Cafe Lead Barista

Position: #971201

Program: Culinary Arts

Department: Liberation Coffee House

Reports to: Manager, Café and Catering

Shift Differential Premium: $1.75 per hour for hours worked between 6pm-6am

Schedule: Flexible Schedule

Status: 100%, Full-Time, Non-Exempt, Union

Probation: 90 days

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision; also including Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability, Employee Assistance Program, and a 403(b) Retirement Plan

Center’s Mission:

Building a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

PROGRAM SUMMARY:  The Los Angeles LGBT Center Culinary Arts Program reveals the power of food to unite our intergenerational campus while simultaneously helping members to start exciting new careers in the hospitality industry.  A certified social enterprise, our culinary training program enrolls 100 students a year and produces over 450 daily meals for Center program members. We also operate the Center’s café, Liberation Coffee House, and provide event catering services.

JOB SUMMARY: The Lead Barista has a proven ability to provide quality customer service and demonstrates knowledge of coffee products, equipment and menu. The Lead Barista works closely with the Café Manager to ensure the on-time production of beverages and menu items. This position helps to support daily production while at the same time being a professional role model to our employees. The ideal candidate possesses effective communication skills to ensure the successful daily operation of the cafe. Lead baristas are instrumental in building customer relationships and fostering a positive and friendly store environment. They also provide technical guidance to new team members and assist in the training program. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

•    Provides a warm greeting to all customers and exemplifies exceptional customer service. This includes customizing the guest experience and anticipating their needs.

•    Preparing and serving a variety of drinks such as espresso, specialty lattes, tea and smoothies.

•    Works with management to complete food inventories and ordering.

•    Keeps equipment in good condition by following proper operating instructions, cleaning procedures, and routine preventative maintenance tasks.

•    Maintain inventories by replenishing all food items and retail.

•    Maintains safe and healthy work environment by following organization standards and sanitation regulations.

•    Complies with all health and safety codes, and follows procedures to safeguard proper compliance (this includes cleaning logs, temperature logs, and corrective sanitation documentation).

•    Assist with stewarding as needed to maintain café cleanliness, including items such as floor and wall cleaning, all beverage equipment and storage/cooler cleaning.

•    Participate in staff meetings, and other meetings as needed

•    Handles point-of-sale transactions and processes in accordance with established procedures including: Operating cash registers, accepting cash and credit card payments and register cash drops.

•    Works to resolve customer feedback and communicate complaints to management.

•    As part of the Center’s social enterprise training program, works to maintain a learning environment that encourages employees to ask questions and shows respect for fellow team members.

•    Works in a café environment which requires essential job functions including: standing in a stationary position or moving through the café for the duration of your working shift, completing repetitive manual tasks such as cutting and dish washing, lifting items up to 20 pounds to a height of 4 feet, and exposure to extreme temperature variations due to hot cooking and dishwashing equipment and cold storage areas. 

•    Participates in staff meetings, and other meetings as needed.

•    Other duties as assigned.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:  

•    Knowledge of or experience working with the LGBTQ community and familiarity with issues of particular relevance to LGBTQ people.

•    A passion for the Center’s work and its mission to make the world a better place for LGBTQ people.

•    Food Handler’s Permit or be able to pass the exam within 30 days after the date of hire, required.

•    Formal coffee training, a plus.

•    Minimum of 1 year of café or kitchen supervisor experience.

•    Background working in a high-volume, fast paced institutional facility, café, restaurant or hotel a plus.

•    Must be sensitive to the issues of young gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

•    Good verbal and written communication skills.

•    Excellent time management skills and an ability to work with a sense of urgency.

•    Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people of diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expression, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, ages, English-speaking abilities, immigration status, and physical abilities in a multicultural environment.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering diversity within its staff. Applications are encouraged from all persons regardless of their race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical/physical/mental condition, pregnancy/childbirth and related medical condition, age, marital status, or veteran status.

The Center has implemented a policy requiring all staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, subject to applicable federal, state and local laws. For more information, please contact [email protected]