Associate Creative Director (m/w/d) – Design

$73,032.66 PER YEAR   GENERAL PURPOSE: The purpose of this position is to keep Harmons’ Specialty Cheese Departments above the competition by being a strong leader and driving innovation. This person optimizes the sales of Specialty Cheese products by making them as visible, accessible, and appealing to the customers as possible, while maintaining Harmons’ vision and brand. This person contributes to the profitability of the Specialty Cheese Department by increasing the volume of products that are sold, improving the speed of inventory turnover, implementing and evaluating training programs, and provides exceptional customer service. ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: * Follows established department and store policies and procedures * Responsible for training new department managers; follow up on and assist new managers in completing S.T.A.R. Training * Ensures the quality and freshness of all products and services the Specialty Cheese Department provides * Responsible for maintaining the appropriate product assortment and inventory levels for the Specialty Cheese Departments * Confirms pricing accuracy and signage for all products, paying particular attention to ad items * Meets customer service expectations through communications, problem resolution, and follow-up * Orders product and creates production sheets to meet the needs of the Specialty Cheese Departments based on past and projected sales * Develops and implements merchandising plans for the Specialty Cheese Departments * Promotes and markets Specialty Cheese items via store displays, etc. * Continually observes Specialty Cheese Department conditions and takes action to correct areas of opportunity * Sets a professional and positive example to others * Communicates openly and frequently with Store Directors and the Director of Specialty Cheese * Ensures company standards for safety, sanitation, and productivity are maintained * Teaches, mentors, and educates associates to help them be successful members of the team * Provides honest, direct, and constant feedback to associates regarding their performance and areas of improvement. Assesses associate performance and influences promotion, discipline, etc. * Promptly addresses and resolves associates’ concerns and/or grievances * Performs quarterly inventory of all Specialty Cheese department products MARGINIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: Performs other job-related duties as assigned. NATURE OF WORK CONTACTS: * Consistent and daily interaction with associates * Consistent and daily interaction with customers * Consistent and daily interaction with venders TRAINING & 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, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.         Desired knowledge, skills, and abilities: A high school diploma or GED and some college education are preferred. Five years of kitchen experience preferred, or any combination of education, experience, and training which provides the following knowledge, skills, and abilities: * Current Food Handler Permit * Enjoyment working with and handling Specialty Cheese products * Ability to interpret policies and procedures * Be creative and have a good instinct of what is visually pleasing * Ability to conceptualize and envision products and programs for the future * Ability to advocate, analyze, and understand technology to be effective personally and have an impact on business performance * Knowledge of the retail food business, thorough knowledge of perishable department operations, merchandising skills, and must be able to make timely and effective decisions * Solid communication skills, including verbal and listening skills in order to effectively and efficiently communicate with and manage diverse groups of people * Ability to professionally and appropriately handle conflict * Ability to accept constructive review and be accountable for one’s own success as well as the success of the team * Ability to make logical, significant decisions using general, recognized analytical skills and techniques * Possess integrity, a positive attitude, be mission-driven, be self-directed with a demonstrated passion for Harmons’ mission, and committed to working collaboratively * Continuous effort to be product minded, customer minded, personnel minded, detailed, forward focused, and consistent * Ability to work weekends, evenings, and holidays PHYSICAL/SENSORY DEMANDS: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an associate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   Work is generally performed in a safe and comfortable store environment with the possibility of frequent exposure to hot, cold, slippery, dusty (due to flour), and wet conditions. While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to grasp, push, pull, carry, stoop, twist, crouch, and reach, perform tasks requiring repetitive motion and eye, hand, and foot coordination, and hear and respond to customer inquiries.  Also requires standing, climbing, walking, and bending throughout the entire workday and the ability to maneuver heavy objects weighing up to 50 pounds from location to location.

