Coffee Trainer

Chobani is a food maker with a mission of making high-quality and nutritious food accessible to more people, while elevating our communities and making the world a healthier place. Following the 2023 acquisition of La Colombe, a leading coffee roaster with a shared commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and impact, the company offers cold-pressed espresso, lattes on tap at cafés nationwide, and Ready to Drink (RTD) coffee beverages at retail.

About the role

The Market Coffee Trainer is responsible for educating and instilling the values of deliciousness and beverage integrity in our baristas and top-tier wholesale accounts. They serve as a communal ambassador for La Colombe coffee products and are actively involved in the La Colombe culture and community. This role works collaboratively with La Colombe Café Teams to ensure consistent beverage quality, exceptional customer experience, and operational excellence across all markets. The Market Coffee Trainer provides great customer service to both internal and external customers, acting as a trusted partner and resource across teams and accounts.

Through hands-on training, coaching, and engagement, the trainer helps strengthen brand standards, elevate performance, and foster a culture of hospitality, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Market Coffee Trainers work as a function of the Operational Excellence team, owning and assisting in the creation of resources, policies, and procedures within all aspects of café operations.

Responsibilities

• Deliver hands-on, in-person training and coaching to baristas and top-tier wholesale accounts, reinforcing La Colombe standards of deliciousness, beverage integrity, and craft excellence.
• Lead practical, on-the-bar education including drink preparation, calibration, workflow, and service techniques.
• Serve as a communal ambassador for La Colombe coffee products, culture, and community in both café and wholesale environments.
• Work side-by-side with Café Managers and Baristas in the region to ensure consistent beverage quality and exceptional customer experience across all markets.
• Coordinate with District & National Leadership on market-level priorities.
• Provide excellent customer service to internal teams and external partners through responsive support, relationship-building, and on-site engagement.
• Support and reinforce the café mission and values through hands-on education that drives memorable guest experiences and strong business results.
• Actively participate in daily café operations when needed to model best practices, hospitality standards, and operational excellence.
• Ensure regularly cadenced Quality Control checks are both in place, and where necessary, steps to improve/rectify are included.
• Observe performance in real-time, identify skill gaps, and deliver immediate, actionable feedback and follow-up coaching.
• Collaborate with leadership to continuously improve training programs, tools, and execution.
• Routinely attend meetings with local leadership to ensure collaboration on operational rollouts.
• Uphold and promote brand standards, hospitality expectations, and operational best practices at all times, being an exemplar of all practices.
• Support market-level operations initiatives (events, public trainings, shoulder-to-shoulder work).
• Communicate proactively, professionally, and positively with the team and guests.
• Train baristas to lead the industry in standards of drink preparation, customer service, consistency, cleanliness, and efficiency.
• Collaborate and coordinate with café leadership, other training team members, and the wholesale team to assure efficient use of the designated training lab or training areas.
• Identify and escalate any potential issues relating to baristas either to Café Management or Human Resources.
• Serve as an inspirational leader figure to café teams.
• Assist in menu item launches as well as the opening of new cafes in the market.
• Spend time on bar with team members as needed/instructed.
• Utilize La Colombe protocols in training, follow-ups, and café visits.
• Work closely with the District Manager, Café Managers, and the National Manager of Training to promote La Colombe coffees within retail locations.
• Carry out audits on all aspects of drink preparation and customer service at La Colombe Cafes.
• Collaborate with the technical department to achieve quality control from a technical perspective (calibration, water quality, TDS measurements, etc.).
• Collect and catalog data, review trends, and report to ensure proper/consistent brewing across the market.
• Inspire and educate baristas through the core coffee curriculum, which guides them through the history of coffee and La Colombe’s role therein.
• Share knowledge and feedback with baristas and managers while on bar during quality control checks.
• Ensure all baristas have completed training in accordance with the Training Program and that feedback is captured in a timely fashion.
• Schedule cuppings, training, and other events open to the public.
• Encourage and promote elective education.
• Attend weekly, monthly, and quarterly meetings.
• Maintain regular and open dialogue regarding the program with the National Manager of Training.
• Provide regular feedback on how to enhance and improve the program.
• Participate in yearly revisions to the training guides.
• Regularly assist in the identification and personal development of Baristas, Supervisors, and Café Managers.
• Represent La Colombe in a professional way at industry events and conferences.

Requirements

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proven experience in management or leadership roles is highly desirable.
• A genuine passion for coffee and delivering exceptional hospitality.
• Some travel required.
• Minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience in the coffee industry.

Skills

• Proficient in coffee knowledge, brewing, and machine maintenance.
• Consistently seeking to develop skills and share new and efficient practices.

Pay

The salary range for this full-time position is $75,000.00, plus bonus, equity, and benefits.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Disability insurance.
• Health savings account and flexible spending accounts.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• 401k match of 100% on up to 5% of eligible pay.
• Fertility and childcare assistance.
• 12 weeks of parental leave at full pay after six months of continuous employment.
• Wellness resources, including an employee assistance program, fitness discounts, a wellness reimbursement, on-site gym access (at certain locations), and a monthly wellness newsletter.
• Up to 60 hours accrued PTO (including vacation and personal time off).
• Up to 60 hours accrued FTO (including sick time).