---
title: 'Student Cafe Operating Officer (UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH) at Saxbys'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/student-cafe-operating-officer-university-of-pittsburgh-saxbys-pittsburgh-5vbeb472737m'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-13'
---

# Student Cafe Operating Officer (UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH) at Saxbys

- **Company:** Saxbys
- **Location:** Pittsburgh, PA
- **Posted:** 2025-09-09
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-13
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/saxbys/jobs/8160779002

## Job description

Accepting applications for Fall 2026 and future semesters!

Who We Are: Saxbys® is a hospitality company fueled by our rave-worthy menu, driven by its mission to Make Life Better®, and fiercely dedicated to social impact in the communities it serves. But Saxbys greatest resource of all? Our people. We’re not looking for employees: we’re looking for teammates. We’re not hoping to hire you for a job: we’re hoping to help build your career.

Join us in our goal to bring our Experiential Learning Platform to college campuses across the country. We are looking for team members who are passionate about equipping the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs with the skills they will need to succeed in the future workplace. If this is the type of work that gets you up in the morning, we’d love for you to consider joining our team.

Job purpose: As the Student COO of a Saxbys cafe you will gain invaluable experience developing a team, and managing the financials & business fundamentals of a bustling cafe.  While you will have the full support and resources of the Saxbys headquarters team, you will also have unparalleled ownership of the entrepreneurial and operational processes.

## What You Will Own

- Team Development: Build and lead a high-performing team of peers through effective recruiting, training, coaching, and performance management to create a positive work environment that embodies Saxbys' values and culture.
- Community Leadership: Establish the cafe as a community cornerstone through exceptional hospitality, meaningful partnerships, and impactful initiatives that demonstrate Saxbys' commitment to making life better.
- Financial Management: Drive cafe profitability by managing sales growth, labor costs, inventory, and overall operational efficiency while maintaining Saxbys' high standards for product quality and guest experience.
- Brand Representation: Serve as the face of Saxbys on campus, effectively communicating the company's mission, values, and Experiential Learning Platform to stakeholders, guests, and potential team members.

Who You Will Support

- Operations Lead: Collaborate on strategic initiatives, provide regular updates on cafe performance, and implement feedback to continuously improve operations.
- Marketing Team: Generate content for social media, implement local marketing initiatives, and execute promotional campaigns to drive cafe awareness and sales.
- Recruiting Team: Assist in identifying, recruiting, and developing talent for both cafe positions and future Student COO succession planning.

Who You Will Supervise

This position will supervise an average of 7 direct reports

What Success Looks Like

- Cafe achieves or exceeds budgeted revenue targets
- Cafe operates at or above budgeted Net Operating Income
- 30%+ of cafe staff are developed into Team Leads
- Guest satisfaction metrics consistently above 4.5/5

Where You Excel

- Confident Communicator
- Developer of Individual Contributors
- Master of Prioritization
- Adaptable to Change
- Autonomous Problem Solving
- Financial Acumen

## What You Have Done

- Completed at least one year of undergraduate studies
- Demonstrated leadership experience in academic, professional, or volunteer settings
- Experience in customer service, hospitality, or retail preferred

What is Required

- Support, exhibit, and promote Saxbys Mission and Core Values in all daily activities.
- Must be an undergraduate student of the partner organization in good academic standing
- Ability to work 20 hours per week during cafe operating hours
- Physical requirements:
- Able to stand, walk, and smile for extended periods of time
- Able to stoop and kneel
- Push, pull, lift or carry up to 35 lbs
- Ascend or descend ladders, stairs, ramps

## About Saxbys

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Saxbys is a hospitality company disguised as an education company that operates student-run campus cafes through its Experiential Learning Platform®.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Venture-funded)
- **Headquarters**: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- **Founded**: 2005
- **Founders**: Nick Bayer

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Education / Hospitality (experiential learning & food & beverage)
- **Target customers**: B2B (colleges and universities), B2C (students and campus communities)
- **Mission statement**: “Make Life Better” by empowering the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs through experiential learning. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/our-mission/)