Nielen Schuman is a leading independent corporate finance advisory boutique in the Benelux. Established in 2002, our firm has extensive experience in providing corporate finance advisory and execution services to a broad range of medium to large sized business owners, corporations, institutions, management teams and investors. Our suite of services encompasses mergers & acquisitions, strategic advisory, capital raising, capital restructuring, and related advisory services. At Nielen Schuman, we offer truly independent advice, with only the interests of our clients at heart. Whether advising on the sale of a company, a capital raising, or capital restructuring alternatives, our advice is tailored to the complexity of the matter, meets the highest quality standards and comprises the latest market insights. Our unique approach has produced strong and lasting client relationships based on trust and cooperation and a deep understanding of our clients’ needs, whereby we offer innovative solutions and execution excellence in complex situations. The team at Nielen Schuman consists of high performers with a down to earth and entrepreneurial mindset. We value creative thinking and intellectual diversity and the boldness to challenge existing beliefs. We offer a broad exposure to corporate finance services and industries in a high paced international deal flow environment, working alongside talented and driven professionals with diverse backgrounds. We foster a collegial environment based on mutual respect and empowerment and nurture individual, professional and personal growth at all career stages. Through our internal coaching program, recurring internal and external trainings and a personal development budget, we encourage career development based on personal development needs. Associate Director M&A Nielen Schuman is seeking to add an Associate Director M&A to our growing team in Amsterdam. An Associate Director M&A at Nielen Schuman is an experienced professional, who is ambitious, has an entrepreneurial mindset and is intrinsically motivated by being part of and contributing to building a leading Benelux corporate finance advisory franchise. At Nielen Schuman, you will be a driving force in our deal teams. We offer you the opportunity to immediately integrate into the team and lead the day-to-day deal execution. We work in effective and highly collaborative deal teams with limited hierarchy in which you will work closely with our senior dealmakers and clients’ executives and guide and coach junior team members. You have a pivotal role in all phases of deal sourcing and transaction execution; from deal origination, valuation, structuring, due diligence coordination and negotiation to closing. As such you will have a leading role in day-to-day deal execution, structuring advice to our clients, interaction with clients and prospective buyers, contributing to tactical decisions and assisting in negotiations. You will be provided with the support to master the deal sourcing process and the opportunity to expand your network and enhance your project management and team management skills. You will be given substantial responsibility and experience a steep learning curve in your role as Associate Director M&A at Nielen Schuman. Your Responsibilities * Supporting our clients in a wide range of sell side, buy side, strategic, public-to-private, capital raising and related situations * day-to-day project coordination and interacting with counterparts at clients, potential buyers and other professional advisors * Overseeing the production of business and market analyses, including complex financial and valuation models and reports and potential bidder analyses * Managing the preparation of client presentations, teasers, information memoranda, management presentations and other process related documents * Coordinating project deliverables, the due diligence process, information requests and maintaining project timelines * Preparing for and participating in origination meetings, strategic dialogues, tactical decisions and negotiations * Mentoring associates and working collaboratively with your peers to further develop the pool of talented junior and medior team members * Building and maintaining an external network and relationships with prospective clients, market participants and professional advisors * Driving and implementing initiatives aimed at building a leading Benelux corporate finance advisory franchise What will make you successful in this role * A Master’s degree * 5-9 years of experience in corporate finance or investment banking, preferably in M&A, industry team or execution team * Native Dutch and strong command of written and verbal English * Excellent analytical, project management, team management and interpersonal skills * An entrepreneurial mindset, collaborative mentality, and drive to succeed * A strong command of valuation methodologies, accounting principles and Excel modelling What we offer our future colleagues * A non-hierarchical environment based on openness and mutual respect * A high level of responsibility within a framework of personal development and support * An entrepreneurial environment with a shared ambition to further grow the firm * The opportunity to work alongside the best professionals in a high international deal flow environment with exposure to first class debt advisory * The ability to work on a wide variety of assignments across various disciplines of our advisory service, thereby accelerating your development as senior corporate finance professional * A highly competitive salary and bonus eligibility