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This position has closed. Hy-Vee removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 6, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Meat Department Manager

Hy-Vee · Wausau, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 4, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you raised the sanitation standards in a department you led.

What they are checking: Whether they actually enforce cleaning and food safety rather than just posting a checklist.

How have you trained someone to become a skilled meat cutter?

What they are checking: Whether they can develop people in a skilled trade where safety with knives and saws is serious.

Tell me about a time you created a friendly, fun team without losing control of standards.

What they are checking: Whether they can lead with warmth and still hold people to the department's expectations.

Tell me about a vendor or quality problem you had to push back on.

What they are checking: Whether they protect product quality even when it means an uncomfortable conversation with a supplier.

What would you do

A case temperature is reading high when you come in. What do you do first?

What they are checking: Whether they put food safety ahead of saving product and know the steps to protect customers.

One of your cutters is fast but keeps skipping safety steps on the band saw. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they will correct a high performer on safety instead of letting speed excuse risk.

A customer complains that the steak they bought yesterday was tough. How do you respond?

What they are checking: Whether they make it right for the customer and also look for a cause in grading or cutting.

About the work

You're accountable for the meat department's profitability. Walk me through how you'd watch shrink and margin week to week.

What they are checking: Whether they know the numbers that drive a meat department, like shrink, gross margin and labor cost.

How do you decide how much fresh product to cut and put out each morning?

What they are checking: Whether they plan production from sales history and ads instead of guessing and throwing product away.

How do you build a weekly ad plan with your store director so you're stocked without being overstocked?

What they are checking: Whether they can tie ordering to promotions and talk numbers with store leadership.

How do you schedule your team when sales swing between weekdays, weekends and holidays?

What they are checking: Whether they can match labor to demand, which is a big part of a department's profit.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Hy-Vee from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Hy-Vee.

Additional Considerations (if any): - At Hy-Vee our people are our strength. We promise “a helpful smile in every aisle” and those smiles can only come from a workforce that is fully engaged and committed to supporting our customers and each other. Job Description: Job Title: Meat Department Manager Department: Meat FLSA : Exempt General Function : Sets the department standards for customer service, employee relations, cleanliness, sanitation, professional appearance and overall profitability. Coordinates the delivery of the freshest and best quality product at a competitive retail price. Core Competencies • Partnerships • Growth mindset • Results oriented • Customer focused • Professionalism Reporting Relations: Accountable and Reports to: District Store Director; Store Manager; Assistant Managers of Operations, Perishables, Health Wellness Home Positions that Report to you: Meat Department Employees Primary Duties and Responsibilities: • Maintains a positive attitude; creates an atmosphere of friendliness and fun through flexibility and teamwork. • Generates a friendly atmosphere by encouraging employees to greet and speak to customers; providing prompt, courteous, and efficient service to customers and sets a good example. • Sets the department standards for customer service, employee relations, cleanliness, sanitation, professional appearance and overall profitability. • Smiles and greets customers in a friendly manner, whether the encounter takes place in the employee’s designated department or elsewhere in the store. • Makes an effort to learn customers’ names and to address them by name whenever possible. • Assists customers by: (examples include) • escorting them to the products they’re looking for • securing products that are out of reach • loading or unloading heavy items • making note of and passing along customer suggestions or requests • performing other tasks in every way possible to enhance the shopping experience. • Answers the telephone promptly and provides friendly, helpful service to customers who call including taking product orders. • Recruits, hires, trains, supervises, disciplines, and evaluates all department employees. • Determines department goals with store director. • Determines weekly work schedule and establishes a daily work plan for the department. Inspects signage and displays for quality and quantity of merchandise and orders product for replenishment. • Communicates with employees regarding sales and ideas. • Handles and satisfies customer issues. • Figures retail pricing and ensures correct pricing. • Extends invoices, posts invoices, and oversees department bookkeeping procedures. • Analyzes weekly and monthly sales and trends and compares to actuals, prepares ad projections, and writes ads. • Conducts inventory of the department. • Plans displays, promotions, and determines pre-orders. • Ensures proper temperatures and storage procedures are maintained to guarantee freshness and control shrink of product. • Understands and troubleshoots equipment and ensures maintenance is performed. • Maintains strict adherence to department and company guidelines related to personal hygiene and dress. • Adheres to company policies and individual store guidelines. • Reports to work when scheduled and on time. Secondary Duties and Responsibilities: • Ensures pricing is competitive in the market area. • Attends meetings and seminars and participates in continuing education. • Fills displays and works in the sales area. • Unloads trucks, checks in delivered merchandise and places product in appropriate storage area. • Performs departmental duties as needed. • Assists in other areas of store as needed. • Performs other job related duties and special projects as required. Supervisory Responsibilities: • Instructs, assigns, reviews and plans work of others. • Maintains standards, coordinates activities, allocates personnel, acts on employee problems, and selects new employees. • Has the authority to approve employee discipline. • Has the authority to recommend employee transfer, discharge, and salary increases. Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Worker Characteristics: • Must have the ability to do logical or scientific thinking to solve problems with several abstract and concrete variables. • Ability to do arithmetic calculations involving fractions, decimals, and percentages. • Possess the ability to compose original correspondence; interpret written work instructions; interview job applicants; follow technical manuals and have increased contact with people. Education and Experience: High School or equivalent, Computer meat program, Hy-Vee food safety training, Dale Carnegie is encouraged. Over one year of related work experience preferred. Physical Requirements: • Must be physically able to exert up to 100 pounds of force (shared team lifting) occasionally; exert up to 50 pounds of force frequently; and exert up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. • Visual requirements include vision from less than 20 inches to more than 20 feet with or without correction, depth perception, color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors), and field of vision. • Must be able to perform the following physical activities: Climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, and repetitive motions. Working Conditions : This position is exposed daily to dirt, noise, temperature extremes, dampness, vibrations, equipment movement hazards, cleaning chemicals/solvents, and electrical shock. This is a fast paced work environment. Equipment Used to Perform Job: Power ban saw, Grinder, Tenderizer, Slicer, Bone duster (where applicable), Knives, Tumblers, Automatic patty machine (where applicable), Automatic stuffer, Wrapping system, Rotisserie, Pallet jack, box cutter, Computer, and C.A.R.S. reordering system. Financial Responsibility: Responsible for company assets including equipment and merchandise. Contacts: Has daily contact with customers, employees, suppliers/vendors, and the general public. Occasional contact with local, federal or state regulatory agencies regarding inspections. Confidentiality: Has access to confidential information including, employee compensation, monthly results, quarterly inventory reports, sales and profit sheets, and warehouse pricing. Are you ready to smile, apply today. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre employment drug screen.