The Strong Blak Coffee House Manager is responsible for the day-to-day commercial and operational

management of the cafe, ensuring a high standard of hospitality, table service, food and beverage quality, and

financial performance, while also delivering the social mission of the enterprise: providing meaningful

employment, skills training, and wellbeing support to staff who face complex personal or life circumstances.

This is a dual-focus role that balances commercial hospitality management with a trauma-informed, strengths-

based approach to workforce development.

Key Responsibilities

1. Hospitality & Operations Management

- Oversee daily cafe operations including table service standards, food and beverage quality, and cleanliness/compliance (food safety, WHS).
- Manage rosters, stock control, ordering, and supplier relationships.
- Monitor and manage budgets, sales targets, wastage, and cost control.
- Ensure compliance with relevant licensing, food safety, and workplace health and safety regulations.
- Maintain and improve customer experience, handling complaints and feedback constructively.
- Implement and refine systems/procedures (POS, stock, rostering, opening/closing checklists).

2. Staff Training & Development

- Design and deliver structured, on-the-job training programs in hospitality skills (barista skills, table service, food handling, POS use).
- Induct new trainees/employees, ensuring training is paced appropriately to individual capability and circumstance.
- Provide ongoing coaching and constructive feedback in a way that builds confidence and competence.
- Track and document individual training progress, competencies achieved, and development goals.
- Support pathways to accredited qualifications (e.g. Certificate II/III in Hospitality) where applicable.

3.



Supporting Employees with Complex Life Stresses

- Apply a trauma-informed and person-centred approach to team leadership and day-to-day supervision.
- Recognise signs of distress, disengagement, or crisis, and respond with appropriate care, boundaries, and escalation (e.g. referral to internal support staff, case managers, or external services).
- Adapt rosters, workloads, and expectations sensitively to support individual capacity while maintaining fair and consistent standards for the whole team.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries while fostering a psychologically secure, non-judgmental team culture.
- Liaise with external support agencies, case workers, or referral partners as needed (with appropriate confidentiality and consent).
- Model and reinforce workplace expectations (attendance, conduct, safety) in a way that is firm, fair, and supportive rather than punitive.
- Foster an inclusive, respectful, and psychologically safe team culture.
- Lead by example in customer service, professionalism, and resilience.
- Manage performance and conduct issues fairly, balancing commercial standards with the enterprise's social mission.
- Contribute to recruitment and selection of trainees/staff, in partnership with the social enterprise's support/referral team.

5. Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement

- Report on commercial performance (sales, costs, wastage) and social outcomes (training completions,



employment pathways, retention) to CEO.
- Represent the cafe and social enterprise to customers, community partners, funders, and visitors.

Key Selection Criteria

- Proven experience in hospitality/cafe or restaurant management (venue operations, rostering, stock, budgets, table service standards).
- Demonstrated experience training, coaching, or supervising staff.
- Understanding of, or willingness to be trained in, trauma-informed practice and working with people facing
- Working knowledge of, or willingness to be trained in, the Restaurant Industry Award (MA ), including classification streams and levels.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to set clear, fair boundaries with empathy.
- Sound financial and operational management skills.
- Current Food Safety Supervisor certificate (or willingness to obtain).
- Current Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate, if the venue serves liquor.
- Working with Vulnerable People / Working with Children Check (as relevant to jurisdiction).
- Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, or hospitality-related qualification (e.g. Certificate III/IV in Hospitality).
- Prior experience in a social enterprise, not-for-profit, or community services setting.
- Experience liaising with case managers, community services, or employment support agencies.

Key Attributes

- Patient, calm, and steady under pressure.
- Non-judgmental and empathetic, without compromising on operational standards.
- Resilient and able to maintain healthy professional boundaries.
- Adaptable - able to balance commercial priorities with individual staff needs.
- Strong sense of purpose aligned with the social enterprise's mission.

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📌 Cafe Manager (City of Greater Geraldton)
🏢 Geraldton Streetwork Aboriginal
📍 City of Greater Geraldton