Lead Barista

The Company Seekers is a specialty coffee roastery, independent bookstore, and cultural event space opening in Kingston, NJ in June 2026. We roast in-house on a Roest P3000, run a fast bar and slow bar format, and operate as a multi-concept space in a historic building on Route 27. We take the coffee seriously. We take the room it sits in seriously too. The Role This is a floor-and-operations lead position. You own bar quality and consistency day-to-day, carry a share of the training and onboarding work alongside our coffee quality team, and hold operational weight: scheduling, ordering, systems. You're the person who makes sure standards don't drift when it's busy and that new team members understand why the standards exist. You report directly to ownership and work in close coordination with the roasting and coffee quality team on education, calibration, and menu development. Responsibilities Own bar quality and consistency across all dayparts Lead onboarding and ongoing bar training in partnership with the coffee quality team Manage scheduling, ordering, and day-to-day FOH operations Calibrate espresso and brew bar daily; maintain equipment standards Contribute to menu development and seasonal rotation Hold the culture of the bar — how the team works, communicates, and grows What we're looking for 3+ years specialty coffee experience, with at least one year in a lead or supervisory role Strong technical foundation: espresso calibration, extraction, water chemistry, brew ratios Experience training adults — patient, clear, and specific Operational competence: you've owned a schedule, managed an order, solved a problem without being asked A genuine interest in the broader context — this is a bookstore and cultural space, not only a café Based in or able to reliably commute to Kingston, NJ Compensation & Structure $62,000 annual salary Structured payband system for the broader team you'll help lead ($18-$24/hr) Full-time, opening team position Benefits package in development — details provided at offer stage To apply Submit your resume and a brief note on your approach to training — what you think most barista training gets wrong, and what you do differently.