Location: Princeton, New Jersey

Our Barista staff help support authentic Matcha by providing efficient operations and deeply personal, warm service. Our team is known for going "above and beyond" for our customers, and your positive and genuine attitude will be key to maintain that. As Ooika manufactures Matcha in house, staff must have the highest caliber standards with cleanliness. As a mission driven company, you're excited to deepen your Matcha education and share it with our customers.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide an "unreasonably high" level of customer service.

• Ensure all served products meet "social media ready" quality.

• Keep working and the service area clean.

• Maintain hygienic food handling practices.

• Handing payment options including: card, cash, and cryptocurrency.

• Following all Ooika recipes and standard operating procedures (SOPs.)

• Maintain a welcoming, but professional, relationship with co-workers.

• Ability to communicate openly and frequently with Ooika staff and management.

• Assist Ooika staff with training and development of new hires.

• As Ooika is a high volume business, you'll have the capacity to work quickly and efficiently.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to work in a high volume, fast-paced environment.

• Reliable transportation to Ooika Matcha in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

• Willingness and flexibility to work during our open hours, which may include weekends and holidays.

• Strength to lift at least 40lbs, ideally 60lbs.

• Ability to remain calm and collected in rapidly changing circumstances.

• Consistent and thorough communication skills.

TO APPLY:

Please email your resume and cover letter to hello@ooika.co

Ooika Pâtissier Chef

Ooika's VISION 

Ooika is committed to preserving Japanese heritage Matcha. We operate some of the only full-scale matcha mill stones, known as Ishi Usu in the United States. We're looking for a talented pâtissier to highlight the deliciousness of our daily fresh-ground Matcha.

As we continue to lean into our position as a luxury brand, you’ll help Ooika’s in Princeton produce Michelin-star level desserts. Your creativity will drive our dessert program, served at all of our cafes as well as an personalized Omakase menu. Your balanced desserts are precise, Matcha-focused, and plant-based.

Our Pâtissier Chef will be efficient, and luxury focused. Highly organized, hygienic, and experienced. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead all Ooika pastry operations: concept to execution on core menu items and seasonal limited menus.

• Develop plant-based, luxury dessert menu to be available at all Ooika cafe locations.

• Handle recipe pricing, minimize waste, track COGS, inventory management, and the creation of SOPs. Ensure recipes stay within exceptional profit margins.

• Collaborate with leadership on Omakase menu and experience.

• Uphold “Japan-level” organization, food safety, and cleanliness.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• (2-5 years) Background in French or Japanese Luxury Pâtissier experience with portfolio.

• Familiarity with inventory system, inventory management, inventory forecasting, labor costs, and SOP creation.

• ServSafe Manager certification.

• Flexibility, problem-solving, and comfort in challenging and fast moving start-up environments.

• Mastery of plant-based recipes & substitutions. 

• Adapt quickly. Workflows, menus, and demands shift rapidly; our team must keep pace without compromising quality.

COMPENSATION:

• Competitive compensation to be negotiated based on experience.

Ooika's VISION 

Oooikais committed to preserving Japanese heritage Matcha. We operate some of the only full-scale matcha mill stones, known as Ishi Usu in the United States. We're looking for a General Manager to help connect Ooika with our community.

You’ll help Ooika’s location in Princeton operate at a Michelin-star level of hospitality, and uncompromising efficiency. You’ll lead by example, helping keep Ooika a healthy and deeply rewarding company. Your analytical background, creativity, and love for fast moving start-ups will inspire those around you.

Our General Manager ensures that Ooika operates at the highest standard of efficiency, quality, and hospitality. You will lead the team by example, maintaining a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate is highly organized, people-focused, and thrives in a dynamic, high-volume environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and manage your team by overseeing day-to-day operations. Keeping our workflow organized and efficient while uplifting team morale.

• Create, oversee and iterate on SOPs that ideally can scale to other Ooika locations.

• Set an example of excellence. Ooika has the highest standard of hospitality in the industry that comes from a genuine admiration and love for our customers.

• Oversee key analytics and draw conclusions to drive sales. Project future sales and keep our inventory agile.

• Ensure food safety practices are in place, and a “Japan-level” cleaning standard enforced. Ooika strives to be the most hygienic and spotless operation in New Jersey. 

• Inventory Management: Reduce waste, monitor inventory and COGS, generate financial reports to leadership.

• Interview, hire, train, retrain and audit new and existing members of staff. Ensuring equal employment opportunities for all, while maintaining a company culture of excellence and care.

• Novel problem solving. Most things Ooika does, we do first. Most problems we encounter have not been encountered or solved before. 

• Maintain adaptability and rapid speed-of-implementation. Our operations, and needs are constantly changing and under pressure.

• Perform barista work—all manager roles are required to work barista hours as part of our company culture.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• (3-5 years) High-volume hospitality, restaurant or cafe management experience.

• Proven track record of leadership, including hiring, training, onboarding, and scheduling.

• Familiarity with POS systems, inventory systems, task management systems.

• Understanding of inventory forecasting, P&L statements, budgeting, labor costs, and leadership philosophies.

• Operational SOP creation, with examples.

• Ability to lift 60lbs.

• Full-time availability.

COMPENSATION:

• Competitive compensation to be negotiated based on experience.

