Head Roaster

Commonplace Coffee•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

The Head Roaster at Commonplace Coffee oversees and ensures the quality and consistency of all roasted coffee. The role leads quality control, develops and refines roast profiles, ensures accuracy in production roasting, creates coffee recipes, and trains production roasters. These responsibilities support continual improvement and exceptional coffee experiences. The position reports to the Head of Coffee and supervises Production Roaster(s). The Head Roaster works at Commonplace Coffee Headquarters and remotely. The role involves substantial interpersonal interaction and some physical labor, as well as local travel.

Requirements

Extensive experience in coffee roasting and a strong understanding of the roasting process and its impact on flavor.
Expertise in quality control practices and sensory evaluation.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, including the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.
Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach to team leadership.
Commitment to innovation, sustainability, and elevating the coffee experience.
Proficiency with roasting equipment and software.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with team members orally and in writing.
Ability to detect and perceive the smells of coffee.
Ability to travel locally.

Responsibilities

Lead quality control practices, including regular cupping sessions to evaluate production roasts and ensure adherence to flavor profiles set by the Head of Coffee.
Establish and monitor standards for consistency and quality across roasted coffee, including regularly tasting coffee in retail and wholesale environments.
Develop and refine roast profiles to highlight each coffee’s attributes and meet quality benchmarks; adjust profiles based on sensory feedback, customer preferences, and seasonal variations.
Pursue continuing education in roasting practices, maintain software and hardware updates, and stay current on roasting theory and modulation.
Establish processes and guidelines for accurate, consistent production roasts, and communicate changes to production roasters.
Collaborate with fulfillment and roasting team members to optimize workflow and meet production targets.
Schedule and lead regular maintenance and cleaning of roasting equipment.
Create and document brewing and roasting recipes for each coffee.
Collaborate with baristas and wholesale partners to apply recipes across brewing methods, and advise retail and wholesale teams on recipes as needed.
Share information and insights about the coffee program with wholesale and retail customers, prospective clients, and guests through events, cuppings, meetings, and other engagement opportunities.
Present coffee feedback, training, brew recipes, and coffee program updates to retail staff, including through staff meetings.
Assist in developing coffee-program training materials for retail staff.
Develop and facilitate roasting workshops as time permits.
Manage and train production roasters in roasting techniques, equipment operation, and quality standards.
Maintain and update the coffee roasting SOP for onboarding production roasters.
Foster continuous learning and skill development within the roasting team.