Bench General Manager
Equator Coffees began in 1995 when founders Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell started roasting coffee in a Marin County, CA garage. With an obsessive commitment to green coffee sourcing and unparalleled roasting expertise, Equator has spent over 30 years advancing sustainable and fair trade coffee practices. Today, Equator is a retail and wholesale coffee roaster and coffee farm owner with twelve cafes across California. Women-owned, LGBTQ-founded, and an early adopter of Fair Trade and Regenerative Organic certifications, Equator was the first California coffee roaster to achieve B Corp Certification.
About the role
The Bench General Manager position is a unique opportunity to learn and grow, with the goal of eventually managing a designated home store and its team. This role involves shadowing existing store managers, working closely with the District Manager, and immersing yourself in key responsibilities that define the brand’s commitment to excellence.
The Bench General Manager is responsible for conscientious hiring, training, and employee development under the guidance of seasoned managers. You will foster a positive team environment, create schedules that balance business and employee needs, manage accurate payroll, and address customer concerns promptly. Working closely with the District Manager, you will drive sales, monitor Key Performance Indicators, and identify areas for improvement. This dynamic learning experience will prepare you to successfully manage a future home store and its team.
Responsibilities
- Shadow existing store managers and learn key operational responsibilities
- Hire, train, and develop employees under mentorship
- Foster a positive team environment and effective communication
- Create schedules that align with business and employee needs
- Manage accurate payroll processing
- Address and resolve customer concerns promptly
- Work with the District Manager to drive sales and monitor Key Performance Indicators
- Identify areas for operational improvement
- Lead change and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment
- Review financial reports and meet budgetary goals
Requirements
- Demonstrates a passion for coffee and inspires it in others
- Management experience in specialty coffee, retail, hospitality, and/or customer service
- Experience managing a profitable and operationally sound single café or restaurant preferred
- Current state-issued SERVSafe Manager Certificate
- Experience recruiting, hiring, and managing staff
- Strong leadership skills with professional maturity
- Proven ability to understand and execute organizational goals and objectives
- Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
- Ability to exercise independent judgment and decision-making
- Experience working in a fast-paced environment, managing competing priorities, and meeting deadlines
- Experience reviewing financial reports and meeting budgets
- Ability to work full-time (regularly exceeding 45 hours per week), including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays
- Proficiency with POS systems, Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and other computer skills
- Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred
- Minimum High School diploma or GED
Benefits
- Commuter Benefits: pre-tax parking and transit
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): physical and mental health, financial, and legal coaching at no cost
- Free mental health app subscription
- Employee discount on merchandise, coffee gear, and at Equator cafes
- Continuing coffee education classes
- Free coffee
- Paid Time Off for voting on Election Day
Healthcare Benefits (for full-time employees working over 30 hours per week)
- 100% employer-covered premium medical insurance
- Voluntary Insurance Plans: dental, vision, long-term disability, pet, and supplementary life insurance
- Employer-covered life insurance premium
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for healthcare and daily dependent care
Additional Benefits (after specified tenure)
- After 60 days: Holiday Pay (eight Equator-observed holidays per year)
- After 90 days: Paid Time Off with tenured increases for full-time employees; 1 paid volunteer day per year
- After six months: 401K with up to a 4% company match on employee contributions
Pay
$72,000.00 annual salary