Coffee Roasting Lead

Summary

Fratello Coffee Roasters is seeking a dedicated and passionate Coffee Roasting Lead to join our team.

The Coffee Roasting Lead is responsible for ensuring that all coffee produced meets our high-quality standards, managing daily production schedules, maintaining roasting equipment, and driving continuous improvement in both product quality and operational efficiency.

The ideal candidate has strong sensory skills, deep technical knowledge of roasting, and proven experience leading a production team in a fast-paced environment. If you are committed to crafting exceptional coffee and contributing to a collaborative team culture, we want to hear from you.

Areas of Responsibility

Coffee Roasting and Production Management:

• Complete daily coffee roasting requirements as outlined in the schedule on: Coffee Roasting on Probat G120 and Probat G90, along with sample roasting on Probat L12 and Roest Sample Roaster
• Lead daily production operations by guiding roasters to ensure smooth workflow
• Assist in planning and executing the weekly roasting schedule, ensuring production goals are met efficiently
• Serve as the on-shift decision-maker for roasting operations, ensuring alignment with quality standards and company goals
• Roast coffee following the specified recipe and roasting profile in Cropster, ensuring beans meet the profile and color specifications
• Maintain accurate logs for roast data, production counts, green coffee inventory, and QC notes in Cropster and Odoo
• Ensure all operations comply with internal SOPs, food safety regulations, and local health/safety standards

Quality Assurance:

• Track, review, and analyze roast curves using software such as Cropster
• Collaborate with the Head Roaster/Director of Coffee on profile adjustments or improvements
• Ensure that roast failures are recorded and lessons learned are referenced in future recipes. Communicate what was learned and how to avoid the error in the future to the Coffee Roasters
• Implement process improvements that enhance roast consistency, workflow efficiency, and product quality
• Regularly cup, test and taste roasted coffee to ensure their flavours are meeting the expected quality and calibration standards

Team Leadership and Training:

• Provide clear direction, set expectations, and assign tasks based on skill level, workload, and production priorities
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and respectful team environment centered on quality, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Train roasters on roasting fundamentals, equipment operation, safety procedures, and standard operating processes
• Evaluate team performance regularly and provide constructive feedback to help roasters grow their skill sets

Organization and Maintenance:

• Follow inventory management procedures, ensuring orders are received and stored accurately.
• Perform regular cleaning and maintenance of roasting equipment, reporting any issues to the Head Roaster/Director of Coffee
• Observe machine operation for malfunctions, following safety procedures and reporting hazards/incidents
• Maintain a safe, clean, and organized work environment in compliance with sanitation standards and schedules according to SOPs

You might be an ideal candidate if…

• You've received professional sensory or roasting training (Q Grader a plus)
• You have a strong sensory skill and get excited about cupping sessions, profile adjustments, and flavor development.
• You have experience managing or supporting team members in a production environment — coaching on roasting, workflow, QC, and safety.
• You have extensive hands-on experience running commercial roasters (Probat, Loring, Giesen, or similar) and truly understand their mechanics.

Experience and Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in coffee roasting as a coffee roaster
• Must love coffee
• Solid sensory evaluation skills; ability to identify defects and maintain flavor consistency
• Proficiency with roast-tracking software and ability to analyze roast curves
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Strong time management and multitasking abilities
• Team player with a problem-solving mindset
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Odoo or similar accounting tools
• Minimum High School education
• Ability to work early mornings, stand for extended periods, and manage physically demanding production tasks
• Must be legally eligible to work in Canada

Work remotely? No

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: $24.00-$28.50 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Dental care
• Extended health care
• On-site parking

Experience:

• Supervising: 1 year (preferred)
• Coffee Roasting: 3 years (required)

Language:

• English (required)

Licence/Certification:

• Q Grader Licence (preferred)
• Forklift Licence (preferred)

Location:

• Calgary, AB (preferred)

Work Location: In person