COFFEE & BEVERAGE LEAD

L'ETO Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Memories proposes a role for a Coffee & Beverage Lead in Dubai, part of the L’ETO Group family. You will own coffee quality, develop beverages, and lead a small team within a compact, coffee-forward concept.

Collaborate with the L’ETO teams on sourcing, roasting and seasonal launches to ensure guests experience peak quality. You will translate deep coffee knowledge into accessible, engaging drinks for a broad audience, while maintaining high standards in service, hygiene and operations.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of specialty coffee and coffee beans.
• Practical understanding of roasting and roast profiles.
• Strong sensory and tasting ability.
• Experience developing coffee or beverage recipes.
• Experience leading a small team.
• Comfortable working in an open guest-facing environment.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day coffee quality and product standards at Memories.
• Develop and calibrate brewing recipes and extraction parameters.
• Calibrate espresso and filter coffee equipment for consistency.
• Train the team to deepen coffee knowledge beyond recipes.
• Participate in cuppings and product development.
• Lead and manage the daily operation of the memories brewing bar.

Skills

Coffee knowledge

Roasting understanding

Taste/sensory analysis

Recipe development

Team leadership

Guest-facing

Open-bar operation

Job description

Memories is a coffee-driven concept by L’ETO, built around a strong belief that great coffee should be approachable, interesting and part of an everyday experience.

Our coffee is at the centre of the concept — from the beans we source and roast, to how they are brewed, presented and experienced by our guests.

We are opening a small, highly focused brewing bar in Dubai with a team of approximately 8 people.

This is not a traditional high-volume coffee kiosk and we are not looking for a traditional Head Barista.

We are looking for a coffee specialist with a strong product mindset — someone who understands coffee deeply, has a real interest in beans and roasting, can develop drinks and recipes, and is equally comfortable leading a small team and running the daily operation.

The Role

The Coffee & Beverage Lead will be the coffee and beverage product owner on the ground, while also taking responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the bar.

You will work closely with the wider Memories and L’ETO teams on coffee sourcing, roasting, product development and seasonal beverage launches, while making sure that the final product served to guests consistently reflects the intended quality.

You will be expected to understand why a coffee tastes the way it does, not simply how to prepare it.

You should be able to taste a new coffee, understand its characteristics, recognise changes caused by roasting or processing, adjust brewing accordingly and translate that understanding into a great guest experience.

Key Responsibilities:

Coffee & Product

• Own the day-to-day coffee quality and product standards at Memories.
• Develop a deep understanding of our coffee beans, origins, processing methods, roast profiles and flavour characteristics.
• Work with the roasting/sourcing team to understand new coffees and changes to existing coffees.
• Taste and evaluate coffees regularly and communicate observations clearly.
• Understand how changes in roasting affect flavour, aroma, acidity, body, sweetness and extraction.
• Develop and maintain brewing recipes and extraction parameters.
• Calibrate espresso and filter coffee equipment and ensure consistency throughout service.
• Train the team to understand coffee beyond simply following recipes.
• Participate in cuppings, tastings and coffee product development.
• Identify opportunities to improve the coffee programme, equipment, recipes and guest experience.

Beverage Development

• Create and develop seasonal coffee beverages.
• Develop coffee-based lemonades, mocktails and other signature drinks.
• Experiment with flavours, ingredients, preparation methods and presentation.
• Translate coffee knowledge into accessible and exciting drinks for a broad audience.
• Work with the wider team on seasonal menu changes and product launches.
• Maintain accurate recipes, specifications and preparation standards.
• Monitor guest feedback and use it to continuously improve the product.

Store & Team Management

• Manage the daily operation of the Memories brewing bar.
• Lead and develop a team of approximately 8 staff.
• Build a strong coffee culture within the team.
• Conduct training, tastings and regular product refreshers.
• Ensure recipes, service standards, hygiene and operational procedures are consistently followed.
• Manage opening and closing procedures and daily operational routines.
• Monitor stock levels, wastage and product availability.
• Ensure equipment is properly maintained and used correctly.
• Support scheduling and staff organisation.
• Maintain a clean, organised and professional open-bar environment.
• Be present and visible during service.

Guest Experience:

The bar is open and highly visible to guests.

You will therefore be expected to be comfortable talking about coffee, demonstrating preparation and engaging directly with customers.

You should be able to explain a coffee or drink without making it unnecessarily complicated — knowledgeable, but never pretentious.

You will represent Memories' coffee philosophy directly to our guests.

Who We Are Looking For:

We are specifically looking for someone who sees coffee as a product, not simply a job.

You may come from a background such as:

• Specialty coffee
• Coffee roasting
• Green coffee / coffee sourcing
• Coffee quality control
• Coffee education
• Coffee trainer
• Coffee shop management with strong technical coffee knowledge
• An ex-roaster, coffee quality specialist or someone with significant roasting experience would be highly valuable.

We are less interested in someone whose experience is limited to working behind an espresso machine.

Ideal Candidate

You should have:

• Strong knowledge of specialty coffee and coffee beans.
• Practical understanding of roasting and roast profiles.
• Strong sensory and tasting ability.
• Understanding of extraction, brewing and recipe calibration.
• Experience developing coffee or beverage recipes.
• Genuine curiosity about coffee and a desire to keep learning.
• UAE-based experience within the specialty coffee / hospitality industry.
• Experience managing or supervising a small team.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Confidence working in an open, guest-facing environment.
• A hands-on attitude — you are comfortable making the coffee yourself.
• A product-first mindset and high attention to detail.