Product & Training Manager
Coffee Planet llc
Total years of experience :24 years, 10 Months
Working as Product & Training Manager with Coffee Planet llc, based out of Dubai, UAE since 2005 is a largest roaster of Specialty-grade Arabica coffee in the Middle East. Responsible for overall new product development and
training activities of the organization.
Job Profile-
• Initiate, coordinate, execute and follow up on all new product development activities within the organization along with the help of roastery.
• Provide training support to all local and international clients, franchise partners and distributors as well as co-facilitating the course with trainers to provide the sense of direction in training endeavors.
• Update of product and training materials with contribution to the design, development and production of materials to ensure the consistency and quality of content as per the needs of the organization.
• Provide support and development of departmental trainers, cross-training activities on a regular basis.
• Assist in the creation, implementation and facilitation of new product development as well as of a training plan about coffee or beverages.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to design, develop and manage the new product and training rollout plans.
• Ensuring that product development and training programs are designed with a focus on company’s core values and culture.
• Setting up and defining the beverage standards for new as well as existing products with a strong focus on coffee.
• Organizing and participating in beverage tasting sessions to define and make sure that everyone follows the brand guidelines to meet the best results.
• Working along with franchise manager to develop the franchise concept as well as with new product additions and brand training activities.
• Working closely with roastery to keep the update on new and existing product range and guidelines.
• Participation in company organized local and international events.
• Working closely with brand operations manager, procurement, logistics, finance and other related departments to create, update and manage the project data with recipe creation, costing, financial models etc. for any new project.
Worked as Operations - Support & Training Manager with Natfood Foodstuff Trading llc, based in Dubai, U.A.E. Head quartered in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Supported new franchise partners to open the outlets known as ‘Cioconat Lounge’ from Natfood in KSA / Bahrain / UAE / Qatar / Jordon / Tunisia / India / Sri Lanka / Libya / Egypt) & in Europe (Malta / Sweden).
Job Profile-
• Identifying partnership opportunities for growth and expansion of the operation as per strategic plan.
• Building a team of resources to carry out business development activities in respective markets.
• Work with company G.M in scenario development and analysis for market planning.
• Work with POS and BOH system supplier to implement a uniform operating system for company and franchise cafés.
• Work closely with Head-Procurement to maximize the benefits of the market offerings. Strategy development/planning and to work with executive, functional and operating management to drive overall corporate, function and other business specific strategies.
• Work with architects, contractors, marketing, graphic designers and other local suppliers on day to day basic to deliver the solution to all local or international franchise partners.
• Developing new Food and Beverages with specification and implementation in the Lounges along with providing the training to the teams.
• Provides a full training to all new franchises as well as monitor the activities of current partners and help them improve there services as per local requirements.
• To coordinate new product launch and guidelines with operations manager/head or franchise partners in all café locations.
Feb. 2005 - July 2007 - worked as a Senior Executive F & B (North India) with Café Coffee Day, the biggest coffee chain in India and now in Asia with more than 1640 outlets throughout India
& abroad.
Job Profile-
• All kind of Training activities of food & beverages throughout North India.
• Food & Beverage Audits & maintaining Hygiene standards of cafés.
• R & D of Beverages / costing / cost control / Marketing plan
• Organizing & controlling different Coffee Competitions of company in North India
(Barista Championships / managers contest etc.)
• Taking care of all Quality aspects of Food & Beverage & setting up Food & Beverage
specifications.
• Vendor Management.
• Heading Beverage Team in North Region with 5 sub trainers
• Cost control / Budgeting for Beverage Team - North India
Apr2004-Nov2004: Worked as a commis chef in Quality Hotel, Manchester, UK.
Jan2003-Mar2004: Worked with Café Coffee Day, New Delhi an esteemed coffee chain in
India, a subsidy of Amalgamated Beans Coffee Trading Ltd. as a Team
Leader. Handling customers, opening / closing / generating reports were some of the main
tasks.
Apr2001-Mar2002: Worked as a commis Chef in Quality Hotel, Norwich, UK under the guidance of International Chefs working for Choice Group of Hotels, Europe.
• 2001-2002: Kitchen Team Member of the Year, 2001 held at Annual Award Function,
Quality Hotel, Norwich, UK.
Jan2000-June2000: Completed Six months as a kitchen trainee working with The Imperial Hotel,
New Delhi, Cross-trained in various cuisines.
• 1998-1999: Best Dessert (Black Forest Gateaux) in Annual Food Competition held at R.M.
Institute, New Delhi.
OTHERS
June1999-Aug1999: Worked with Jehan Numa Palace Hotel, Bhopal, M.P. as a vocational
trainee in kitchen.
AWARD RECEIVED
Aug 1998-2002: Diploma in Hospitality Management of American Hotel & Lodging Association, Michigan, USA, from R.M.I. New Delhi, India.
• 1996-1997: CBSE-AISSCE 97 from Central School, Allahabad UP, India.