Smart and Final Application Online: Jobs & Career Info

Serving professional restaurant chefs as well as private households, Smart & Final employs over 6,000 workers across a regional network of roughly 250 warehouse supermarkets. The supermarket chain adds to the current workforce constantly by hiring new associates. To maintain the level of service expected by the distinct customer bases, the Western grocery retailer must hire both entry-level associates to assist shoppers and managerial employees to ensure the effectiveness of commercial operations at each store location.

Smart & Final Job Opportunities

Entry-level jobs, such as clerk, cashier, and load crew positions, involve the frequent handling of merchandise and interacting with customers. Job seekers obtain entry-level employment by both applying online and submitting resumes electronically or by filling out an application form in-store. Prospective associates generally need little-or-no prior work experience in order to merit hiring consideration for entry-level positions. Strong interpersonal skills and, for some positions, adequate physical strength typically serve as the only hiring requirements entry-level applicants must meet.

Candidates interested in management positions usually need to hold extensive related experience in order to hire and supervise workers, generate sales, and maintain store finances effectively. Like entry-level job seekers, managerial candidates apply for employment with the warehouse supermarket chain by emailing resumes to the human resources department or by visiting a store location to express interest in-person. Along with increased responsibilities, management careers typically come with lucrative salary options and comprehensive employment benefits.

Smart & Final Positions and Wages

Motivated, hardworking individuals with engaging personalities and willingness to interact with customers make ideal candidates for Smart & Final jobs. The grocery retail chain generally prefers to hire applicants at least 18 years of age. Employees may work in a variety of settings once hired. The expansive warehouse style of each supermarket location creates room for a wide range of store departments offering employment as:

Load Crew

• Load crew associates generally carry out receiving and stocking duties.
• The position entails frequent physical labor requiring employees to possess the ability to lift considerable amounts of weight on a regular basis during work shifts.
• Load crew workers receive and process merchandise as shipments come in, arrange products neatly in the stockroom, and move items from the back of the store to the sales floor.
• The entry-level job demands schedule flexibility, as load crew members sometimes work overnight to set up sales floors in the absence of customers.
• Hourly pay for load crew jobs hovers around $10.00, on average.
• Experienced and overnight load crew associates often make as much as $12.00 or $13.00 an hour.

Clerk

• Entry-level clerks fulfill an extensive range of responsibilities across the store.
• The warehouse supermarket chain hires clerks to work in dairy, deli, fresh meat, frozen foods, and produce departments.
• Job duties range from general tasks, like helping customers and displaying merchandise, to departmental responsibilities, such as preparing cuts of meat or checking produce for freshness.
• Clerks also work as cashiers when the need arises and process customer purchases and payments by operating cash registers.
• Smart & Final typically pays clerks and cashiers between $9.00 and $10.00 per hour.

Management

• Featuring career options ranging from key carrier and supervisor up to store manager, available management positions cover a broad scope of duties pertaining to every area of supermarket operations.
• Managers work to increase sales and improve the financial performance of the store, set the work schedules of hourly associates, ensure the proper pricing and presentation of goods, and handle any customer or personnel issues.
• Additional responsibilities include hiring and supervising entry-level workers, ordering new merchandise as needed, and fostering a professional and productive workplace culture.
• Pay scales start around $12.00 or $14.00 an hour for key carriers and supervisors and extend up to $75,000 in annual salary for store managers.

Tips For Applying

The large, warehouse formats of Smart and Final grocery stores require employees to walk around on foot at great lengths each day. In some cases, workers may walk as many as three or four miles during a given shift. Excellent physical stamina also comes into play for clerk duties, which involve lifting, bending, stooping, pushing, and pulling carts, dollies, and pallets of merchandise around. Candidates should do research prior to applying to ensure meeting the basic physical requirements.

Application Status

An average, entry-level employee spends between one and five days going through the hiring process. Depending on staffing needs, some prospective employees won’t hear back from managers for up to two months. Calling or visiting locations after handing in hiring forms often forces confrontations with managers and reduces overall wait times, often leading to on-the-spot interviews. Either method is suitable for following up on applications. Just be mindful of store hours to time calls and visits during appropriate times of the day.

Benefits of Working at Smart & Final

Employees working full-time at Smart & Final supermarkets enjoy comprehensive benefits packages. Employment benefits available to eligible associates include financial rewards like 401(k) retirement plans and credit union memberships. Job benefits packages generally include:

• Healthcare coverage
• Life insurance options, and
• Paid time off as well

Further Information on Smart & Final

Smart & Final operates supermarkets in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and even northern Mexico. Each store location boasts a warehouse-style layout and features restaurant-quality products that attract culinary professionals from the food service industry. With no membership fees, the warehouse supermarket chain also serves private consumers and families. The regional chain of grocery stores caters particularly to professionals and other customers planning major social events by offering everything needed for setup, entertainment, and cleanup. Supermarket locations also offer bulk quantities of name brand candy ideal for supporting the fundraising efforts of local groups and organizations.