CoCuA Lead Specialist

Title: CoCuA Lead Program Specialist 

Reports to: CoCuA Program Manager  

Provides Supervision to: CoCuA FOH and BOH Staff

Status: Full Time Salaried, $45,000 – Non-Exempt; Estimated Start: April 4th, 2022 – flexible

Benefits: Kaiser 90% for employee 50% for family, Delta Dental 100% for employee 50% for family, LT, ST and life insurance, IRA retirement plan up to 3% match, Vacation/Sick time/Personal Time.

Mission of Focus Points Family Resource Center: To build better communities by strengthening families.

Scope of Organization: For 25 years, Focus Points has successfully worked to transform the lives of low-income families in Northeast Denver. Focus Points’ community-driven programs are aptly designed to address the myriad of challenges that our families face, helping them to move further along the pathway to self-resilience and fulfillment. The scope of our services is thus very broad, including early education, health and wellness, economic and workforce development, mental health support, basic needs assistance, public transportation, English Language Acquisition (ELA), and adult basic education. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. We encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Position Summary: 
The CoCuA Lead Specialist (Café & Commissary Operations) will be an experienced hospitality professional with experience in both the Front of House and Back of House, with a preference for Front of House experience.   They will work closely with the Program Manager and CoCuA team, and be responsible for directing the daily operations of the café and commissary space, coordinate program and curriculum activity, ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, as well as, CoCuA and Focus Points’ standards in all areas of operation, customer relations, restaurant maintenance and repair, inventory management, recruiting, controlling and reporting operation costs, identifying wastes, ensuring that the highest quality products and services are delivered to each customer, social media content collection, and other operational needs as they arise.

This position is responsible for supporting the program, operations, budget and grant expectations, in addition to following the guidance of the CoCuA program manager and health, fire, and safety regulations. The Lead Specialist will work with Focus Points participants, who typically come from immigrant, refugee, low-income, and other diverse backgrounds. The candidate selected for this position will be expected to receive additional training and professional development in areas related to working with families, compassion fatigue, team supervision, flexibility with changing circumstances, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Required Competencies

  • Hospitality Knowledge – Ability to support a café/bakery and commissary operation with multiple businesses operating simultaneously, using industry best practices to support developing and maintaining a successful business, program, and guest experience.
  • Management – Ability to organize, supervise, and facilitate tasks amongst staff, participants, and partners to effectively deliver quality programming, business targets, and community relationship building.
  • Training & Instructing – Ability to support the administration of the CoCuA curriculum based on participant workforce readiness or business goals, while adhering to the highest industry standards of hospitality and business training.
  • Written and Oral Communication – Ability to effectively communicate thoughts, ideas, and plans in written and verbal forms of communication to ensure quality drafting of standard operating procedures, coordinating events and communicating via electronic methods.
  • Record Keeping and Monitoring – Ability to track, and analyze data for participant evaluation, financial reporting, inventory management, and grant development to provide comprehensive monthly program updates.
  • Critical Thinking and Reasoning – Ability to use inductive and deductive reasoning along with prioritization and physical resources to confront and overcome complex program and business challenges.
  • Category Flexibility – Ability to shift between work modalities like hands-on restaurant service and administrative office tasks to meet the variety of work environments and demands of the position.

Technology – Ability to create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and communicate over various platforms (such as Microsoft Office Suite, Canva, and TOAST point of sale system) to effectively share information with staff, participants, partners, and guests in digital formats.

Preferred Competencies

  • Bilingual & Biliterate in Spanish Language – Advanced oral and written Spanish to support linguistic justice for Spanish speaking participants and ensure equitable access to information and social capital.

Management of Financial Resources – Ability to create a budget and manage revenue and expenses to effectively match financial resources to needs for positive program outcomes.

Physical Requirements

  • Reliable transportation and mobile phone service
  • Ability to bend, climb, and kneel regularly in a commercial kitchen setting
  • Ability to lift 25 pounds

Must be available to work 7a-4p Weekdays and Saturdays

Essential Functions

  • Promote a physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy and safe environment for all to work and learn  
  • Responsible for participant stipend submission to Dir. of Finance 
  • Coordinate 1:1 sessions and other program related meetings for participants with program manager  
  • Assist in coordinating the onboarding process for new participants  
  • Assist in the front of house and back of house, as needed for daily operations 
  • Work with and train front-of-house staff on understanding customer needs and point of sale functions  
  • Prepare financial reports for Program Manager, using TOAST POS data and other historical data
  • Assist in executing new ideas and opportunities for participants, program, and business  
  • Assist in developing a restaurant policies and procedures handbook for CoCuA    
  • Be available to answer participant and staff questions concerning operations 
  • Help train participants in day-to-day operations as well as longer-term training for program outcomes  
  • Assist with special events & media
  • Attend CoCuA, Social Enterprise, and Focus Points staff meetings
  • Support other Social Enterprise department programs, as needed
  • Support the development of programming and conduct educational programming
  • Support the planning and implementation of comprehensive inventory systems and oversight procedures
  • Delegate and support kitchen labor roles for program staff and participants
  • Support the Program Manager to supervise, mentor, and support participants, staff, and volunteers in the recruitment, implementation, and caseload maintenance of the program
  • Attend required training for Family Resource Center Association including Standards of Quality, Motivational Interviewing, Compassion Fatigue, and DEI Training
  • Serve as support for CoCuA participants with program implementation, including education, scheduling, resource connections, and goal tracking
  • Understand and support Program Manager to follow program logic model to deliver participant outcomes developed for funder and program requirements in collaboration with Director of Social Enterprise
  • Ensure accuracy of data collection
  • Assist in the creation of CoCuA annual program budget with Program Manager and Director
  • Coordinate CoCuA events, space rentals and PR logistics in collaboration with Program Manager and PR Contractor
  • Support Social Media contractor and Communication department with on-site content
  • Build relationship of support and mutual respect with all CoCuA families, partner organizations, and other Focus Points program participants
  • Understand and partner with the network of internal Focus Points departments and external partner organizations to coordinate resources and referrals for program families
  • Serve as a representative of the CoCuA program and Focus Points within the community

Support development of monthly program report with Program Manager

Diversity Statement

Personal or professional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as demonstrated by persistent effort, active planning, allocation of resources and/or accountability for diversity and inclusion outcomes. Applicant must share a commitment to anti-racist work.

How to apply

Send your resume, cover letter, 3 references, and contact information to:

Arden Lewis, Program Manager arden@focuspoints.org

*No phone calls please.

Focus Points Family Resource Center is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, military status, genetic information, ancestry, creed, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

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