AM Coffee Lead - Milli by Metric APPLY NOW

Milli by Metric is an all day café, bakery, and wine bar built around a simple belief: thoughtful sourcing, craft, and hospitality belong at the center of everything we do. Born from the work of Metric Coffee, our coffee program reflects years of relationships with producers, exporters, and partners across the coffee-growing world. Every coffee we serve carries a story, from farm to roast to cup.

At Milli, coffee sits alongside bread, food, and wine as part of a larger culture of hospitality. We care deeply about the details from how a shot is dialed in to how a guest is welcomed through the door. We are building a team of people who take pride in craft, are curious to learn, and understand that great cafés are built through consistency, accountability, and care.

The Coffee Lead at Milli plays a central role in shaping both the coffee program and the daily front-of-house experience of the café. This role sits at the intersection of roasting, bar operations, service leadership, and guest experience, helping guide the entire seed-to-cup journey while ensuring the café operates with clarity, efficiency, and intention.

Working closely with leadership and the Metric roasting team, the Coffee Lead ensures that every coffee served reflects the quality, transparency, and care that defines our program. At the same time, this role helps set the tone on the floor, supporting service, maintaining standards, and stepping into broader front-of-house responsibilities as needed.

This role reports to the operations leadership team and works closely with the Metric Coffee roastery team. This position is the counterpart to our PM Beverage Lead and will support their tasks regarding beverage preparation and quality control.

Key Responsibilities

Coffee Program & Bar Leadership

• Lead by example as a positive, steady presence behind the bar, setting the standard for both craft and hospitality
• Maintain dialing-in protocols across espresso, batch, and manual brewing
• Ensure consistency and quality across all coffee beverages
• Work closely with the Metric roasting team to provide feedback on coffees and roast profiles
• Manage coffee inventory, ordering, and rotation to ensure freshness and minimal waste
• Maintain and troubleshoot espresso machines, grinders, and brewing equipment
• Develop, collaborate and execute seasonal and special drink menus including shrubs, infusions and fermentations.
• Maintain updated knowledge of the rest of the beverage program including cocktails, wine, and beer, menu items and communicate any updates to the rest of the team. 

Training & Team Development

• Coach and mentor baristas in both technical skill and guest interaction
• Lead regular training and tastings to deepen understanding of origin, processing, and brewing through in person training as well as slack/email. 
• Support onboarding and development of new team members
• Hold the team accountable to standards while creating space for growth and learning

Front-of-House Operations

• Act as a floor leader during service, supporting both bar and café operations
• Assist with opening and closing procedures, ensuring the café is set up and reset to standard
• Support service flow across the café, including POS, food running, and guest interaction when needed
• Maintain clear communication between bar, kitchen, and service team during busy periods
• Step into service roles as needed to support the team and maintain a high level of execution
• Communicate with Chef about any changes/additions to menu items and relay accurate information to the rest of the team
• Ensure that pastry/ small plates are plated correctly and up to Milli standards

Guest Experience & Hospitality

• Set the tone for hospitality on the floor, ensuring every guest feels welcomed and taken care of
• Address guest needs, questions, and concerns with professionalism and care
• Help translate the coffee program to guests in a way that is approachable and engaging
• Ensure the café environment : cleanliness, organization, and energy, reflects our standards

Standards & Environment

• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe workspace across both bar and front-of-house areas
• Uphold all health, safety, and operational standards
• Help identify areas for improvement in workflow, service, and systems

Qualifications and Experience

• 2+ years of experience in Specialty Coffee
• Experience as a Lead Barista, Head Barista, or similar leadership role
• Strong technical knowledge of espresso, grinders, brew methods, and extraction
• Experience mentoring or managing a team
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, service-driven environment
• Ability to obtain and maintain required City of Chicago Food Handler Certification 
• Basset (alcohol service) Certification 
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel or Google Workspace.

Additional Qualities We Value

• Leads with humility, consistency, and accountability
• A calm, solutions-oriented presence during busy service
• A team player who understands that no role is above the floor
• Strong attention to detail across both product and service
• Genuine interest in coffee, food, and hospitality as a whole
• A strong passion for culinary arts and the hospitality industry at large

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand for extended periods and work on your feet during service
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds

What We Offer

• Competitive wages and benefits.
• Health insurance for full-time employees.
• Coffee and product discounts.
• Opportunities for growth within Milli and Metric Coffee.
• A chance to help shape one of Chicago’s most exciting new hospitality spaces.
• $18 hour plus tips

At Milli, we are committed to creating good jobs. We value diversity and always consider job applicants based on work experience, qualifications, and talent. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds, identities, skills, and abilities to apply.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing the application, interview or assessment process, please direct your inquiries to a member of the People team please email our FHM mico@milliallday.com