• Develop and maintain inventory-control systems for perishable, refrigerated, frozen, packaged, processed, seasonal, and non-food products.
• Conduct or oversee physical inventories and reconcile inventory counts with point-of-sale and financial records.
• Monitor product movement, spoilage, shrinkage, damage, donations, returns, markdowns, and unsold merchandise.
• Ensure products are properly stored, rotated, priced, labeled, displayed, and removed when damaged, expired, recalled, or otherwise unsuitable for sale.
• Recommend new products, value-added foods, College-branded merchandise, gift items, seasonal offerings, and approved third-party products.
• Coordinate the development of product pricing based on production costs, market conditions, customer demand, product quality, and desired operating margins.
• Develop merchandising plans, seasonal displays, educational exhibits, and product signage that showcase Merced College programs, students, agricultural production, and industry partnerships.
• Identify opportunities for online ordering, curbside pickup, special orders, gift baskets, subscriptions, satellite sales, wholesale accounts, and institutional sales.
• Select, train, assign, supervise, evaluate, and provide direction to assigned classified professionals, temporary employees, student employees, interns, and volunteers; may assign student workers to other employees for direct oversight/internship opportunities.
• Develop employee schedules and staffing plans that provide adequate coverage during regular operations, seasonal sales, product launches, and special events.
• Train employees in customer service, product knowledge, point-of-sale procedures, cash handling, inventory control, merchandising, food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety.
• Review employee attendance, time records, work assignments, performance, and compliance with College procedures.
• Coordinate with faculty and program personnel to provide students with applied-learning opportunities in agricultural business, retail management, marketing, food systems, entrepreneurship, and customer service.
• Develop and implement annual marketing, promotional, and customer-engagement plans for the Farm Market.
• Coordinate with Marketing and Public Relations to promote Farm Market hours, products, student achievements, seasonal availability, special sales, and community activities.
• Plan and coordinate product tastings, demonstrations, seasonal markets, plant sales, product launches, farm-to-fork activities, open houses, and other events that support the Farm Market.
• Develop relationships with agricultural producers, processors, schools, nonprofit organizations, community groups, alumni, donors, vendors, and industry partners.
• Ensure compliance with applicable requirements related to food safety, sanitation, product labeling, allergens, traceability, weights and measures, licensing, permits, accessibility, and workplace safety.
• Coordinate inspections, corrective actions, recalls, product holds, customer complaints, food-safety incidents, and emergency closures with appropriate College departments and regulatory agencies.
• Participate in College and AgTEC planning meetings and prepare correspondence, procedures, reports, presentations, schedules, and recommendations related to Farm Market operations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of retail store, farm market, and agricultural enterprise management.
• Point-of-sale systems, cash handling, deposits, reconciliations, refunds, purchasing, budgeting, and fiscal controls.
• Inventory management, product rotation, spoilage prevention, shrinkage control, pricing, merchandising, and physical inventory procedures.
• Proper handling, storage, labeling, display, and sale of fresh produce, perishable foods, refrigerated and frozen products, processed foods, and retail merchandise.
• Applicable food-safety, sanitation, allergen, product-traceability, weights-and-measures, accessibility, licensing, and workplace-safety requirements.
• Employee recruitment, training, scheduling, supervision, evaluation, performance management, and student workforce development.
• Marketing, promotional campaigns, customer engagement, community outreach, event planning, e-commerce, and alternative retail-sales methods.
• Agricultural production, food-processing systems, Central Valley agriculture, and the movement of products from production through processing and retail sale.

Ability to:

• Plan, organize, direct, and evaluate the daily operations of a public-facing agricultural retail enterprise.
• Develop and administer operating plans, budgets, revenue goals, customer-service standards, staffing plans, and performance measures.
• Analyze sales, inventory, customer traffic, product performance, operating costs, margins, and other financial and operational information.
• Oversee point-of-sale activities, cash handling, inventory controls, product pricing, merchandising, storage, labeling, rotation, and retail sales.
• Recruit, train, schedule, supervise, motivate, and evaluate classified professionals, temporary employees, student employees, interns, and volunteers.
• Develop marketing campaigns, product promotions, seasonal sales, community events, partnerships, and new revenue-generating opportunities.
• Interpret and apply District policies, regulatory requirements, food-safety standards, permits, contracts, and operating procedures.
• Communicate effectively, exercise independent judgment, resolve operational concerns, manage multiple priorities, and establish cooperative relationships with diverse students, employees, customers, vendors, industry partners, and community members.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students

Typical Qualifications
REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Education/Training/Experience

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in agricultural business, business administration, retail management, marketing, hospitality management, food systems, agricultural economics, food science, entrepreneurship, public administration, communications, or a closely related field;

AND

Professional experience in retail management, agricultural sales, farm-market operations, grocery operations, food retail, merchandising, inventory management, business operations, or a closely related field;

AND

Experience supervising employees, developing or administering budgets, managing retail operations, overseeing sales and inventory, or performing comparable leadership responsibilities.

OR