Internship 2023 Fall
Position title: Entrepreneurial Management Assistant
Start/End Date: September 1 to December 22, 2023
Hours per week: 40 to 50 hours, including some weekends.
Hourly wage: $17 to $22/hour
Worksites: 20 Maplewood Ave, Beaver Bank (Office), and 242 Beaver Bank Road, Beaver Bank (Retail Yard)
Supervisor: Robin Barrett
Primary duties
We need someone to take a lead role in the daily operation of our firewood and landscape retail yard and use that as a foundation to improve our logistic capabilities. The person hired must also be able to analyze our firewood distribution system and make detailed actionable recommendations on how we can modify our packaging and delivery systems to improve customer convenience without substantially cutting into our current cost per unit heat advantage of 25% to below 50% the alternatives of gas and furnace oil.
Daily Operations:
· Take a lead role in the day to day operation of our firewood and landscape retail yard to establish a baseline understanding of our existing logistical strengths and weaknesses.
· Manage bagged products production: develop, train and apply efficiency improvements to meet production/inventory targets including comparative costing of different approaches tested.
· Assist with managing and updating our marketing initiatives including online business profiles, including Google, Facebook and Bing Business, as well as the company website to develop a knowledge of our customers base. Assist with the hiring and training of staff to take on these responsibilities.
· Convert your experience and knowledge learned with daily operations to document them in the handbook for employees. You will be expected to use a format consistent with the Gallup Q12, questions Q1 and Q2.
Ongoing Projects (project responsibilities will be based on capabilities):
· Assist with and, based on capabilities, possibly lead production improvement projects.
· Plan, implement and manage marketing initiatives to drive sales and business growth.
· Plan, implement and manage marketing initiatives for new product releases.
· Review and analyze sales history to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
· Regularly review product lines, supply, pricing, sales, and delivery procedures to maximize efficiency and profitability.
· Enhance customer service through education initiatives and systematic feedback collection and submission.
· Implement approved strategies to reduce waste and friction in the logistics system.
· Work with your supervisor to improve our existing staffing system.
· Establish an easy-to-interact system to track and analyze sales data on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis; set an alarm system to notify necessary changes for operation, production, replenishment, and staffing.
· Mine data to collect insights and patterns to assist making decisions.
One of the following projects must be completed prior to December 1, 2023, but we feel the appropriate candidate could complete all three.
Evaluate our existing delivery fleet and recommend upgrade options for our current and projected markets:
· Work with staff to develop criteria to evaluate our current delivery fleet in the areas of 2 to 3 cord deliveries, ½ to 1 ½ cord deliveries and delivery of convenience products such as bagged/palletized firewood and landscape products.
· Do a Break Even Point (BEP) analysis of doing split loads.
· Evaluate our current delivery fleet based on the developed criteria and industry leading companies in our and related fields from a global perspective.
· Evaluate upgrade/replacement options for our delivery fleet including a ROI analysis.
· Present your findings and recommendations to company staff/owners.
· Based on staff feedback create an action plan to move forward.
· Assist with the implementation of the action plan.
Review our current logistics software/systems and analyze upgrade options:
· Review our existing logistic software/systems based on our current and projected distribution capabilities.
· Establish a working relationship with industry organizations and government programs that can provide assistance in this area. Ensure you include any support available in your presentation.
· Develop a list of key criteria with staff ranking them by level of importance.
· Use these criteria to find and evaluate improvement options.
· Present your findings and recommendations based on the key criteria.
· Assist with the implementation of the chosen solution
Project lead in researching expansion into “Bagged Products Direct Delivery”:
· Conduct a demand management analysis, including BEP analysis, strategic profit model assessment, and condo segment study using all available data including interviews with customers requesting us to expand into new markets.
· Learn the company’s system for processing orders, including transmittal, processing, picking, assembly, and delivery options including modes of failure, unintended consequences, areas of efficiency/inefficiency, etc.
· Explore and evaluate customer service strategies, such as the implementation of a subscription model.
· Present recommendations with evidence that demonstrates your understanding of their impact on staff, customers and the company’s ability to implement.
· Work with staff to implement those recommendations agreed upon.
Job Requirements/Competencies:
1. Loves working outdoors and being physically active. Able to deal with the physical nature associated with the day to day work in a large outdoor yard, including bagging product and being able to help customers carry/lift product/materials from time to time
2. A basic understanding and ability in at least 2 of the following: accounting, budgeting,
marketing/sales, product development, scheduling, logistics and customer service
3. Good judgement and adherence to safety protocols and procedures
4. Have good depth perception and situational awareness (must be able to safely load customer vehicles with our compact loader without endangering people or equipment, we will train)
5. Able to keep accurate and legible records of materials sold, deliveries, fuel usage, inventories, down time, expenses, etc.
6. Demonstrated reliability and solid work history showing ability to be productive throughout the day with minimal supervision
7. Good attention to detail, organization, and time management skills
8. Prompt and polite customer service manner with good English skills
9. To provide own steel-toed safety boots and work gloves
10. No smoking or strongly scented products allowed in our vehicles, on our work site, or in the office
Preference will be given to those who:
1. Enjoy pushing themselves physically and/or are looking for a job that provides cross training for athletic pursuits
2. Want to make a difference and are always looking for a better way to:
a. Make things better for customers
b. Use/promote local, sustainable and renewable products
c. Reducing waste, use of single use plastics, fuel and anything that improves things for the
environment and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Have a basic knowledge of firewood, mulch and/or garden/back yard products
4. Have a passion for continuous improvement
5. Have a valid driver’s licence
6. Can safely operate equipment such as a farm tractor, compact front end loader and/or forklift
7. Have current Emergency First Aid certification
8. Have additional skills that will improve the overall operation of the company
9. Are capable of helping to develop the business to the point where this position will become a full time
Please Note:
-We are a small company and have no medical or pension plan; as a forestry company, overtime is not applicable.
-While the bus comes within walking distance of our production site at 242 Beaver Bank Rd, it is a 15 to 20 minuites walk to our office at 20 Maplewood Court.
Please provide your cover letter, resume, and references to:
Barrett Enterprises Limited
Mail: 20 Maplewood Court, Beaver Bank, NS B4G 1B6
E-mail: info@barrettfirewood.ca
Fax: 902-865-7000
Phone: 902-252-3137
Applications must be received by August 11, 2023
