EDUCATION SPECIALIST - Gimme! Coffee in ITHACA, New York at Gimme Coffee, Inc.

Gimme Coffee’s mission is to cultivate economic prosperity and collectivity for our employees, partners and communities by providing stable, dignified and safe employment, engaging cooperatively, and continuously learning about and sharing passion for our craft. The Education Specialist plays a key role in communicating and delivering upon our mission everyday by providing essential retail operations support via on-bar coaching and shift coverage, and upholding prepared beverage and service standards at Gimme.

The Education Specialist supports the implementation of our Retail Coffee Education program primarily through on-bar coaching of baristas, and eventually through 1:1 trainings in Gimme’s training lab on espresso, milk and drink assembly standards to achieve Bar Certification. They uphold Gimme beverage preparation, quality control and service standards through on-floor coverage and by maintaining a presence in our cafes while coaching (~75% of their time). They are familiar with the operations of each of our cafes and are reliable support for Retail Managers to ensure the excellent function of our cafes. They contribute to the ongoing improvement of the Education department by collaborating with the Education, Coffee and Retail management teams on training materials; drafting standard operating procedures and recipes; participating in quality control processes; and managing other projects as requested by the Director of Education and Outreach.

The Education Specialist serves as a public face of Gimme! Coffee, and exemplifies Gimme Coffee’s six core values of We / Us / Our; Resource Stewardship; Safe Environment; Betterment; Ethical Operation and Shared Value. They must communicate effectively with small groups, large groups, in one-on-one settings, and with a wide variety of learning styles. They must be self-directed problem-solver and solution-oriented collaborator, and must be comfortable sharing constructive feedback in the moment to achieve our service standard. They are driven to improve their own coffee, beverage, and equipment knowledge and engage with the larger specialty coffee community, demonstrating commitment to our cooperative’s vision of elevating the standards of hospitality and manufacturing to create meaningful work and ensure that coffee systems thrive.

• This position has no supervisory responsibilities in the Education department. This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities of Retail staff, but collaborates with the Retail Manager and Store Manager to coordinate, assess, and provide oversight for quality and service standards in the daily work of our Retail program.

• Exemplifies Gimme Coffee’s mission, vision and values every day and contributes to sustaining a culture of excellence, respect, and continuous improvement.

• Demonstrates passion and enthusiasm for coffee, and ability to inspire others with the same.

• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships and occasionally represents the company in the Specialty Coffee industry.

• Proactively finds ways to improve training practices, drink quality, and coffee program.

• Assists Director of Education and Outreach in the development of the Education program including SOPs, recipe development, lesson plans and other materials.

• Supports learning objectives of our training program through on-bar coaching and completing training checklist items.

• Assists in the implementation of retail trainings as assigned. This may include trainings for new barista drink certification, trainings in the lab and on-bar, equipment trainings, brew trainings, coffee industry and value chain trainings, monthly promo labs, regular group classes, and a wide variety of other trainings as needed.

• Provides targeted on-bar feedback to baristas, providing clear and specific feedback and working with the retail management team to improve barista performance over time. When working on the floor, acts as a role model for service, drink preparation, store cleanliness and organization, store atmosphere, teamwork, and respect.

• Communicates effectively and responds rapidly. Checks email a minimum of 3x daily, posts weekly staff updates to Trello, promptly responds to email and message threads, work orders, and phone calls. Communicates frequently and proactively with Education, Retail, and Wholesale teams on new hire progress, training requests, and other needs.

• Attends weekly meetings with the Education, Coffee and Retail management teams.

• Assists in the implementation of training lab activities as assigned.

• Assists in the development of memos and other materials to be distributed to staff and clients as assigned.

• Assists in keeping the training lab clean and in excellent working order.

• Regularly covers floor shifts to ensure continued operation of Retail operations

• Supports Retail Management in the communication of QC feedback and in the troubleshooting of coffee, equipment and workflow issues.

• Provides crucial feedback to the Coffee and E&F teams.

• Contributes to the ongoing development of the Retail menu with key responsibilities in recipe evaluation and workflow improvement.

• Consistently and accurately evaluates coffee for quality in our retail cafes.

• Assists in the evaluation of our espresso quality through weekly lab sessions and on-bar tastings.