Ooika's VISION

Ooika is committed to preserving Japanese heritage Matcha. We operate Japanese Ishi Usu millstones to grind Matcha fresh in the USA. We’re looking for a highly creative video editor to help amplify the story of heritage Matcha to the world.

Your videos add polish and sophistication to our footage, drawing large audiences into what makes Matcha, and Ooika, so special. Your editing, posted across our social media network, will tell relevant stories and deepen the connection we have with our audience.

You’re fast, detailed-obsessed, and understand the visual rhythm needed to capture audiences instantaneously.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Edit short form Instagram Reels, YouTube stories, and long-form YouTube videos with a luxury aesthetic.

• Work closely with marketing team to collaborate on marketing campaigns, new product launches, and educational series.

• Help repurpose existing content into new short-form content.

• Establish, refine, and implement consistent brand visual language, music, typography and pacing

• Oversee post-production work flow and file management.

• Rapidly turn around edits while maintaining exceptional quality.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong video editing portfolio.

• Deep understanding of Premier Pro, After Effects, Photoshop.

• Understanding of LUTS, color grading, storytelling, pacing, and rhythm.

• Strong and rapid communication, with English fluency.

• Bonus: Japanese Language proficiency.

• Bonus: Experience editing Japanese content, or editing for hospitality brands.

• Self motivated when in a remote role.

COMPENSATION

Competitive contractor pay, negotiated based on project scope and experience.

Ooika Online & Wholesale Operations Coordinator

Ooika’s is the world’s leader in single-origin, fresh-ground Heritage Matcha. You’ll help us connect our fresh-ground Matcha with the world. Ensuring consistent and on-time deliveries, building relationships & responding to customer concerns, finding new wholesale partners, and more. You’ll be the watchful eye of any, and all Matcha that leaves our premises.

Highly organized, start-up-minded individual. You blend flexibility and “get it done” attitude with an understanding that every online order we ship “is the most important one.” Keep us on track, wholesale orders served, and customers delighted. If you’re passionate about Matcha, precision, and deep customer relationships, get ready to jump into the grind.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage online orders & wholesale logistics across multiple platforms.

• Operate Ishi Usu stone mills to grind Matcha for order fulfillment.

• Maintain a milling schedule to ensure all Matcha is dispatched within 24 hours of milling.

• Maintain communication with both online and wholesale customers.

• Respond to customer service tickets related to online orders and wholesale on time and with exceptional care.

• Oversee and track online and wholesale inventory every week.

• Manage and list online retail and wholesale products on our website and other wholesale platforms.

• Forecast stock levels of merchandise, unground Matcha, etc to prevent shortages or overstocks.

• Coordinate directly with the Leadership team and cafe manager.

• Actively seek out and build relationships with new wholesale customers to expand our wholesale program.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in order fulfillment, inventory, and e-commerse.

• Strong organizational skills, and ability to create new operational systems.

• Manage multiple orders, work independently, proactive in following up with both the team and customers.

• Exceptional level of care, hospitality and empathy.

• Verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to safely lift a total of 50LBS with your arms.

• Bonus if familiar with Squarespace, Shopify and Faire.

LOCATION & SALARY

• Location: Princeton, NJ (Part-time, in-person)

• Salary Range: $18 - $25 per hour, based on experience and qualifications.

As Ooika’s Matcha Industry Journalist & Content Writer, you will be at the forefront of providing Matcha education to the West. In many cases, for the first time.

Through interviews with our tea farmers, your own in-depth technical research, and first hand experience you’ll inspire Ooika’s customers to understand, and ultimately, appreciate the value of heritage Matcha production.

As a Japanese speaker based in Japan, with experience in the Tea Industry, you’ve dreamed of the opportunity to write about your passion. Your efforts will spark the next generation of Matcha lovers, and demystify the often over-romanticized world of Japanese tea.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Content Creation: Write sourced blog posts, breaking news, articles, and scripts for social media reels.

• Form a Network: Connect with other Tea industry members including scholars at governmental tea research institutes, farmer co-ops, university programs and more to provide insights and first-hand sources.

• Farmer Relations: Conduct both in-person and email interviews with our tea farmers and producers to help preserve their stories and contributions to the Matcha industry.

• Industry Research: Stay up-to-date on Matcha trends, market developments, and cultivation techniques through thorough research and analysis.

• Scientific Exploration: Dive into scientific journals to uncover insights about Matcha's health benefits, chemical composition, and cultivation methods.

• SEO & Digital Presence: Optimize content for search engines and ensure all writing resonates with both traditional and digital audiences.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Native English and a high degree of fluency in Japanese.

• Previous experience within the Japanese Tea Industry.

• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills with a strong portfolio of written work OR proven experience within the Japanese Tea Industry.

• Strong research abilities, with experience in sourcing and analyzing academic and scientific materials.

• Ability to travel as needed to meet with farmers, attend industry events, or gather on-site content.

• A passion for Japanese tea culture and Matcha, with a willingness to continuously learn.

• Organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Proficiency in social media platforms and familiarity with creating content for digital audiences.

BONUS QUALIFICATIONS

• SEO writing experience. We will teach you if you don’t have this skill-set. 

• Photography or videography skills to support content creation.