People Partner, Blue Bottle Coffee
$94-125k
More information about location
Coffee roaster and retailer
Be an early applicant
Coffee roaster and retailer
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
$94-125k
More information about location
1001+ employees
Company mission
To provide great coffee for everyone.
Role
Who you are
- A strategic thinker who combines business acumen, data-driven insights, and sound judgment to make high-impact people decisions
- An influential people leader who builds trust at all levels and serves as a credible advisor on complex people and organizational matters
- Someone who champions talent development and high performance, balancing advocacy for team member growth with the ability to address performance gaps and drive accountability
- A collaborative business partner who builds trust-based relationships with all levels of Blue Bottlers and can influence at all levels of the company
- A clear, compelling communicator who can translate complex people strategies into actionable plans and present confidently to all levels of leadership
- Highly organized and results-oriented, with the ability to manage competing priorities in an evolving environment
- 6+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 4 years as a People Partner (HRBP) supporting multi-unit food & beverage, retail hospitality, or similar operationally complex environments
- Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree, SPHR/SHRM-SCP certification, or equivalent experience preferred
- Expertise in federal, state, and local employment law, labor & employee relations, and regulatory compliance, with specific experience in NYC Fair Work Week and Earned Safe and Sick Time regulations
- Demonstrated expertise across the full spectrum of HR disciplines-including new location openings, talent management, compensation and benefits strategy, and workforce planning-with the ability to apply strategic judgment to complex, market-specific situations
- Superb judgement and integrity with the ability to make sound, timely decisions that balance risk, business impact, and employee experience
What the job involves
- Blue Bottle is writing a new chapter to the story and traditions of coffee and hospitality, and the People Partner, NYC Metro, will help us support the company and culture to do it. Under the direction of the Sr. Director, U.S. People, this is an amazing opportunity to serve as a strategic advisor to cafe leadership, aligning people strategy with business objectives at one of the fastest-growing specialty coffee and consumer brands in the world
- Blue Bottlers love our company, products, and mission - a great foundation from which to make Blue Bottle the place to start and pursue a career in world-class hospitality and delicious food & beverage
- Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to cafe leadership, providing guidance and support on day-to-day people matters, reviews, performance management, and other people-related matters
- Partner with business leaders on workforce planning and talent strategy, identify and mitigate retention risks, strengthen leadership capability and high-performing teams, and proactively support succession planning
- Conduct regular cafe visits to assess the team dynamics, leadership effectiveness, and overall organizational health, leveraging observations and data to identify trends and recommend proactive people strategies to strengthen team member engagement and increase workforce effectiveness
- Synthesize field insights, workforce analytics, and stakeholder feedback to influence the strategic direction of People initiatives, operational priorities, and team member development investments
- Maintain cross-functional partnerships across the People function to ensure company-wide programs are strategically designed, effectively deployed, and continuously improved based on business need, impact, and team member feedback
- Lead cross-functional project teams to deliver strategic People initiatives on time and to specification, ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals and measurable business impact
- Maintain expertise in all regulatory requirements and HR best practices across the assigned geographies, proactively advising leadership on compliance risks and emerging trends
- Partner with People Relations to ensure consistent, positive team member experience across the cafes while honoring all regulatory obligations
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.
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