Senior Barista

Barnes & Noble•Sterling, VA

25d

About The Position

A Senior Barista is an integral member of the Barnes & Noble Café team, creating a welcoming and hospitable place for customers to enjoy curated food and beverage offerings. The role requires mastery of barista skills and operational competencies, strong customer service, and helping newer Baristas learn to provide a knowledgeable and enjoyable customer experience. Senior Baristas are expected to model positive, supportive, reliable, flexible, and curious workplace behaviors; develop their café knowledge and skills; and contribute increasingly to the bookstore’s café and bookselling teams. They must comply with company policies and procedures. The role may involve working in other stores when needed and able, in support of the wider Cluster. The position involves using varied technology, maintaining café cleanliness and merchandising, preparing drinks and food according to approved recipes, serving customers efficiently, supporting deliveries and inventory practices, and assisting the bookfloor team when needed. Physical activity includes prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking. The stated starting hourly rate is $18.00, depending on experience, seniority, geographic location, and other factors permitted by law. Benefits vary according to scheduled weekly hours and may also vary by location and state regulations. Benefits are subject to the terms of the current plan and may change.

Requirements

Mastery of key barista behaviors, skills, and operational competencies, with proficiency expected in the listed café tasks.
Ability to provide cheerful, helpful customer service and support colleagues with kindness and consideration.
Positive, purposeful, energetic, hardworking, and reliable approach to assigned work.
Aptitude and willingness to learn new skills and acquire knowledge in the store.
Reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
Flexibility and responsiveness to store needs, including filling scheduling gaps when able; the store is open from early mornings to late evenings every day, including weekends and most holidays.
Curiosity, initiative, and ambition to develop a café or bookselling career.
Ability to use varied technology, including registers, computers, tablets, programs, and other tools, and troubleshoot routine issues.
Ability to perform physical activity including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and a lot of walking.
Ability to comply with company policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

Welcome customers and help create a hospitable café environment where they can relax and enjoy the bookstore.
Demonstrate cheerful, helpful customer service and supportive, considerate behavior toward colleagues.
Help new Baristas learn café skills and provide a knowledgeable, enjoyable customer experience.
Act as a resource for Baristas and raise concerns and issues to leadership in a timely manner.
Use registers, computers, tablets, programs, and other tools efficiently, and troubleshoot routine issues.
Maintain café counters, retail fixtures, and floor presentation; keep the café neat and tidy.
Maintain a full, vibrant bake case and present café offerings attractively.
Operate the register efficiently, take orders competently, and help other Baristas serve customers quickly and reliably.
Support receiving and unpacking deliveries and follow First in First Out (FIFO) practices.
Recommend food, beverages, customizations, and pairings to enhance the customer experience.
Prepare drinks and food according to approved recipes and specification sheets.
Complete daily and weekly cleaning tasks and maintain café safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards.
Support the bookfloor team when needed.
Follow loss-prevention procedures, use de-escalation techniques, identify theft or problematic behavior, and seek support for issues in the store.
Use café product knowledge to create an enjoyable dining experience and maintain presentation of café retail offerings, including Harney Tea, Starbucks Coffee, Grab-n-Go, and drinkware.
Educate Baristas on preparing beverages properly and use café training tools appropriately.
Speak comfortably about sales objectives and company initiatives, including limited-time offers, café promotions, and Membership, with customers and colleagues.
Maintain backstock effectively and help support proper ordering.
Maintain reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts; be flexible and responsive to store scheduling needs when able.
May work in other stores when able and needed, supporting the wider Cluster.
Continue developing barista knowledge and skills and pursue further growth in the career path.