Mobile Market Operator

About The People’s Market

The People’s Market is a community-centered food business working to create a more equitable and sustainable local food system. We purchase fresh produce and other foods from small and regional farmers and bring them directly to families and communities throughout the Washington metropolitan area and Baltimore.

Our mobile market travels to farmers markets, festivals, community gatherings, and pop-up events, making fresh, locally grown food more accessible while creating dependable sales opportunities for regional farmers.

Position Overview

• Title: Mobile Market Operator
• Home Base: The People’s Market warehouse in Hyattsville, Maryland
• Position Type: Part-time, W-2 employee
• Hours: Approximately 20 hours per week
• Compensation: $20 per hour
• Typical Farm-Pickup Days: Wednesdays and Thursdays
• Typical Market Days: Thursdays through Saturdays
• Schedule: Various daytime, evening, and weekend hours based on farm availability and event schedules
• Vehicle: Company Sprinter van
• CDL Requirement: No CDL required
• Travel Area: Farms and event locations throughout the DMV region, including trips of up to approximately 1.5 hours each way

Position Description

The People’s Market is seeking an outgoing, dependable, and retail-ready Mobile Market Operator to operate our Sprinter van and represent our organization at farmers markets, festivals, and community pop-up events.

This is a combined driving, logistics, merchandising, and customer-service position. The employee will meet at our Hyattsville warehouse, pick up the company van, travel to farms throughout the DMV region, load fresh produce, and return products to the warehouse for proper cold storage. On market days, the employee will load the van at the warehouse, transport products to the event, create an attractive retail display, serve customers, and return the vehicle and remaining inventory after the market.

The ideal candidate is a confident and safety-conscious driver who also enjoys talking with customers and creating a welcoming shopping environment. This person should be comfortable learning about different crops, varieties, farms, growing practices, prices, and uses so they can help customers understand and select the products being offered.

This is not a driving-only position. The Mobile Market Operator must be prepared to lift and move products, maintain appropriate temperatures, set up and break down the market, merchandise the vehicle, communicate with farmers, and actively engage customers throughout each event.

Primary Responsibilities

Mobile Market Driving

• Report to The People’s Market warehouse in Hyattsville at the beginning of each assigned shift.
• Pick up and safely operate a company Sprinter van; no CDL is required.
• Drive to farms, farmers markets, festivals, community sites, and pop-up events throughout the DMV region.
• Complete trips of up to approximately 1.5 hours each way when required.
• Follow assigned routes, pickup schedules, event arrival times, and parking instructions.
• Use GPS, route-planning, fleet-management, and communication applications as required.
• Complete basic pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspections.
• Report vehicle damage, warning lights, mechanical problems, refrigeration issues, or safety concerns immediately.
• Keep the cab, cargo area, and mobile-market areas clean, sanitary, and organized.
• Follow all traffic laws, parking rules, food-safety procedures, and company vehicle policies.

Farm Pickups and Produce Transportation

• Travel to partner farms, primarily on Wednesdays and Thursdays, to collect produce and other locally made products.
• Communicate professionally and respectfully with farmers and farm staff.
• Review purchase orders and pickup instructions before arriving at each farm.
• Confirm product names, varieties, quantities, packaging, farm sources, and condition.
• Count, weigh, inspect, and document products as required.
• Safely load and organize products inside the van to prevent shifting, crushing, contamination, or damage.
• Protect refrigerated and temperature-sensitive items throughout transportation.
• Monitor and maintain appropriate product temperatures during loading, travel, unloading, and storage.
• Notify management promptly about shortages, substitutions, damaged products, delays, or discrepancies.
• Return to the Hyattsville warehouse and place collected products in the appropriate cold-storage or inventory area.
• Submit purchase orders, invoices, receipts, temperature records, and other required documentation promptly.

Market Loading and Temperature Control

• Load the Sprinter van at the Hyattsville warehouse before each market or event.
• Match loaded products against the market inventory list.
• Organize products to support safe transportation, proper refrigeration, efficient unloading, and attractive merchandising.
• Keep refrigerated products cold and monitor product temperatures throughout the shift.
• Rearrange and restock food items during the market to maintain quality, visibility, and customer appeal.
• Rotate products and remove any items that do not meet quality standards.
• Protect products from excessive heat, sunlight, rain, contamination, and damage.
• Return unsold products to the appropriate warehouse refrigeration or storage area after the event.
• Accurately report remaining inventory, damaged products, product waste, and sales-related discrepancies.

