1. Role Particulars

Role Title: Area Manager – Sales & Operations

Team: HO

Job Level: Level I

Location: Mumbai

Reports to: Food Service – Unit Lead

2. Purpose of Role

Area Manager – Wild Bean Café will be fully accountable for the sales, profitability, operations, customer experience, inventory, training, compliance, and business expansion of company-aligned Wild Bean Cafés operating in corporate parks and high-street locations through third-party operators.

Despite third-party operations, 100% responsibility for performance, brand standards, governance, and stakeholder relationships will rest with this role. The incumbent will also drive new café expansion through internal stakeholder alignment and corporate relationship development.

3. Key Results / Accountabilities

Wild Bean Café

• Own complete P&L for the assigned portfolio of cafés and ensure sustained profitability.
• Drive sales growth through pricing, promotions, product mix, upselling, and footfall strategies.
• Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly business performance and take corrective actions.
• Ensure consistent brand standards, service quality, hygiene, and food safety across all locations.
• Oversee store operations despite third-party manpower, ensuring adherence to SOPs.
• Personally intervene in critical customer escalations and drive permanent resolution.
• End-to-end ownership of ordering & replenishment, inventory control & stock audits, shrinkage, wastage & yield management.
• Ensure zero stock-outs of critical SKUs and coffee beans. Maintain strict controls on expiry, pilferage, and process leakages.
• Ensure 100% compliance with company policies, FSSAI norms, government regulations, food safety and hygiene audits.
• Raise and sustain food safety and quality awareness across all cafés.
• Drive closure of audit non-compliances within defined timelines.

Training & People Capability Building

• Barista training, service excellence programs, safety & hygiene certifications.
• Build a strong capability pipeline across third-party teams.
• Conduct performance reviews of operators and frontline teams.

Stakeholder Management & Expansion

• Build strong working relationships with corporate admin & facility teams, landlords & site owners, and internal stakeholders (Projects, Supply Chain, Finance, HR, Procurement, Marketing).
• Actively identify expansion opportunities inside existing and new corporate campuses.
• Evaluate and recommend new café opportunities in corporate and high-street locations.
• Drive commercial feasibility, internal approvals, operator onboarding, store commissioning, audits, documentation, manpower, uniforms, and go-live coordination.

Marketing & Promotions

• Implement marketing campaigns, product launches, sampling activities, and festive promotions.
• Drive corporate engagement programs.
• Ensure visibility, branding, and consumer activation at all locations.

Operator Governance & Performance Control

• Select, onboard, and evaluate third-party operators.
• Conduct regular business and compliance reviews.
• Enforce commercial discipline, store hygiene standards, and brand compliance.
• Take corrective actions including warnings, penalties, or operator exit where required.

4. Key Challenges

• Managing full accountability without direct control.
• Ensuring operating standards are met across the region.
• Balancing profitability with rising input costs.

5. Other Relevant Information

Working with the training team to ensure staff have the skills and knowledge to implement and operate Wild Bean Café and marketing programs.

6. Experience & Expertise

• Experience of food and beverage service in a retail environment.
• 3–5 years’ experience handling multiple units as an area manager, store manager, or similar managerial role.
• Sound understanding of optimization of store operations and standards for success.
• A sound working knowledge of the Indian Food Law.
• Proven analytical, problem-solving, and process ability.
• Quick Service Restaurant managerial / operational experience.
• Knowledge of performance evaluation metrics and principles.

7. Economic Dimensions

• Accountable for operations and profitability of multiple cafés.

8. Country / Cluster Specific Information

RIL and BP have recently set up a joint venture in the fuel value chain wherein 51% will be held by RIL and 49% will be held by BP. The venture expects to expand from RIL’s current fuel retailing network of over 1,400 retail sites across India to up to 5,500 retail sites over the next five years.

The retail network operates under the Jio-BP brand, signalling a paradigm shift in fuels marketing and mobility solutions in India. It brings together Reliance’s extensive access and connection to consumers through its Jio digital platform and BP’s deep experience in fuel retailing around the world.

The joint venture will seek to offer Indian consumers high-quality differentiated fuels and convenience. As part of the convenience offer, we plan to introduce the food & beverage offer through Wild Bean Café, which is owned by BP and operational in 18 countries. Wild Bean Café will be available to customers at our Jio-BP retail outlets as well as at metro stations, shopping malls, corporate parks, and airports in key Indian cities.

Jio-BP, bringing together the strengths of both partners, offers a wide range of career and development opportunities in a big organization with a start-up mindset.

9. HSSE Accountabilities

• Ensures full compliance with all functional and HSSE standards applicable to Wild Bean Cafés, with a focus on food safety.

10. Required Competencies

• Founder-owner mindset.
• Self-starter.
• Negotiation skills.
• Communication and influencing skills.
• Customer focus.
• Performance bias.
• Excellent organization and leadership abilities.
• Analytical thinking.
• Strong multi-tasking and time management skills.
• Good ability to handle ambiguity.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities.
• Team player.