Ritual Coffee Roasters Catering Lead

About the Role

The Ritual Coffee Catering Lead is the organized, flexible, and enthusiastic team member who collaborates with oversight from the Catering Manager to ensure catering events run smoothly. This role fulfills the mission of Ritual’s Catering & Events department: to provide people with the best coffee experience in new and unusual settings without the infrastructure of a café. The Catering Lead works proactively with the Catering Manager for up to 40 hours a week, dynamically shifting between café shifts and event-related work.

Event work includes managing the catering inbox, operations at events, barista duties, and acting as the primary or secondary point-person for clients and employees on-site. Hours can be fluid and may require overtime, including very early or late shifts. The Catering Lead represents Ritual Coffee, demonstrating high hospitality, customer service, and bar skills while maintaining Ritual’s standards with both tenured and temporary staff.

This role requires strategic thinking, commitment to the success of the catering department, and the ability to develop solutions as needed. Ideal candidates are collaborative problem-solvers, self-starters, and passionate about coffee and people. We seek someone inspired by creating unique experiences, with a talent for operations and delivering exceptional customer service.

About Us

Ritual Coffee is changing the way people know coffee. Founded in 2005, Ritual helped launch the new coffee movement by setting the highest standards in the industry. We source over 90% of our beans from producer partners we have direct relationships with, ensuring quality and fair livelihoods for farmers. As a San Francisco original, Ritual has earned its status as one of the best coffee roasting companies in the world.

Our mission is simple: to make people happy by giving them the best coffee experience they’ve ever had. Ritual roasts in SoMa and operates cafés in San Francisco and Napa.

Diversity at Ritual

Coffee is for everyone. We are passionate about creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces on both sides of the counter and behind the scenes. Our staff reflects the broad diversity of people who love coffee, and our commitment to inclusion across race, gender identity, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, experience, and perspective drives our innovation.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Catering Manager to support and grow Ritual’s Catering program.
• Contribute to overall culture and business growth using Ritual’s Culture Guide as a tool for self-reflection and development.
• Fulfill all catering and café barista duties consistent with expectations.
• Collaborate with Catering and Café Managers on scheduling to support catering while meeting café needs.
• Manage operations at assigned events, including setup, loading, and operating Ritual’s catering equipment.
• Support the planning, execution, and management of catering events with the Catering Manager.
• Maintain consistent communication with the Catering Manager leading up to and during events.
• Uphold and enforce Ritual’s coffee and beverage quality standards at events.
• Plan events as needed, considering logistics such as scheduling, sourcing, staffing, and menu development.
• Communicate efficiently and thoroughly with baristas, clients, partners, and vendors.
• Ensure tools, equipment, and inventory are organized and event-ready.
• Manage load-in, setup, operation, and breakdown of catering equipment during events.
• Maintain the catering inbox and inquiries as needed.
• Keep the Ritual warehouse clean and organized.
• Ensure post-event cleanup is completed promptly and equipment is restocked for the next event.
• Organize and inventory catering supplies while in storage.
• Maintain coffee brewing equipment and the catering area, keeping machinery and space clean and functional.
• Build and maintain friendly relationships with vendors, placing and receiving orders as needed.
• Report any malfunctioning catering equipment to the Catering Manager.

Requirements

• Minimum 1 year of experience in a café, foodservice, or similar role.
• Approachable, with high emotional intelligence, patience, compassion, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and teaching skills.
• Love of coffee.
• Proficiency with Google Drive, spreadsheets, and general comfort with technology.
• Flexible availability to accommodate event needs while maintaining scheduled café shifts, including on-call for emergencies and on-site event attendance.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Clean driving record and valid driver’s license.

Physical Requirements

• Regular and consistent attendance, with the ability to sit and work with hands and arms for at least eight hours per day, five days per week.
• Ability to stand, reach, lift, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, walk, crawl, push, and pull items weighing up to 75 pounds.
• Stand and move throughout the café/office.
• Consistent and reliable onsite attendance at the café/office.
• Continuous physical activity, including walking, standing, twisting, sitting, bending, lifting, reaching, kneeling, stooping, crawling, wiping, climbing, and pushing/pulling items weighing 75 pounds for distances of up to 20 feet.
• Ability to withstand temperatures of 0°F or less and 100°F or more.
• Stand stationary in the café for up to 8 hours per day, 5 days per week.
• Interact with customers for at least eight hours per day, five days per week.
• Adeptly use restaurant equipment.
• Perform basic math and fractions to complete recipes, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in all units of measure.
• Proficient interpersonal and communicative skills in English.
• Interpret and follow instructions and procedures furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Write routine reports and correspondence.
• Meet daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and other deadlines consistently.
• Work under pressure with changing, ambiguous priorities.
• Communicate effectively and promptly with clients, vendors, and employees in loud environments.
• High level of manual dexterity to type and use computer equipment.
• Specific vision abilities, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to work overtime occasionally at the last minute.
• Occasional travel may be required.
• Food handler card required; ServSafe Manager certification a plus.

Pay

Catering Lead: $26/hour, unless otherwise specified per event. Café-based barista rates start at $18.25/hour.

Benefits

• Subsidized medical and dental insurance.
• Commuter benefits.
• Paid time off, paid sick days, and paid holidays (holidays paid at time and a half).
• Matching 401k plan.

Schedule

Full-time, with variable catering hours. This role may dynamically shift between café shifts and event-related work, including early or late shifts and occasional overtime.