Organization: Contemporary Arts Center

About this position:

Job Title: Café Manager

Reports To: Deputy Director & Chief Business Officer

Position Status: Full-Time Hourly, Non-Exempt

New Position: September 2023

Location: Cincinnati, OH

Compensation: $19 per hour, competitive package of health benefits and PTO

ABOUT THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER:

MISSION STATEMENT: The Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) brings art and the creative process to all people through exhibitions, performances, and experiences that open minds.

CAC BACKGROUND: The CAC was founded in 1939 by three women with their eyes on the future. Today, our purpose is to champion open minds and foster an inclusive culture by using contemporary art and mutual learning as vehicles for connecting people, cultivating creativity, and catalyzing curiosity.

The CAC now operates on a $4.7M annual operating budget and offers 4 - 5 significant exhibitions per year, including group and solo exhibitions originated by CAC curator(s), guest curators, and touring exhibition partners. It is the oldest non-collecting contemporary art center in the country and one of the largest, occupying an 80,000 sq. ft. building, with approximately 22,000 sq. ft. devoted to exhibition and performance space. With new executive leadership in place and a completed $5M+ renovation of its educational facility, the CAC is poised to continue its 85-year legacy of presenting new commissions by emerging and established artists, as well as thematic group exhibitions that foster local, national, and international resonances.

A strong emphasis on curatorial research and institutional partnerships has led to the CAC generating a number of major touring exhibitions and co-commissions with entities such as Kunstraum Kreuzberg (Berlin), MIT List Visual Arts Center (Cambridge), the New Museum (New York), and FotoFocus Biennial (Cincinnati). Recent solo projects have featured the work of Tania Candiani, Ugo Rondinone, Steffani Jemison, Vhils, and Do Ho Suh, through which each artist developed significant interventions that attended to a range of timely concepts.

LOCATION: The CAC is located in an architectural gem in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art was heralded by The New York Times as “the most important American building to be completed since the end of the cold war” and was lauded for its community-centric approach to the design process.

OVERVIEW OF POSITION

The Café Manager is responsible for the overall operation of a vibrant café space in the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) Lobby, including menu development, F&B vendor management, food preparation, cooking, service, and cleanup. The CAC café provides a valuable amenity for our guests and our Central Business District community. The Café Manager would strive to create an experience that will serve families and professionals alike through brunch/lunch options, coffee, soft beverages and prepacked wine and beer options.

PAY, BENEFITS, LONG-TERM GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES: This full-time position takes place on-site at the CAC, Wednesday-Sunday. The Café Manager may work evenings and weekends as needed. The hourly pay rate starts at $19 per hour, and benefits include medical, vision, dental, and paid parental leave; access to retirement savings; generous vacation time, sick/personal days, and paid holidays; and access to professional development opportunities, employee assistance program, CAC membership, and CAC Museum Shop and Café employee discounts.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

Oversee the daily operations of the kitchen, including menu development, food preparation, cooking, beverage service, and cleanup.

Ensure that all food and beverages are prepared to our high standards of quality and safety.

Maintain standards and specifications related to food preparation and food handling daily.

Maintain a clean and organized kitchen.

Order and inventory food and supplies.

Accountable to maximize daily sales and effectively manage costs and labor.

Recruiting, retaining, supervising, and training café staff.

Resolve any café issues that arise.

Ensure compliance with all environmental and health board requirements related to the preparation and service of food and beverage.

Ensure that all accounting, reporting, product ordering, and deposits are conducted according to CAC standards and procedures.

Focus on providing each customer with excellent food, beverage, and service.

ALL OF THESE DUTIES ARE TO BE DONE WITH OVERALL CAC BUSINESS IN MIND. THE PERSON IN THIS POSITION WILL BE CONCIOUS OF OTHER CAC PROGRAMS, EXHIBITION NEEDS AND CAC POLICY AND PROCEDURES.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Culinary degree or equivalent experience.

High School Diploma or equivalent.

A minimum of two years of management experience in full-service or casual dining/quality dining restaurants.

Strong communication and organizational skills.

Leadership skills with the ability to motivate and manage all levels of staff.

Ability to create and maintain a team-oriented environment.

Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Understanding of managing inventory, cost of goods, and overall control of financials.

An HACCP or Serv-Safe (or similar) food safety training and certificate.

21+ (legal age to serve wine and beer in the State of Ohio).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

Must be able to stand and walk for periods of at least eight hours in length each shift.

Must have the ability to lean, bend, and reach as necessary.

Must be able to lift various objects weighing up to 30 lbs. At times it might be necessary to lift up to 50 lbs.

Must be able to work around various levels of temperature, including warm to very warm temperatures in the kitchen.

Must have the ability to work with assorted kitchen equipment and utensils.

Able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

TO APPLY

Interested candidates are asked to please provide a resume and cover letter to hiring manager Aly Laughlin, Human Resources Director, at alaughlin@cincycac.org by September 22, 2023. Include “Application: Café Manager” in the subject line of your email.

RECRUITMENT & HIRING

The CAC is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) where all applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, Veteran, or disability status.

More information can be found here.