About us
We are a chai café in Australia. We opened because there was a real gap in the market for chai done properly — and it worked. We now sell over 57,000 cups of chai a year from a single store, we are up 29% year on year, and we have a packaged chai blend launching, a Diwali gifting range in production, and a second site being scouted.
We are small and founder-led. Decisions get made in a day, not a quarter. You will see the direct effect of your work on a real business, every week.
Why this role exists
We run five workstreams — SOPs and food costing, customer loyalty, new launches and occasions, our packaged product, and marketing. Each has an owner. What we do not have is one person who holds the whole picture and drives it forward.
This is not an assistant role. We are looking for someone who will run things, not wait to be told what to do.
What you will own
The operating rhythm
- Own our weekly operating review end to end — build the pack, and come to the meeting with your own read on what the numbers are saying, not just a summary of what other people sent you
- Keep our boards honest: nothing undated, nothing unowned, nothing quietly stale
- Track every deadline across the business and flag slippage before it becomes a problem
Sourcing and supplier management
- Research, shortlist and qualify suppliers in India and internationally — packaging, ingredients, equipment, gifting, print
- Build and own the landed-cost model: unit cost, MOQ, freight, duty, lead time, certification. Not headline price
- Handle export logistics into Australia — freight forwarders, incoterms, HS codes, customs documentation, and Australian food labelling requirements
- Negotiate terms with shortlisted suppliers and bring us a recommendation with the numbers behind it. You research, qualify and recommend; the founder signs
Cost control
- Own our recipe cards and standard operating procedures — build them, keep them current, and make sure they match what actually happens in the kitchen
- Own the food-cost number: theoretical versus actual, weekly stock count, and a monthly variance review where you explain the gap and what to do about it
- Find money we are losing. Bring it to us with evidence
Projects
- Run our seasonal and launch projects as real projects — critical path, dependencies, supplier lead times worked backwards from the date. Diwali gifting is the first one
- Prepare briefs, options and research so decisions can be made quickly
Support the team
- Work alongside our managers. This is a coordinating and driving role, not a supervisory one. Your job is to remove blockers and keep the plates spinning
- Ad-hoc work will come your way — supplier calls, deliveries into Australia, a social media task, a report we need by tomorrow. You take it on without being chased
Who we are looking for
Essential
- 3+ years minimum in hospitality, F&B, café, QSR, cloud kitchen, hotel or restaurant operations in India. This is not negotiable — you need to already understand how a food business runs
- Real, demonstrable experience in at least two of: supplier sourcing and procurement, food costing / COGS, SOP and process build, or project management with hard deadlines
- Excellent written and spoken English. You will be writing briefs, supplier enquiries and emails that represent us to Australian and international businesses
- Confident on the phone with people who do not yet know us — and able to get an answer out of them
- Strong with numbers and spreadsheets. You are comfortable building a cost model, not just filling in a template
- Organised to the point of being slightly annoying about it. You follow up. You do not let things drop
- Proactive. We will not hand you a task list every morning. You work out what needs doing and come to us with it. We want someone who helps us find the right people and build this business, not someone who processes tasks
- Trello, Google Sheets and Drive, WhatsApp
- Reliable internet, a quiet workspace, and your own laptop
Advantageous
- Experience working with an overseas client or employer
- Interest in chai, coffee, or Indian food culture
Not required: a degree, or any experience working in Australia.
Hours
Monday to Saturday, From 9:30am to 6:30pm IST. Second and fourth Saturday are off.
These hours overlap the second half of the Australian trading day — deliberately. That is when the work actually happens: end-of-day reconciliation, supplier ordering, reporting, and preparing the next day. You will have a daily check-in with the founder and one longer weekly review, both inside your normal hours.
Occasional flexibility around launches and festivals is appreciated and will always be planned in advance, never sprung on you.
The offer
- ₹28,000 – ₹35,000 per month, depending on experience and what you can demonstrate
- Full-time, ongoing role. You will be employed with us, with a 30-day mutual notice period
- Paid monthly, at the end of the month, every time
- Tools and software provided by us; you use your own laptop
- We start with a two-week paid trial project so both sides can see whether this works before committing. You are paid for it either way
- Flexible schedule around agreed hours · paid sick leave
How to apply
Send us:
- Your CV
- A short note — no more than 200 words — answering one question: tell us about a time you sourced something difficult, or fixed a process that was broken. What did you actually do?
- Your notice period
The note is mandatory. Applications without it will not be read. We care more about how you think than where you have worked.
Process: a 30-minute introductory call, then a longer conversation with the founder and one of our managers, then the paid trial project. We will tell you where you stand at every stage.
Work location: Remote (India)
Pay: From ₹350,879.43 per year
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Paid sick time
Work Location: Remote
