Coffee Lab Graduate Assistant

North Central College; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

A regional institution of higher education seeks a Coffee Lab Graduate Assistant to manage operations at its innovative Coffee Lab. This position involves overseeing roasting, managing student engagement, and developing community programming. Ideal candidates are accepted into a graduate program at the college and possess strong MS Office skills. Food Manager Certification is a plus and can be obtained within the first 60 days. Flexible hours may be needed, including evenings and weekends, providing a unique opportunity for experiential learning.

Qualifications

• Accepted into a graduate program at North Central College.
• Ability to manage ongoing projects and provide direct service to students.
• Food Manager Certification required but can be obtained during the first 60 days.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Willingness to learn and engage with the coffee industry.

Responsibilities

• Support the vision of the Coffee Lab and its operations.
• Manage roasting operations and perform weekly bookkeeping.
• Develop programming focused on coffee and related products.
• Develop and implement programming around coffee for NCC and external community.
• Support operations for brewing, packaging, tours, events, and staffing.

Skills

MS Office Suite (Excel)

Written and verbal communication

Time management

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Presentation skills

Education

Graduate program acceptance at North Central College

Tools

Excel

MS Office Suite

Job description

Description of Job Duties

Position Summary: The Coffee Lab Graduate Assistant helps manage the state‑of‑the‑art Coffee Lab at North Central College. It is a faculty‑student‑partner collaboration that focuses on direct trade, relationship‑based social enterprises and provides a distinct educational model and business opportunity that serves the campus and community. Building on the work of Enactus and their coffee business, the Coffee Lab provides roasting services, private and public coffee classes, coffee tastings, coffee brewing, and other events and trainings. Through these offerings, students, faculty, alumni, and community members collaborate to provide rich experiential learning opportunities.

Essential Functions

• Support the vision for the North Central College Coffee Lab, as set by the Coffee Lab Advisory Board, to operate this signature, high‑impact, experiential learning opportunity through a student‑run business that supports the College’s strategic plan.
• Perform and manage roasting operations including but not limited to assisting with acquiring green beans, green bean room management, roast profile development, roasting, roaster cleaning and basic maintenance, and bean inventory.
• Perform weekly bookkeeping tasks including but not limited to invoicing. (Primarily in year two of the position.)
• Develop and implement programming focused around coffee and related products for both the NCC and external community with the assistance of The Coffee Lab Manager, CLAB members, and students.
• Provide support for operational management and programmatic execution for all additional aspects of the Coffee Lab, including brewing, packaging, tours, events, and student staffing.
• Be available to oversee and/or assist with immediate needs or equipment issues that arise.
• Engage with the Enactus student organization around Coffee Lab activities.
• Advance the principles of social entrepreneurship and social justice through the Coffee Lab, both through operations and communications. Widely share the story of the Coffee Lab through relevant networks to raise the College’s profile.
• Flexibility to take on other job‑related duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications

• Accepted into a graduate program at North Central College.
• Ability to manage ongoing projects and provide direct service to students.
• Advanced skills using MS Office Suite, specifically Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, interpersonal, and analytical skills.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Demonstrated problem‑solving and critical thinking skills.
• Food Manager Certification required but can be obtained during the first 60 days (if not already certified, course and exam fees will be covered by the college).
• Ability to work flexible hours in limited circumstances including evenings and weekends.
• Roasting experience is not required but an eagerness to learn and a genuine interest in the coffee industry is.

Approximate number of work hours per week: 20 hours per week during the academic year, excluding academic breaks.