Blue Bottle Coffee is a passionate and growing team of hundreds around the world, united by the simple purpose of connecting the world to delicious coffee. We roast on three coasts, make delicious drinks, clean up after ourselves, bake cookies, get change at the bank, and say please and thank you. We’re an impossibly eclectic group of coffee experts, artists, writers, sensory scientists, bakers, designers, and all-around dreamers who also happen to be some of the hardest-working and most talented in the business. Join us.

About the job:

We build Blue Bottle cafes for the simple purpose of getting great coffee to everyone who asks for it. Our Global Cafe Design team designs and delivers cafes throughout the United States and Asia. Our team strives to build cafes with as much care, craft, and attention to detail as our roasters and baristas put into every cup of coffee we serve. We are seeking a passionate people leader and design manager with a zeal for creating and realizing progressive design within tight budgets and schedules.

This role requires in-person studio meetings on an as-needed basis. As such, there is a strong preference for candidates located locally in the Bay Area.

You will:

  • Partner with the Global Head of Cafe Design to create and realize best-in-class cafe designs and experiences across global markets 
  • Partner with the Global Head of Cafe Design to develop and implement strategic design concepts and initiatives for new and existing cafe formats
  • Lead and support the Cafe Development Team on all design-related matters
  • Enforce the Cafe Design Process in close collaboration with key cross-functional partners through all Development phases, including but not limited to project briefing, real estate exploration, preliminary feasibility studies, pre-design due diligence, formal design, and construction 
  •  Intake Design related projects from cross-functional global teams and collaborate closely with PPM (Project and Portfolio Management) to manage schedules and priorities 
  • Communicate with Global Cafe Design teams and cross-functional partners to track all design-related project schedules and budgets
  • Manage the design rollout and support internal and external partners for syndicated cafe formats
  • Collaborate closely with the Prototypes and Standards Design Manager to ensure all functional design meets current design, technical, and operational requirements
  • Produce design studies (in-house) through CAD, 3D modeling software, and other graphics software  
  • Prepare and present design presentations to members of the leadership team 
  • Manage global vendor contracts
  • You are:

  • Highly organized
  • A natural leader
  • Always thinking about who needs to know what and when
  • Passionately empathetic about the customers and teams you’re serving with design
  • Observant of human behavior, cause and effect
  • Thoughtful about improving customer experience and operational efficiencies
  • As delighted to work on a Gantt chart as you are sketching a design solution
  • Excited to be challenged by high design expectations on a tight budget and timeline
  • Able to develop quantitative justification for qualitative design features
  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced, frequently changing work environment
  • You have:

  • Bachelors degree (or equivalent experience) in architecture 
  • 10 or more years of architectural design and project management experience
  • 5 or more years of cafe, restaurant, and/or retail design experience
  • 3 or more years of architectural rollout experience 
  • Global project management or direct global project experience
  • Experience in designing for a wide range of real estate typologies, including but not limited to warm and cold vanilla shell spaces, indoor and outdoor malls, transit centers, temporary use spaces, historic buildings, ground-up construction, and more across the US
  • Experience in designing small formats and temporary structures ie, food trucks, temporary pop-up structures,  trade shows, kiosks, and more. 
  • Strong proficiency in AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, and rendering software
  • Proficiency in project management tools, including Gantt charts, spreadsheets, etc.
  • A strong understanding of millwork design and fabrication methodologies
  • An understanding of Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Structural systems
  • Strong verbal, written, and graphic communication skills 
  • Last but not least, a deep love for great coffee, food, and exceptional hospitality
  • A few benefits we offer:

  • This position has a salary range of $120,000 - $166,000 annually. This salary is a good-faith estimate for this position. The final salary offer will be determined after reviewing relevant factors, which include a candidate's qualifications and experience, where appropriate.
  • Health, dental, and vision coverage for eligible employees starting on your first day
  • 401(k) plan
  • Paid time off
  • 50% discount on all products, both online and in-cafe. This includes food, beverages, whole-bean coffee, and merchandise
  • Flexible spending account & commuter benefits
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • And more!
  • Physical Requirements- The following is a list of the physical activity, requirements, and environmental factors related to this role. Blue Bottle is committed to partnering with all candidates and employees to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to meet the following:

  • Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word
  • Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication
  • Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers
  • Close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal and written documentation
  • Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Occasionally walking, climbing stairs, and standing occur in this role
  • Environment: this role is protected within a building, but may be exposed to mild changes in temperature with heating or air conditioning.
  • Travel:

  • This role requires travel up to 30%. Additional walking, stooping, sitting, and mobility may be required. Exposure to outside environmental elements may be experienced due to travel through airports, airplanes, and in between facilities
  • At Blue Bottle Coffee, you’ll be a vital part of our guests’ experience and a crucial link in delivering the most delicious coffee we can find to every person who walks through our doors, be it in person or online. If you’re ready to bring beautiful and thoughtfully rendered experiences to life, please apply and join us.

    Blue Bottle is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value an open mind, dedication to work, and a collaborative spirit. We hire based on these qualities, a job’s requirements, our business’s needs, and an applicant’s qualifications. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind—in the hiring process or in the workplace.

    We comply with the ADA and consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants/employees to perform essential functions. 

    We may refuse to hire relatives of present employees if doing so could result in actual or potential problems in supervision, security, safety, or morale, or if doing so could create conflicts of interest.

    We will consider employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

    We participate in E-Verify. We will provide the federal government with employees’ Form I-9 information to confirm authorization to work in the U.S. We will only use E-Verify once an employee has accepted a job offer and completed Form I-9.