Lead Barista

Flagship Culinary Services helps some of the world’s largest high-tech companies provide high-quality dining experiences for their employees, clients and visitors. Our highly qualified staff support our culinary program in preparing tasty and nutritious food, made from scratch, with a strong emphasis on local and organically grown ingredients.

As a representative for our company, you will serve as a Lead Barista, guiding the barista team at two café stations and ensuring consistency in service and beverage quality. You will act as a role model for customer service, beverage preparation, and café cleanliness while supporting team development and providing daily operational leadership. You will serve as a liaison between baristas and management, assisting with training, monitoring inventory, and upholding the highest standards of coffee preparation and guest experience.

*This position is located in San Francisco at our client location

Job Description

Benefits/Perks:

• No Weekends

• Monday to Friday: 6:00AM - 2:30PM or 7:00AM - 3:30PM

• Snacks and meals provided during shifts

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• 13 paid holidays

• 401K with match

• Vacation and Sick days

Essential Functions

• Leads daily operations of café stations to deliver fast, courteous, and consistent service.

• Prepares and serves espresso beverages, coffee, teas, and other drinks according to recipe standards.

• Assigns daily tasks to baristas, ensuring smooth and efficient workflow.

• Provides training and coaching for new baristas and temporary staff 

• Maintains consistency in recipes, presentation, and quality across all Barista stations.

• Monitors inventory levels, communicates needs, and assists with restocking and ordering supplies.

• Inspects stations for cleanliness, organization, and compliance with sanitation standards.

• Oversees rotation and expiration checks for milk, syrups, and other perishable products, ensuring proper labeling and storage.

• Serves as the primary point of contact for baristas during shifts, resolving guest and operational issues promptly.

• Provides management with regular feedback on team performance, customer experience, and operational efficiency.

• Conducts inventory counts as requested, covering beverages, milk, dry goods, and barista tools.

• Assists with daily setup and breakdown of stations to ensure readiness for service.

• Supports catering and special events with beverage preparation and service as needed.

• Models exceptional guest interactions, building rapport, learning preferences, and delivering personalized service.

• Maintains organized and clean barista areas, including counters, equipment, storage, and customer-facing spaces.

• Monitors guest flow and adjust staffing to handle peak demand effectively.

• Ensures adherence to all health, safety, and sanitation procedures in compliance with OSHA, Department of Public Health, and Risk Management guidelines.

• Provides coverage for Baristas and assists the team as needed.

• Collaborates with FOH and BOH teams to uphold positive workflow and service standards.

• Assists with menu development and seasonal beverage offerings in collaboration with culinary leadership.

• Resolves guest complaints promptly and professionally to ensure a positive experience.

• Other duties as assigned.

*NOTE: Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following tasks which are illustrative ONLY, and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed or assigned by this position.

Knowledge and Skills

• Interpersonal and organizational skills.

• Excellent culinary skills.

• Sense of urgency.

• Strong communication, time and resource management and planning skills.

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects on a consistent basis. 

• Customer service.

• Knowledge of professional appearance standards, including grooming, hygiene, and attire, to maintain a polished and welcoming presence.

• Ability to move throughout the café and kitchen.

• Ability to wipe down tabletops, table legs, pick up debris off the floor, and wipe down booth seats in all areas of the operation.

• Knowledge of safety and sanitation in the workplace. Ability to lead a team.

• In-depth knowledge of allergen management, including common food allergens, cross-contamination prevention, and safe handling practices to ensure guest safety

Education and Work Experience

• High School diploma, GED or equivalent.   

• 1+ year experience as a barista in a high-volume coffee shop or café environment.

• 1+ year of supervisory or lead experience in food service, including training and coaching team members is preferred.

Work Environment

The work environment for Barista Lead includes the following large kitchen elements and exposures. 

• Fast paced environment requiring a high sense of urgency. 

• Moderate to high noise levels from equipment, guests and team interactions.

• Exposure to hot water, steam, soap and cleaning solutions

• Slippery or uneven surfaces due to spills, with risks from hot surfaces, food trays, and heating elements.

• Frequent standing and walking for extended periods.

• Collaborative team atmosphere with ongoing guest interactions and multitasking demands.

Requirements

• Must have and maintain an active Handlers’ Card (ServSafe) and adhere to local food handler requirement.   

• Maintain an exceptional personal record of punctuality and attendance.  

• Consistently perform all duties in a responsible and efficient manner.  

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Constant handling of food, carts and cooking equipment. 

• Constant use of hands while preparing food. 

• Constant grasping of food and equipment. 

• Lifting and carrying objects that weight less than 10 - 12 pounds.

• Frequently lifting and carrying objects between 21-30 pounds. 

• Occasionally lifting objects more than 40 pounds.

• Items weighing over 40 lbs. must be carried by two people.

• Constantly reaching across surfaces, above shoulders and outward. 

• Frequently pushing and pulling loaded and unloaded carts.

• Good or correctable vision is required to safely perform all duties.

• Frequent standing, walking, bending and twisting are required to perform cooking and food prep duties. Squatting and kneeling may be required. Good balance required to safely perform all assigned tasks. Neck flexion and usage will be constant while performing assigned tasks.