Lead Barista - FT

Barnes & Noble•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

As Lead Barista at a Barnes & Noble bookstore, you are an integral member of the café team and help guide the team in maintaining compelling product presentations and operating the café efficiently. You are a trusted expert and hands-on leader who creates a welcoming environment, supports baristas, addresses questions and concerns, and raises issues to leadership when appropriate. You model reliable, positive, customer-focused work and help colleagues develop their skills. You will master the operational competencies of a Barnes & Noble barista and coach others in drink making, food preparation, merchandising, customer service, register performance, deliveries, stocking, cleaning, safety, and loss prevention. You will also support the bookfloor team with presentation and maintenance standards. The role involves physical activity, including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking. You may work in other stores when able and needed to support the wider Cluster. As your experience grows, you will take on increasing responsibility for café ordering, inventory and waste logs, customer recommendations, sales initiatives, training, and food safety and sanitation. You are expected to comply with company policies and procedures and to develop your skills as part of the Barnes & Noble career path.

Requirements

Enjoy working as a barista.
Demonstrate reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
Be flexible and responsive to store needs, including filling scheduling gaps when able; stores operate early mornings through late evenings, including weekends and most holidays.
Demonstrate a positive, proactive, hardworking, and reliable approach, and lead by example.
Be supportive and considerate of colleagues and cheerful and helpful with customers.
Show aptitude and willingness to learn new skills and knowledge and apply them appropriately while guiding others.
Demonstrate curiosity, initiative, and ambition to develop a bookselling or café career.
Be able to perform physical work including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and a lot of walking.
Be willing to work in other stores when able and needed to support the wider Cluster.

Responsibilities

Guide the café team in maintaining compelling product presentations and operating the café efficiently.
Set a positive example through reliable attendance, punctuality, customer service, teamwork, and initiative.
Support baristas, address and resolve concerns, and raise issues to leadership.
Prioritize resources and barista support to keep shifts on track; fill scheduling gaps when able.
Model best practices in drink making, food preparation, and café processes, and coach baristas in effective execution.
Coach the café team in merchandising and maintaining a full, vibrant bake case and clean, well-presented displays.
Guide visual merchandising and maintenance of counter and floor retail fixtures, keeping the café neat and tidy.
Coach baristas on customer conversations, register speed, and accuracy.
Support the team in receiving and unpacking deliveries and accurately stocking products using First in First Out (FIFO) practices.
Support completion of daily and weekly café cleaning tasks.
Support the bookfloor team in maintaining presentation and maintenance standards.
Coach the team to follow loss prevention procedures, identify theft, de-escalate challenging situations, and help maintain a safe and secure bookstore.
Place food and beverage orders accurately and on time, using tools and resources to keep the café in stock.
Complete and submit accurate monthly inventory and waste logs on time.
Coach the team in making effective food and beverage recommendations to customers.
Lead and support café sales objectives, including new limited-time offers, café promotions, and Membership, and share relevant information with customers and colleagues.
Use café training tools and resources to help baristas broaden their experience.
Apply café safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines and procedures.
Comply with company policies and procedures.
Work in other stores when able and needed to support the wider Cluster.

Benefits

Employee discount
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Sick pay
Paid time off, including paid maternity and parental leave (for eligible scheduled hours)
Company-paid holidays (for eligible scheduled hours)
401(k) with company match (for eligible scheduled hours)
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits (for eligible scheduled hours)
Healthcare and dependent care spending accounts (for eligible scheduled hours)
Disability benefits (for eligible scheduled hours)
Life insurance (for eligible scheduled hours)
Transit benefits (for eligible scheduled hours)
Tuition reimbursement (for eligible scheduled hours)