Description
Upper Left Roaster’s Director of Coffee is responsible for driving the overall goals of ULR’s coffee program. This position works directly with ownership to craft that vision and meet the company’s annual coffee inventory budget and supply needs. They will work with the production team to support all aspects of the coffee program, from roasting to delivery logistics to wholesale outreach and communication. They will have a firm grasp of the coffee industry at large and understand the principles of crafting specialty coffee profiles.
As the key member of our coffee program, your responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Work directly with Upper Left’s ownership to execute company goals, actively contributing to the wider vision & culture of the coffee program.
- 3-5 years of roasting experience, including direct experience with profile development.
- Have a clear understanding of green coffee buying, the market, and the coffee supply chain.
- Sourcing & contracting green coffee with longstanding and newfound trading partners.
- Coordinate logistics of green from warehouse to cafe roastery.
- Manage COGs on our line of coffees, materials, and labor; work with ownership as needed to meet margin needs and cut costs where necessary.
- Roast weekly to support wholesale & grocery orders, and coordinate roasting support with the team as needed.
- Experience with Cropster & Roastertools (or comparable CRM).
- Periodic QC and cupping to ensure coffee quality and develop new profiles.
- Work with the production team to ensure timely roasting and fulfillment of wholesale grocery orders.
- Update website & wholesale portal with new coffees and products.
- Crafting coffee descriptions and gathering assets from importing and sourcing partners about coffees for marketing purposes.
- Be able to lift at max 75lbs (mainly physical movement of full coffee sacks into the cafe roastery) with the support of the roasting team.
- Manage grocery partner quarterly promotions & logistics.
Compensation: $70k salary + health benefits