Café & Vending Operations Manager

Location: Nanaimo Airport, Cassidy, BC

Employment Type: Full-time

Reporting To: District Manager and Operations Manager

About Responsible Coffee

Serious Coffee is an established, locally rooted café company committed to delivering outstanding coffee, quality food and exceptional hospitality. We focus on maintaining a consistent, high-quality brand experience across our corporate and franchised locations.

The Role

We are seeking a hands-on Café & Vending Operations Manager to oversee the daily operation of our Serious Coffee café at Nanaimo Airport, as well as seven vending machines located throughout the airport.

This is a multi-faceted leadership role responsible for café operations, staff management, vending operations, customer service, inventory control, food safety, sales growth and profitability. The successful candidate will ensure that the café and vending machines remain fully stocked, clean, operational and aligned with Responsible Coffee’s standards.

Key ResponsibilitiesCafé Operations and Leadership

- Oversee the day-to-day operation of the Serious Coffee café at Nanaimo Airport.
- Recruit, hire, train, supervise, motivate and develop café employees.
- Prepare staff schedules according to business needs, available resources and approved labour budgets.
- Assign duties to employees and follow up to ensure work is completed correctly and on time.
- Provide ongoing coaching, feedback and performance management.
- Address employee performance or conduct concerns, including disciplinary action when necessary and in consultation with senior management.
- Lead by example and regularly perform frontline duties, including operating the till, preparing beverages, serving customers and supporting food preparation.
- Ensure consistently high standards of customer service, product quality, speed of service and cleanliness.
- Resolve customer concerns promptly and professionally, notifying senior management when appropriate.
- Conduct employee meetings and regular documented health and safety meetings.
- Ensure the café is appropriately stocked, organized, clean and well maintained.
- Maintain attractive, accurate and safely displayed merchandise and promotional materials.
- Implement company promotions, price changes, point-of-sale materials and menu updates as directed.
- Identify opportunities to improve sales, customer experience, efficiency and profitability.

Vending Machine Operations
- Manage the day-to-day operation of seven vending machines located throughout Nanaimo Airport.
- Monitor vending machine inventory and establish an effective restocking schedule based on sales and product demand.
- Ensure all machines are fully stocked, clean, organized and operating properly.
- Track inventory levels, product movement, expiry dates, waste and spoilage.




- Rotate products appropriately and remove expired or damaged products immediately.
- Ensure all vending products are correctly priced and displayed.
- Monitor cashless payment systems and report or troubleshoot payment issues promptly.
- Complete regular vending machine sales reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
- Coordinate repairs and preventative maintenance with approved service providers.
- Respond promptly to vending machine outages, product jams, payment issues and customer concerns.
- Maintain accurate records of vending sales, inventory, waste, maintenance and service activity.
- Recommend product changes based on customer demand, sales performance and airport requirements.
- Ensure vending operations comply with food safety, sanitation, security and airport policies.

Financial and Administrative Responsibilities
- Complete daily paperwork, deposits, sales reports and computer entries accurately and on time.
- Monitor cash overages and shortages, inventory variances, shrinkage, discounts, refunds, voids and write-offs.
- Review café and vending sales performance and identify opportunities to increase revenue and control costs.
- Manage ordering and inventory levels while minimizing waste and product shortages.
- Monitor supplier deliveries, product quality, pricing and expiry dates.
- Maintain accurate records for staffing, inventory, food safety, equipment and financial reporting.
- Support the preparation and management of labour, food cost and operating budgets.
- Report significant operational, staffing or financial concerns to senior management promptly.

Safety, Compliance and Maintenance
- Follow and enforce all company policies and procedures.
- Ensure employees understand and comply with operational, food safety, workplace safety and security requirements.
- Maintain compliance with applicable health regulations, WorkSafeBC requirements and Nanaimo Airport policies.
- Ensure required food safety, temperature and cleaning records are completed accurately.
- Report and document all employee or customer incidents and accidents according to company procedures.
- Identify unsafe conditions and report them promptly to the District Manager, Operations Manager or appropriate airport contact.
- Coordinate equipment maintenance and repairs for the café and vending machines.
- Maintain all required airport identification, security clearances and access credentials.





Organizational Relationships
- Reports to the District Manager and Operations Manager.
- Works closely with the Company CFO, ownership and other members of the Serious Coffee management team.
- Liaises with Nanaimo Airport representatives, suppliers, service technicians and delivery personnel.
- Directly supervises café employees, including assistant managers, supervisors, baristas, kitchen staff and other team members.

Skills and Qualifications
- Previous café, restaurant, retail or food-service management experience.
- Experience supervising, training and scheduling employees.
- Strong leadership, communication and organizational skills.
- Ability to manage both customer-facing operations and behind-the-scenes administrative responsibilities.
- Strong attention to detail, particularly when managing cash, inventory, food safety and vending operations.
- Ability to establish priorities, delegate effectively and monitor workflow.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced airport environment.
- Strong customer-service and problem-solving abilities.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, spreadsheets, point-of-sale systems and data entry.
- Ability to complete daily paperwork, financial reconciliations and inventory records accurately.
- Valid FoodSafe certification or willingness to obtain it.
- Ability to obtain and maintain any required Nanaimo Airport security clearance.
- A valid driver’s licence and reliable transportation are considered assets.

Physical Requirements
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
- Ability to bend, reach, lift and carry products and supplies.
- Ability to safely lift and move items weighing up to approximately 40 pounds.
- Ability to regularly perform café duties, including cashier, barista and food-service responsibilities.
- Ability to transport products and restock seven vending machines throughout the airport.

Accountability The Café & Vending Operations Manager is accountable for:
- The successful daily operation of the café and seven vending machines.
- Meeting company standards for customer service, food quality, cleanliness and presentation.
- Maintaining appropriate staffing and controlling labour expenses.
- Maintaining accurate cash, inventory, sales and operational records.
- Minimizing shortages, waste, spoilage and equipment downtime.
- Maintaining professional communication with employees, customers, airport representatives and senior management.
- Remaining composed and making sound decisions in a fast-paced environment.
- Completing other duties as assigned by management.

Pay: $20.00-$24.00 per hour

Benefits

- Flexible schedule
- Store discount

Experience:
- Store management: 1 year (required)

Licence/Certification:
- Serving It Right (required)

Work Location: In person

📌 Store Manager (Cassidy)
🏢 Serious Coffee Plus
📍 Cassidy