## Products & Services
- **Saxbys Cafes**: 30+ campus-based coffee shops that are entirely student-run, offering food, beverages, and catering. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)
- **Experiential Learning Platform (E.L.P.)®**: A paid, credit-bearing program where students serve as Student Cafe Executive Officers (SCEOs) and manage all aspects of a cafe, gaining real P&L responsibility. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/the-saxbys-elp/)
- **Microcredentials / Badges**: Corporate microcredentials in fields like supply chain management, designed to supplement traditional classroom learning. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/the-saxbys-elp/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue estimated at **$98.0M** (LinkedIn data, 2025/2026) | Total Funding: **$600K** (Venture round in December 2022). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Partners with leading universities (Drexel University, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, etc.). Founder Nick Bayer is Entrepreneur in Residence at Cornell University and serves on multiple academic boards. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/our-mission/)
- **Growth Signals**: 506 employees (+3.8% YoY), 30+ cafes nationwide, over 3,000 student leaders developed, served 9 million+ guests. Active job postings: 65. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Unique student-run model**: All cafes are 100% student-operated, providing a genuine experiential learning environment that differentiates Saxbys from traditional coffee chains.
- **Academic integration**: Students earn both wages and academic credit, with SCEOs graduating on time and reaching leadership roles 7x faster than the national average. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/the-saxbys-elp/)
- **Strong university partnerships**: Long-term contracts with top universities create a moat against competitors.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expansion of the E.L.P.**: Scaling the experiential learning model to more campuses and developing microcredential programs.
- **Social impact**: Deepening community engagement and servant leadership as core to the brand.
- **Growth from within**: Prioritizing internal promotion and career development for team members. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/careers/)

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Core values include “Embrace being O.D.D. (Outgoing, Detail-Oriented, Disciplined)” and “Servant Leadership.” Emphasis on entrepreneurial spirit and hustle. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/careers/)
- **Career development**: Mentorship, hospitality training, and clear growth paths – “no ceiling on growth here.” Many roles are student-facing (SCEO, team member) with real business ownership.
- **Work environment**: Most roles are on-campus at partner universities; headquarters in Philadelphia. Hybrid/remote policy not specified but likely location-dependent.
- **Employee ratings**: 4.1/5 on LinkedIn (325 reviews) with high marks for culture (4.3) and work-life balance (4.2). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)

## Sources
1. [saxbyscoffee.com](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/)
2. [saxbyscoffee.com (Our Mission)](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/our-mission/)
3. [saxbyscoffee.com (E.L.P.)](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/the-saxbys-elp/)
4. [saxbyscoffee.com (Careers)](https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/careers/)
5. [linkedin.com (Saxbys Company Profile)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saxbys)

## Other roles at Saxbys

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- [Partner Marketing Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/partner-marketing-manager-saxbys-philadelphia-56yf1h0jes1r) — Philadelphia, PA
- [Team Member (SIENA UNIVERSITY)](https://feeny.ai/job/team-member-siena-university-saxbys-loundonville-d77njdx02m9z) — Loundonville, NY
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- [Student CEO (SCEO) - VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY](https://feeny.ai/job/student-ceo-sceo-virginia-commonwealth-university-saxbys-richmond-64jcwh2bqz0p) — Richmond, VA
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- [Team Member (UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY)](https://feeny.ai/job/team-member-university-at-albany-saxbys-albany-jkxzkn129vtq) — Albany, NY
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- [Team Member (UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ARLINGTON)](https://feeny.ai/job/team-member-university-of-texas-arlington-saxbys-arlington-37kyf7p9y2at) — Arlington, VA
- [Student CEO (SCEO) - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ARLINGTON](https://feeny.ai/job/student-ceo-sceo-university-of-texas-arlington-saxbys-arlington-mtm8zsfktbf1) — Arlington, VA