Assistant General Manager

Life Alive • Cambridge, MA

20d

About The Position

Life Alive Organic Cafe is a quick-service cafe serving scratch-prepared organic food. The Assistant General Manager supports the General Manager in driving cafe success through team leadership, community building, food quality, restaurant standards, and cost management. The role partners with the General Manager on overall cafe performance across people, product, and profit, and directly supervises and develops a team of 20 or more team members.

The Assistant General Manager helps hire and onboard mission-driven employees, embody Life Alive's culture and standards, and make staffing, scheduling, and labor decisions based on business needs. The position oversees ordering, storing, preparing, and producing the menu; enforces cleaning systems; delegates tasks; and ensures the dining environment and open production lines are clean, prepared, efficient, and ready for guests. The role also executes cost-balancing strategies with the General Manager through inventory management, labor management, and food costing.

The company seeks a motivated, collaborative leader who can run shifts independently, remain calm under pressure, resolve operational and team challenges, communicate clearly, and coach and mentor others. The position requires working on your feet for nine or more hours on multiple days each week, including nights and weekends, and lifting up to 50 pounds. The schedule is flexible and may be split between working from home and in the cafes.

Requirements

• At least 2 years of Assistant General Manager experience.
• Experience working on a large team of more than 30 people.
• Experience learning a labor budget and using scheduling software.
• At least 2 years of guest service experience.
• A history of growth in a position.
• Experience in quick-service restaurant or white-tablecloth concepts.
• Ability to work on your feet for 9 or more hours on multiple days each week, including nights and weekends.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.
• Ability to plan and prioritize workload, complete tasks sometimes unsupervised, and troubleshoot problems in the moment.
• Ability to lead, build teams, and coach and mentor others.
• Motivation to learn systems and take ownership.

Responsibilities

• Support the General Manager in achieving cafe success and overall performance across people, product, and profit.
• Directly supervise and develop a team of 20 or more team members.
• Make staffing, scheduling, and labor decisions based on business needs.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, performance management, and terminations.
• Build a vibrant community and embody Life Alive's culture and standards.
• Oversee ordering, storing, preparing, and production of the scratch-made organic menu.
• Enforce cleaning systems, delegate tasks, and maintain a clean, prepared dining environment.
• Maintain the speed and integrity of open production lines.
• Work with General Managers on cost-balancing strategies, including inventory management, labor management, and food costing.
• Run shifts without supervision and use independent judgment to resolve operational and team challenges.
• Coach and mentor team members and contribute to collaborative team leadership.

Benefits

• Plentiful food discounts and yoga perks.
• Flexible work schedule, with the ability to split time working from home and in cafes.
• 401(k) and IRA; Life Alive matches 401(k) contributions at 100%, up to 3%.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Life insurance, MetLaw, TeleDoc, short-term and long-term disability, and mental health support via MyStrength.
• Parking and transportation reimbursement.
• 10 to 15 days of paid vacation, depending on tenure.
• 56 hours of paid sick leave.
• 8 hours of community service pay.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed