Global Head of Brand Operations, Blue Bottle Coffee
$168-253k
More information about location
Coffee roaster and retailer
Be an early applicant
Coffee roaster and retailer
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
$168-253k
More information about location
1001+ employees
Company mission
To provide great coffee for everyone.
Role
Who you are
- An exceptional operator who brings structure, clarity, and momentum to complex organizations
- A strategic thinker who can design scalable systems while remaining deeply connected to day-to-day execution
- An influential leader who excels in matrixed global organizations, aligning diverse stakeholders around shared priorities and outcomes
- A natural connector who builds trusted relationships across teams, functions, and regions
- Highly organized with outstanding attention to detail, balancing multiple priorities without losing sight of the bigger picture
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity, creating clarity where none exists, and helping organizations move confidently through change
- An outstanding communicator who simplifies complexity and ensures information flows to the right people at the right time
- A collaborative leader who develops people, improves ways of working, and fosters an inclusive, high-performing team culture
- Curious about better ways of working, always seeking opportunities to improve processes, planning, and organizational effectiveness
- Passionate about exceptional coffee, thoughtful design, hospitality, and creating remarkable guest experiences
- 10+ years of experience leading Brand Operations, Creative Operations, Studio Operations, Production, Program Management, or similar operational leadership functions
- Experience building and scaling operational systems within high-performing creative, marketing, or design organizations
- Proven success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives across global and matrixed organizations
- Deep understanding of integrated marketing, creative development, content production, and launch planning
- Expertise implementing and optimizing project management systems, production workflows, and operational processes
- Experience managing production budgets, agency relationships, vendor negotiations, and external partners
- Exceptional organizational, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills
- Outstanding judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to balance strategic priorities with operational execution
- Experience working across Asia and an appreciation for regional cultural and business nuances
- Professional fluency in English is required. Mandarin or Japanese language proficiency is a strong plus
What the job involves
- Global Head of Brand Operations is the operational leader of Blue Bottle Coffee's Global Brand Center of Excellence
- Reporting to the Chief Brand Officer, this role is responsible for building the systems, processes, and operating rhythms that enable our global brand organization to deliver exceptional work with clarity, consistency, and speed
- As the connective tissue across Marketing, Creative, Communications, Product Management, Architecture & Café Design, and regional brand teams, you will orchestrate the planning, communication, and execution of global brand initiatives across our global markets
- You will create alignment across teams, functions, and geographies—ensuring the right people have the right information at the right time to bring our brand to life with excellence
- This role blends strategic thinking with operational rigor. You will establish the frameworks that guide how the Brand organization works—from annual planning and seasonal campaign development to creative operations, production, governance, and cross-functional communications. Success requires exceptional organizational leadership, the ability to influence without authority, and a passion for helping teams do their very best work
- Lead the operational strategy for Blue Bottle's Global Brand Center of Excellence, establishing the systems, governance, and ways of working that enable world-class brand execution
- Own the annual brand planning process, global marketing calendar, seasonal planning cadence, and cross-functional workback schedules across all markets
- Orchestrate communication and alignment across global and regional teams, ensuring priorities, timelines, dependencies, and decisions are visible and understood
- Lead project management standards, tools, and best practices across the Brand organization, continuously improving efficiency and collaboration
- Partner closely with Marketing, Creative, Communications, Product Management, Architecture & Café Design, and regional leadership to successfully execute global campaigns, launches, and strategic initiatives
- Oversee global brand budgets, production planning, and resource allocation in partnership with regional teams
- Serve as Executive Producer for global creative productions, including production planning, agency and vendor management, contract negotiation, and budget oversight
- Establish scalable production processes and governance for global and regional creative development, including seasonal campaigns, photography, film, and content creation
- Drive launch readiness for new cafés, major brand initiatives, and product introductions by coordinating milestones, communications, and cross-functional dependencies
- Lead seasonal business reviews, hindsight sessions, reporting, and organizational learnings that improve future planning and execution
- Continuously identify opportunities to simplify workflows, improve communication, and strengthen operational excellence across the Brand organization
Our take
Founded in 2002, Blue Bottle Coffee is a coffee roaster and retailers that became a major player in the third wave coffee movement, helped in part by the investment and expansion opportunities created through Nestlé's majority acquisition in 2017. Blue Bottle now operates more than 100 stores across the US and Asia, and continues to expand product collaborations, read-to-drink beverages, and merchandizing.
Blue Bottle Coffee's subscription business grew significantly following shifts in customer behavior toward premium at-home coffee experiences and recurring subscription services. Showing the company's ability to build a loyal customer base and capitalize on growing demand for higher-quality coffee products outside of traditional cafés.
The company also benefits from the pandemic period, where its scale and backing from Nestlé helped it remain resilient while smaller independent cafés struggled or closed completely.
However, Blue Bottle has now entered a new chapter following Nestlé's decision to sell the company as part of a wider strategy to streamline its portfolio and focus on core brands. The move reflects changing priorities withing Nestlé rather than weakness in Blue Bottle itself, with the brand remaining a recognized name in premium coffee and well positioned to continue growing.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
7% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 4 rounds)
Jun 2015
$70m
SERIES C
Jan 2014
$25.7m
SERIES B
Total funding: $135.7m
Company HQ
Old Oakland, Oakland, CA
Leadership
James Freeman
(Founder)Former Music Analyst at Mongo music and freelance musician.
Karl Strovink
(CEO)Karl initially joined the Blue Bottle team as the President and COO in 2019, becoming CEo in 2020. Prior to this, they spent over 10 years at Converse, holding various VP/GM roles.
Salary benchmarks
We don't have enough data yet to provide salary benchmarks for this role.
Submit your salary to help other candidates with crowdsourced salary estimates.
Share this job
View 1 more job at Blue Bottle Coffee