Mobile Market Setup and Merchandising

• Arrive at farmers markets, festivals, and pop-up events with enough time to complete setup before opening.
• Unload products, tables, signs, displays, tents, equipment, and other market materials.
• Arrange the Sprinter van and surrounding sales area so the market looks clean, abundant, organized, and visually appealing.
• Display clear signs showing product names, prices, farm names, and other required information.
• Make sure each item is positioned with the correct sign and price.
• Highlight seasonal items, featured farms, culturally significant crops, and special promotions.
• Maintain attractive, fully stocked displays throughout the market.
• Keep shopping, checkout, and product-display areas clean and easy to navigate.
• Break down the market efficiently and load all remaining products, displays, signs, equipment, and waste into the correct locations.
• Leave each event space clean and orderly.

Customer Service and Retail Sales

• Welcome customers warmly and create a positive, community-centered shopping experience.
• Explain available produce, prices, varieties, crop types, farm sources, growing practices, flavors, and common uses.
• Help customers understand the differences between similar products or varieties.
• Learn the weekly product offerings so accurate information can be shared confidently.
• Make approachable suggestions about selecting, storing, and preparing produce without making unsupported health claims.
• Answer questions honestly and seek assistance when information is unknown.
• Process customer purchases accurately using the designated point-of-sale system.
• Handle cash, cards, discounts, receipts, and other approved payment methods according to established procedures.
• Accurately weigh products when they are sold by weight.
• Promote featured items and encourage customers to explore unfamiliar or seasonal products.
• Respond professionally to customer questions, complaints, or pricing concerns.
• Represent The People’s Market and its farm partners with enthusiasm, professionalism, and respect.
• Protect confidential customer, farmer, sales, and operational information.

Inventory and Communication

• Complete required inventory counts before and after each market.
• Track products loaded, sold, damaged, donated, returned, or discarded.
• Communicate promptly with management regarding delays, inventory concerns, customer issues, weather, event changes, or vehicle problems.
• Maintain accurate mileage, temperature, pickup, delivery, inventory, and sales records.
• Share customer feedback and frequently asked questions with the mobile-market team.
• Report which products sold well, which products received customer interest, and which items may require different pricing or presentation.
• Participate in staff training and operational meetings as scheduled.

Physical and Working Conditions

This is an active, hands-on position. Employees must be able to:

• Sit and drive for periods of up to approximately 1.5 hours at a time.
• Enter and exit a Sprinter van repeatedly throughout the workday.
• Stand and engage with customers for extended periods.
• Bend, reach, squat, push, pull, and move throughout the shift.
• Repeatedly lift and carry boxes or crates weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Load and unload products, tables, signs, tents, and market equipment.
• Use carts, hand trucks, ramps, and other loading equipment safely.
• Work in heat, cold, rain, wind, refrigerated spaces, and changing outdoor conditions.
• Navigate farms, warehouses, loading areas, parking lots, festivals, and crowded public events.
• Maintain energy, professionalism, and customer-service standards during physically demanding shifts.

Required Qualifications

• Valid driver’s license
• Safe driving record
• Ability to safely operate a Sprinter van; no CDL required
• Willingness to complete an applicable background and driving-record check
• Comfort driving throughout the DMV region and making trips of up to approximately 1.5 hours each way
• Consistent availability for approximately 20 hours per week
• Availability for farm pickups primarily on Wednesdays and Thursdays
• Availability for markets and events primarily from Thursday through Saturday
• Flexibility to work varying daytime, evening, and weekend hours
• Retail, farmers market, food-service, sales, hospitality, or customer-service experience
• Strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Comfortable initiating conversations and engaging with a wide range of customers
• Ability to learn and accurately explain produce varieties, prices, farms, and common uses
• Ability to create organized and visually appealing retail displays
• Ability to use GPS, smartphone applications, and a point-of-sale system
• Strong punctuality, reliability, organization, and attention to detail
• Ability to work independently and solve routine problems
• Ability to perform the physical duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation
• Genuine interest in local agriculture, food access, community service, sustainable food systems, or supporting small farmers

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience driving a Sprinter van, cargo van, or similar vehicle
• Previous farmers market, produce stand, grocery, merchandising, or mobile retail experience
• Experience handling, storing, displaying, or selling fresh produce
• Knowledge of seasonal produce and common crop varieties
• Experience with temperature-controlled food transportation
• Experience with inventory counts, purchase orders, invoices, and point-of-sale systems
• Familiarity with farms, markets, and event locations throughout the DMV region
• Experience setting up vendor booths, pop-up shops, markets, or festival displays
• Conversational ability in Spanish or another language commonly spoken in the communities served is welcomed but not required

Workplace Expectations

The Mobile Market Operator is a highly visible representative of The People’s Market and our partner farms. Employees must demonstrate professionalism, patience, honesty, accountability, and excellent customer service.

Punctuality is essential because delayed farm pickups may affect product quality and delayed event arrivals may prevent the market from opening on time. Employees must communicate immediately about delays, vehicle concerns, temperature issues, missing inventory, or other problems.

The People’s Market prohibits the use or possession of drugs or alcohol while working, operating a company vehicle, or representing the organization. Employees may not report to work impaired.

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