• Communicates quality issues related to prepared beverages and coffee, as well as troubleshooting techniques “in the moment”.

• Proactively learns and develops skills related to beverage preparation, specialty coffee origins, supply chain, and roasting and sourcing processes.

• Collaborates effectively with Coffee, Retail and Wholesale departments to maintain and improve the coffee program, including drink development, QC feedback, and standards development.

• Assists with wholesale training, demos, cuppings, and events as assigned by supervisor.

• Assists with public events as assigned by supervisor.

• Serves as a public face for Gimme in wholesale and public events, representing Gimme's commitment to our mission, vision, and values.

• Follows all policies and procedures set by Gimme! Coffee.

• Performs other duties as requested by supervisor. The Employer retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

• Excellent leadership and personnel management ability: ability to motivate people, instill accountability, coach for performance, resolve conflicts productively, delegate appropriately, follow through on commitments, and achieve results.

• Exceptional interpersonal, teamwork, and customer service skills: active listening, social perceptiveness, emotional intelligence, service orientation (actively looking for ways to help people), and ability to build strong relationships with employees, customers, community, suppliers, and other stakeholders.

• Effective leader; able to think strategically and work individually and within a team to help set and achieve goals of team and company.

• Clear and effective communicator; excellent oral and written communication skills

• Thorough knowledge of Gimme! Coffee mission and beverage standards

• Knowledge of cupping and brewing protocols standards as written by the SCA as well as specialty coffee origins, supply chain, and brewing

• Appreciation for coffee and ability to accurately distinguish different coffee tastes and aromas.

• Ability to hear and see close detail in order to monitor beverage quality.

• Demonstrated passion and enthusiasm for coffee, and ability to inspire others with the same

• Presents self professionally and demonstrates clear, calm, professional, and friendly communication with customers, vendors, and team members. Communicates well in small group, large group, and one-on-one settings.

• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions and request clarification.

• Punctual and reliable.

• Strong time management and prioritization skills; demonstrated ability to multi-task and work with minimal supervision.

• Ability to independently problem-solve, demonstrating sound judgment

• Ability to work individually and as part of a team.

• Ability to multitask, prioritize, adapt, and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.

• Ability to add, subtract , and count money accurately.

• Computer proficiency, including experience with web applications and online collaboration

• Demonstrated commitment to coffee learning and Specialty Coffee culture.

• 2+ years specialty barista experience required. Gimme Beverage Preparation certification preferred; must be able to rapidly pass drink certification.

• Previous experience with training strongly preferred, especially in the areas of coffee, beverage preparation, and coffee equipment.

• Previous experience with physical and sensorial coffee quality control strongly preferred; experience with administering cuppings as per SCA standards strongly preferred.

• A minimum of one year of leadership experience and/or related experience and training

• Valid Driver’s License and excellent driving record required

While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee is subject to the following requirements:

• Physical activities: climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, and repetitive motion.

• Physical requirements:

  • Medium work. Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

  • The worker is required to have visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned, operate machinery, and to make general observations of facilities or structures.

  • The worker is frequently required to taste and smell coffee for evaluation purposes.

• Working conditions: The worker is subject to occasional outside environmental conditions, noise, hazards (such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, electrical current, working in high places, and exposure to high heat), and is required to function in narrow aisles or passageways.

• Tools used: coffee brewing and grinding equipment; sinks, refrigerators, and registers; ladders and stairs; computers and office equipment.

Compensation ranges from $22 - $24 per hour. This is a full time position (35-40 hours per week) and it is hourly, non-exempt which means the Education Specialist is eligible for overtime. They are also sometimes eligible for tips: work in the lab, in meetings, or coaching is not tip-eligible, but work covering a floor shift is tip-eligible.

BENEFITS

Vacation Time: 40 hrs/yr**

Sick Time: 40 hrs/yr**

Health/Vision/Dental

Prepared Beverages: FREE

Whole Bean Coffee Allowance

Food and Merchandise Discount: 25%

Transferrable Free Drink Cards

Employee Assistance Program

Advancement Opportunities

Extensive Training Program

Community Involvement

**Accrual rate based on a 40 hour work week.

WORK LOCATION
In person