Coffee Specialist (Seattle Coffee Gear)

About the role

You own the in-store experience from first greeting to final pour, becoming the face of Seattle Coffee Gear's expertise and hospitality. You translate complex brewing concepts into clear, practical guidance that helps customers feel confident and excited about their coffee journey. You bring the brand's passion to life through live product demonstrations that highlight the performance and value of espresso machines, grinders, and brewers. You actively listen to customer goals, tastes, and lifestyles to recommend the right equipment and coffee choices with genuine consultative care. You partner with leadership to align your floor presence with store priorities and class themes, ensuring a cohesive and educational environment. You uphold the highest standards of food safety, cleanliness, and operational compliance while maintaining a warm, professional demeanor. You contribute directly to sales targets by driving engagement, conversion, and repeat visits through memorable, knowledge-based interactions.

Key facts

What you'll do

Deliver consultative, one-on-one customer experiences on the sales floor that reflect Seattle Coffee Gear's passion for great coffee.

Lead engaging live brewing demonstrations that showcase the store's expertise and competitive edge offerings to in-store guests.

Educate customers on a range of brewing techniques such as pour-over, French Press, AeroPress, espresso, cold brew, and coffee art.

Guide customers in selecting coffee beans by explaining flavor profiles, roast levels, and origin characteristics in an approachable way.

Maintain a coffee-ready environment that ensures quality, consistency, and safety across in-store brewing and demonstration activities.

Recommend suitable coffee equipment and maintenance practices based on individual customer needs and preferences.

Promote and sell coffee products, equipment, and accessories through hands-on product demonstrations and informed conversations.

Drive store revenue goals by deepening customer engagement and conversion through education, measurement, and follow-through.

Collaborate with store leadership to align your floor activities with current merchandising strategies and class themes.

Ensure strict compliance with food safety standards, local health codes, and all sanitation regulations during every shift.

Monitor and manage inventory levels, minimize shrink, and control supply and culinary expenses through careful handling and logging.

Uphold store safety and cleanliness, addressing immediate maintenance needs and keeping the demo and retail areas orderly.

Accurately record time worked and adhere to wage and hour laws, following SLT policy for timekeeping and scheduling.

Model and enforce consistent adherence to all Seattle Coffee Gear policies, standard operating procedures, and brand standards.

Requirements

You must be 18 years of age or older at the time of employment with Seattle Coffee Gear.

You must possess a genuine passion for coffee and in-depth knowledge of brewing methods, coffee origins, and related equipment.

You must be able to create engaging, hands-on experiences that make learning about coffee enjoyable and accessible for every guest.

You must demonstrate strong enthusiasm for coffee and a real eagerness to share that knowledge with customers in clear, practical terms.

You must have excellent communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities while interacting with diverse guests.

You must show a passion for community engagement and a commitment to representing Seattle Coffee Gear with integrity and warmth.

You must be able to remain standing for up to four hours at a time while moving about the store floor and demo areas.

You must be capable of accurately perceiving and differentiating variations in flavor intensity, aroma, and scent using taste and smell.

You must be able to grab, reach, push, pull, bend, stoop, kneel, and crouch to retrieve and replenish merchandise from stockroom or sales floor areas.

You must have the ability to lift and move merchandise weighing up to fifty pounds when restocking or setting up displays.

You must be able to ascend and descend ladders safely to retrieve and move merchandise stored at height.

You must be able to operate a computer, POS system, keyboards, merchandise scanners, and a mouse to complete transactions and documentation.

You must be available to work between twelve and sixteen hours per week, with a flexible schedule that may include nights, weekends, and holidays.

You must maintain regular and predictable attendance to ensure consistent coverage during classes and peak hours.

You must be able to work in a coffee bar area with exposure to hot equipment, steam, varying temperatures, and potential airborne or physical coffee-related allergens.

Nice to have

Preferred knowledge of espresso machines, grinders, and related coffee equipment performance and maintenance.

Experience guiding customers through brewing techniques and helping them refine their at-home coffee setup.

Familiarity with coffee flavor profiling, roast levels, and origin characteristics to support informed recommendations.

Ability to contribute to merchandising decisions that highlight key tools and products featured in store classes.

Comfort with tracking basic sales metrics such as sales per hour, units per transaction, and guest feedback to adjust your approach.

Practical notes

This role requires availability between 12 and 16 hours per week, with flexibility for nights, weekends, and holidays as business needs dictate. Travel is not required for this position. No visa sponsorship is mentioned for this role. There are no stated application deadlines in the provided source.