Operations Coordinator

Job Description

Job Description

** Operations Coordinator (General Manager)**

** Blue Heron Community Co-op – Olympia, WA **

Blue Heron Community Co-op/ Blue Heron Bakery is seeking an Operations Coordinator to help lead our growing community- and worker-owned bakery café, which includes our wholesale, and Farmers Market operations.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys building strong teams, improving systems, and helping people succeed. The Operations Coordinator works closely with our management team and department leads to ensure that day-to-day operations support the cooperative's mission, financial health, and long-term success.

Because we are a cooperative, this position combines many responsibilities traditionally associated with a General Manager while also supporting a collaborative, democratic workplace. The successful candidate will become a member-owner of the cooperative and play an important role in shaping its future.

** About Blue Heron **

Blue Heron is a worker- and consumer-owned cooperative dedicated to producing quality artisan baked goods while creating meaningful, sustainable employment. We believe businesses can be both financially successful and deeply rooted in community, distributed power, and shared responsibility.

We organize our work using sociocracy , a collaborative system of governance that emphasizes clear roles, consent-based decision-making, accountability, and continuous improvement. Experience with sociocracy is not required—we will provide training—but an interest in collaborative leadership is essential.

** What You'll Do **

As Operations Coordinator, you will:

• Coordinate the daily operations of the bakery, café, wholesale and administrative teams.
• Work closely with department leads to improve communication, solve problems, and support operational excellence.
• Ensure company policies, procedures, training materials, and required compliance information are current and accessible.
• Deliver regular operational reports to the Board of Directors.
• Help develop annual operating and capital budgets with the management team and Board Treasurer.
• Review financial reports, payroll, labor budgets, and departmental performance, and help coordinate improvements.
• Support department leads in meeting labor, financial, and operational goals.
• Coordinate staff training in leadership, communication, food safety, emergency procedures, financial awareness, and other operational topics.
• Facilitate effective meetings and help departments collaborate across the organization.
• Recommend operational improvements that increase efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.
• Help coordinate hiring, onboarding, and management training.
• Serve on our employee review and conflict resolution team, helping facilitate fair and respectful workplace processes.
• Ensure personnel policies remain legally compliant and consistently implemented.
• Respond to public concerns and customer issues professionally.
• Work with the marketing team to support community outreach and maintain a consistent public image.
• Help ensure our retail spaces remain welcoming, organized, and well supplied.
• Step into operational coverage when necessary to support the team.

** We're Looking For Someone Who **

• Enjoys leading through collaboration rather than command-and-control management.
• Is an excellent communicator with strong emotional intelligence.
• Can balance strategic thinking with practical day-to-day execution.
• Builds trust while holding themselves and others accountable.
• Solves problems thoughtfully and calmly under pressure.
• Is organized, self-directed, and comfortable managing multiple priorities.
• Understands financial reports and uses data to make informed decisions.
• Is excited to work in a mission-driven cooperative environment.

** Preferred Qualifications **

• Three to five years of management experience in a bakery, restaurant, café, food production business, or similar environment.
• Three or more years of responsibility for labor budgets, operating budgets, or profit-and-loss performance.
• Experience hiring, coaching, and developing employees.
• Strong customer service leadership experience.
• Extensive food and beverage knowledge.
• Degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, or a related field is a plus.
• Previous cooperative or nonprofit leadership experience is helpful but not required.

** Why Blue Heron?**

You'll have the opportunity to help shape an established community institution that is still actively transitioning into using cooperative practices, while working alongside people who care deeply about great food, democratic workplaces, and continuous improvement. If you're excited by collaborative leadership, thoughtful systems, and building healthy organizational culture, we'd love to hear from you.