The Role
Lead the end-to-end learning and development function across pan-India cafe outlets. Responsibilities include creating training strategies, onboarding baristas, developing SOPs and learning materials, conducting assessments, managing competency and individual development plans, maintaining training MIS, and supporting internal promotion pipelines. The role requires extensive travel, stakeholder coordination, and consistent execution of operational, service, grooming, and product training standards across regions.
Summary Generated by Built In
Key Responsibilities1. Training Strategy & Leadership
- Lead and execute the overall Learning & Development strategy across all abcoffee outlets pan India.
- Establish standardised training frameworks, learning calendars and development programmes aligned with business and operational requirements.
- Identify organisational training needs and skill gaps across regions and develop targeted interventions.
- Drive consistency in service quality, product knowledge and operational excellence across all outlets.
- Partner with Operations, HR and departmental leadership to align training initiatives with business objectives.
- Lead structured induction and onboarding programmes for all newly hired baristas.
- Design and implement comprehensive On-the-Job Training (OJT) plans for existing and newly launched outlets.
- Ensure new employees are equipped with the required coffee knowledge, product understanding, machine handling and customer service skills.
- Monitor training effectiveness and individual learning progress across locations.
- Conduct regular outlet visits and hands-on training interventions to assess operational competency.
- Create, design and continuously update training modules, presentations, workbooks and learning materials from scratch.
- Develop and implement standardised SOPs, training manuals and operational assessment frameworks.
- Establish structured learning modules covering coffee fundamentals, brewing techniques, equipment handling, service standards and outlet operations.
- Simplify complex concepts into engaging and easy-to-understand learning formats.
- Collaborate with department heads to obtain approvals and incorporate feedback into training content.
- Design and implement structured assessments to evaluate baristas' theoretical knowledge and practical competencies.
- Establish assessment benchmarks, ensuring a minimum passing score of 80%.
- Track individual performance through assessments, practical evaluations and feedback mechanisms.
- Identify skill gaps and implement corrective training programmes.
- Maintain comprehensive training records and competency matrices across all regions.
- Lead and standardise grooming and behavioural training programmes across all outlets.
- Plan, organise and execute regular Sunday learning and development sessions across regions.
- Introduce engaging learning initiatives, practical demonstrations and interactive training activities.
- Ensure consistent adherence to brand presentation, hygiene and customer service standards.
- Develop and implement structured Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for baristas.
- Identify high-potential employees and create career development pathways.
- Track employee performance, skill progression and readiness for higher responsibilities.
- Build a structured internal promotion pipeline through competency-based evaluations.
- Work closely with Operations and HR to enable internal career progression and improve employee retention.
- Establish and maintain comprehensive training MIS, attendance records, assessment reports and IDP trackers.
- Monitor training coverage, effectiveness, participation and regional performance.
- Prepare periodic training dashboards and share progress reports with senior management.
- Collect feedback from Area Managers, Regional Managers and department heads to continuously improve training effectiveness.
- Drive accountability for training completion and implementation across all regions.
- Establishment and successful execution of a standardised Pan-India training framework.
- Completion of induction and onboarding programmes within defined timelines.
- Timely development and implementation of SOPs, OJT plans and training modules.
- Improvement in barista competency, operational knowledge and service standards.
- Consistent execution of grooming and Sunday learning initiatives across regions.
- Accurate maintenance of training MIS, IDPs and assessment documentation.
- Development of a sustainable internal promotion pipeline through structured learning initiatives.
- Improved employee performance, engagement and retention through effective L&D interventions.
- Induction Completion Rate: Ensure 100% of new hires complete induction within their first three working days.
- Assessment Success Score: Ensure at least 85% of trained baristas score 80% or above in post-training assessments.
- OJT Implementation: Ensure 100% rollout of structured OJT plans for all newly launched outlets.
- Training Effectiveness: Demonstrate measurable improvement in employee competency through pre- and post-training assessments.
- Training Module Completion: Ensure all SOPs, IDPs and training decks are developed or updated at least five days before scheduled sessions.
- Promotion Pipeline Enablement: Identify and enable a minimum of two baristas per month for potential promotion through IDP tracking.
- Sunday Learning Engagement: Achieve at least 90% average participation in Sunday training sessions across regions.
- Pan-India Training Coverage: Ensure training coverage across 100% of newly launched outlets within the first 15 days of opening.
- Training Feedback Score: Maintain over 90% positive feedback from baristas and Area Managers.
- Training Documentation Accuracy: Maintain an error rate of less than 2% in training records and IDP documentation.
- Regional Training Compliance: Ensure consistent implementation of training standards and SOPs across all operational regions.
- Stakeholder Satisfaction: Maintain effective coordination and positive feedback from Operations and departmental leadership.
- Strong leadership, communication and presentation skills.
- Excellent training facilitation and instructional design capabilities.
- Ability to develop training strategies and execute them at scale.
- Strong understanding of frontline employee training and capability development.
- Ability to simplify complex concepts and engage diverse employee populations.
- Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional coordination skills.
- Excellent analytical, organisational and documentation skills.
- Proficiency in MS Excel, Word and Canva.
- Willingness to travel extensively across India.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Education, Hospitality, Training & Development or a related field.
- Prior experience in Learning & Development, Training or Operations Training within the QSR, retail, hospitality or café industry.
- Experience in independently leading training initiatives across multiple locations or regions.
- Proven experience in developing training frameworks, SOPs, assessment models, OJT programmes and IDPs.
- Certification in Training & Facilitation, Learning & Development or Instructional Design will be an added advantage.
- Experience managing multilingual and diverse frontline employee populations.
- MS Excel
- MS Word
- Canva
- PowerPoint / Presentation Tools
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Education, Hospitality, Training and Development, or a related field
- Prior experience in Learning and Development, training, or operations training within the QSR, retail, hospitality, or cafe industry
- Experience independently leading training initiatives across multiple locations or regions
- Experience developing training frameworks, SOPs, assessment models, OJT programs, and IDPs
- Certification in Training and Facilitation, Learning and Development, or Instructional Design
- Experience managing multilingual and diverse frontline employee populations
- Strong leadership, communication, presentation, facilitation, and instructional design skills
- Ability to develop training strategies and execute them at scale
- Strong understanding of frontline employee training and capability development
- Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional coordination skills
- Excellent analytical, organizational, and documentation skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Canva, and Microsoft PowerPoint or presentation tools
- Willingness to travel extensively across India
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The Company
What We Do
abcoffee is an Indian grab-and-go coffee company focused on making high-quality beverages available quickly at rationalized prices. Founded by Abhijeet, the brand launched with a single café in Versova in 2022 and has expanded to more than 80 outlets across five cities. Its mobile app supports pre-orders, reduces waiting time, and provides customers with exclusive daily deals, combining convenient retail service with digital ordering.
