Key Responsibilities

1. 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.

2. Barista Onboarding & Operational Training

  • 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.

3. Training Content & SOP Development

  • 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.

4. Assessments & Competency Management

  • 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.

5. Grooming & Learning Initiatives

  • 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.

6. Talent Development & IDP Management

  • 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.

7. Training MIS & Stakeholder Management

  • 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.

Key Result Areas (KRAs)

  • 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.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

A. Personal Impact

  • 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.

B. Organisational Wins

  • 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.

C. Team Excellence

  • 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.

Skills & Competencies

  • 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.

Educational Qualifications & Experience

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 cafĂ© 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.

Tools & Software

  • MS Excel
  • MS Word
  • Canva
  • PowerPoint / Presentation Tools

Role Expectation: The Training Lead will own the end-to-end training function across abcoffee's Pan-India operations, ensuring scalable learning systems, consistent brand and operational standards, employee capability development and a strong internal talent pipeline.