Student Cafe Operating Officer

Saxbys; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 26,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Saxbys is seeking Spring 2027 Student COOs to gain practical leadership experience while developing teams and managing the financials of a bustling cafe on campus.

The Student COO role offers ownership of entrepreneurial and operational processes with support from Saxbys HQ. Two SCOOs will focus on People or Finance, balancing schedules, performance, inventory, and partnerships to drive success.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate student in good academic standing.
• Completed at least one year of undergraduate studies.
• Ability to work 20 hours per week during cafe operating hours.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a high-performing team through recruiting, training, coaching, and performance management.
• Drive cafe profitability via sales growth, labor costs, inventory control, and overall operational efficiency.
• Represent Saxbys on campus and communicate the company's mission, values, and Experiential Learning Platform to stakeholders and potential team members.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Operations

Customer service

Education

Undergraduate student, 1 year

Job description

Accepting applications for Spring 2027 and future semesters!

Starting pay is $23.00/hr

Who We Are:Saxbys® is a hospitality company fueled by our rave-worthy menu, driven by its mission to Make Life Better®, and fiercely dedicated to social impact in the communities it serves. But Saxbys greatest resource of all? Our people. We’re not looking for employees: we’re looking for teammates. We’re not hoping to hire you for a job: we’re hoping to help build your career.

Join us in our goal to bring our Experiential Learning Platform to college campuses across the country. We are looking for team members who are passionate about equipping the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs with the skills they will need to succeed in the future workplace. If this is the type of work that gets you up in the morning, we’d love for you to consider joining our team.

Job purpose: As the Student COO of a Saxbys cafe you will gain invaluable experience developing a team, and managing the financials & business fundamentals of a bustling cafe. While you will have the full support and resources of the Saxbys headquarters team, you will also have unparalleled ownership of the entrepreneurial and operational processes.

The Student COO will be offered semesterly to two students. The two SCOOs will gain experience in all three leadership pillars during their semester, but will be aligned to one of two focuses, People Officer or Financial Officer. The People officerwill lead on developing schedules and managing team member performance, while the Finance officer will lead on managing cafe orders and inventory.

What You Will Own

• Team Development: Build and lead a high-performing team of peers through effective recruiting, training, coaching, and performance management to create a positive work environment that embodies Saxbys' values and culture.
• Community Leadership: Establish the cafe as a community cornerstone through exceptional hospitality, meaningful partnerships, and impactful initiatives that demonstrate Saxbys' commitment to making life better.
• Financial Management: Drive cafe profitability by managing sales growth, labor costs, inventory, and overall operational efficiency while maintaining Saxbys' high standards for product quality and guest experience.
• Brand Representation: Serve as the face of Saxbys on campus, effectively communicating the company's mission, values, and Experiential Learning Platform to stakeholders, guests, and potential team members.

Who You Will Support

• Operations Lead: Collaborate on strategic initiatives, provide regular updates on cafe performance, and implement feedback to continuously improve operations.
• Marketing Team: Generate content for social media, implement local marketing initiatives, and execute promotional campaigns to drive cafe awareness and sales.
• Recruiting Team: Assist in identifying, recruiting, and developing talent for both cafe positions and future Student COO succession planning.

Who You Will Supervise

This position will supervise an average of 25 direct reports

What Success Looks Like

• Cafe achieves or exceeds budgeted revenue targets
• Cafe operates at or above budgeted Net Operating Income
• 30%+ of cafe staff are developed into Team Leads
• Guest satisfaction metrics consistently above 4.5/5

Where You Excel

• Developer of Individual Contributors
• Master of Prioritization
• Adaptable to Change
• Autonomous Problem Solving

What You Have Done

• Completed at least one year of undergraduate studies
• Demonstrated leadership experience in academic, professional, or volunteer settings
• Experience in customer service, hospitality, or retail preferred

What is Required

• Support, exhibit, and promote Saxbys Mission and Core Values in all daily activities.
• Must be an undergraduate student of the partner organization in good academic standing
• Ability to work 20 hours per week during cafe operating hours
• Physical requirements:
• Able to stand, walk, and smile for extended periods of time
• Able to stoop and kneel
• Push, pull, lift or carry up to 35 lbs
• Ascend or descend ladders, stairs, ramps

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Saxbys’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.