Lead, Cafe Operations

Calgary, Alberta, Canada .
full-time . June 16, 2025

Description

Lead, Cafe Operations

Full Time

Salary starting at $65,000/year

Are you drawn to Calgary’s thriving tech sector and looking to build a meaningful career that allows you to have an impact in your community? Does the prospect of city-building work excite you? If you thrive in a collaborative environment and enjoy putting your own innovative spin on things, then we think this is what you were meant to do as Platform Calgary’s newest Lead, Cafe Operations.

What will you do?

You, and your team will be responsible for nearly all first impressions of the Platform Innovation Centre. You will oversee all aspects of the Platform Innovation Centre Hospitality and Café operations. You’ll lead a team of ambassadors, oversee cafe operations, guest experience, product quality, financial performance, inventory management, and staffing while ensuring a high-quality customer experience. You have a well-developed business sense, and are a strong leader who is able to direct the efforts of others through example and coaching. You’ll make an impact by creating a welcoming, inclusive and engaging Front Door experience for everyone who enters the Platform Innovation Centre. Specifically, you will:

Hospitality:

Engage with and understand visitors at the Platform Innovation Centre, including discovering and responding to customer needs through clear and pleasant communication
Provide guest information about programs and wayfinding at the Platform Innovation Centre and connect guests with Platform staff, partners and members.

Cafe Operations:

Manage the cafe by maintaining active control over all aspects of the business. These include, but are not limited to, staffing, ordering, merchandising, customer service, administration and the ongoing maintenance of the facility.
Maintain a relationship with our local food and beverage suppliers to ensure exceptional quality products for guests and proper merchandising of the Café.
Maintain appropriate purchasing levels, inventory control, proper food and beverage preparation, merchandising of items for sale, as well as cleanliness routines and proper food handling techniques are all important aspects of the job.
Develop schedules for appropriate staff coverage according to projected business levels and manage labor costs on an ongoing basis according to these business levels.
Ensure that all staff are properly trained and performing to expectations while providing direction and coaching on tasks, service levels and execution of duties as well as development of appropriate skills/knowledge.
Prepare and manage budgets with the support of finance.
Schedule regular daily and/or weekly maintenance tasks, including opening and closing processes. Delegates such tasks to capable individuals in order to keep the kitchen in top working order.
Arrange for appropriate maintenance or repair of equipment and facility.
Check stock on hand levels daily. Rotates food and/or ensures that designated staff do so as required. Communicate with suppliers with respect to product quality and freshness.
Advise the Director, Innovation Centre of any special items (beyond Food and Beverage) that may need to be ordered.
Ensure health and safety regulations are followed.

The right candidate will demonstrate the following qualifications:

Exceptional customer service skills.
Effective communication skills.
Sound knowledge of food health and safety regulations.
Diploma or Degree in Hospitality or a related field is an asset.
Experience managing a Café or restaurant is an asset.

During the interview process, we will be looking for:

A high level of professionalism and ability to connect with others to build positive relationships and be a true collaborator.
Strong emotional intelligence, a high level of empathy and active listening skills.
Forward thinking - you can anticipate and act on the needs and requests of multiple collaborators/contributors.
Initiative - proactively create and follow through on new ideas and strategies.

Platform Calgary perks:

Great benefits from day one: Health, dental and wellness benefits; RRSP matching program; parental leave top-up program, development stipends and other perks!
Paid Time Off: We offer plenty of paid time off, including Vacation and Flex Days.
A unique place to work: The Platform Innovation Centre is the front door to Calgary’s tech and innovation community. Home to 120+ partners (and the thousands of guests who attend education programs, meetups and other events) dedicated to helping companies to start, grow and succeed.

We are fostering a culture of belonging that is diverse and inclusive. This begins with an equitable and accessible hiring process.

We highly encourage applications from excluded and marginalized communities, regardless of race, creed, sex, gender, orientation, religion, and including persons with disabilities, visible minorities and foreign-born residents.
You do not need to meet 100% of the qualifications to apply - if you think this could be the role for you and you bring something unique to the table, submit your application!
Any candidates with disabilities or who may require accommodations throughout the recruitment process are encouraged to contact jointheteam@platformcalgary.com.

To apply, please upload your cover letter and resume. We wish to express our appreciation to all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

About Platform Calgary

Platform Calgary is an impact organization whose members are tech companies, large and small, united in a vision of inclusive, innovation-driven prosperity for Calgary. Platform Calgary brings together the resources of Calgary's tech ecosystem to help startups launch and grow at every step of their journey, from ideation through to scale. Our focus is on making all parts of Calgary’s startup ecosystem better resourced, connected, efficient and prominent. For more information about Platform Calgary, visit platformcalgary.com

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