Production Roaster

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION: Production Roaster

CLASSIFICATION​: Non-Exempt

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: Head Roaster & Quality Assurance Manager

COMPENSATION: $23.00 to $25.00/HOUR

About Equator
In 1995, Equator Founders Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell began their values-driven path, roasting coffee in a Marin County, CA garage. Possessing an obsessive commitment to green coffee sourcing and unparalleled roasting expertise, Equator has committed over 30 years to sustainable and fair trade coffee practices all in the name of creating a remarkable coffee experience for consumers. Today, Equator Coffees is a retail and wholesale coffee roaster and coffee farm owner with twelve retail cafes throughout California—from Marin County to San Francisco to Oakland to Los Angeles and beyond. Throughout the years, Equator Coffees has spearheaded industry-leading sourcing and roasting practices, and has forged progressive partnerships with Michelin-starred chefs, specialty grocers, tech campuses, and more. Women-owned, LGBTQ-founded, and an early adopter of Fair Trade certification, Equator Coffees is the first California coffee roaster to achieve B Corp Certification.

Position Summary
As a Production Roaster at Equator Coffees, you will support the daily operations of our Roastery, roasting on our Loring S35 and Loring S70, while maintaining high levels of quality control and safety. The Production Roaster keeps their work area clean while maintaining a pace of work consistent with the needs of our Production Team. We’re seeking a full-time, experienced Roaster with flexible availability, including early morning shifts starting at 5:00 AM and Sunday coverage.

Key Responsibilities

• Understand Pre-Operational procedures
• Accurately roast to profile 3 batches per hour
• Organize, move, and maintain green coffee inventory.
• Learn and adhere to Equator’s food safety and hygiene standards.
• Observe and assist with production roasting on Loring and other systems.
• Support roastery cleanliness and help with daily cleaning tasks.
• Perform daily and weekly maintenance on all roasting equipment
• Assist in the preparation of post-roast blending and packaging.
• Participate in roastery "huddles" to understand daily schedules, goals, and workflow adjustments.
• Log roast data including, but not limited to, weight loss and ColorTrack data.
• Fill, seal, strap and wrap SuperSacks for bulk orders.
• Participate in Quality Control exercises such as cupping

Qualifications and Requirements

• At least 1 year of professional production roasting experience preferred.
• Experience roasting on Loring roasters is a plus.
• Ability to work well in a team environment.
• Strong attention to detail and a willingness to learn new skills.
• Ability to follow directions and adhere to company policies and procedures.
• Basic math and computer skills.
• Capable of lifting, pushing, and pulling 25 to 70 pounds, and can repeatedly co-lift or move up to 150 pounds with mechanical assistance.
• Familiarity with fulfillment, shipping, receiving, and general warehouse work is a plus.
• Experience with Espresso and Quality Control is not required, but will make a candidate stand out.

Physical Requirements
The physical tasks described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. The Roastery is not a climate-controlled environment. It will be hot in the Summer and cold in the Winter.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and read. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. This position is active and requires standing (or being on your feet for up to 8 hours at a time), walking, bending, stooping, climbing (ladders), and crouching throughout the shift, lifting product and packaging above the head. The employee must frequently lift or move items weighing 25 - 70 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus—finger & wrist dexterity.

Compensation

• Available to all employees
• Commuter Benefits - pre-tax parking and transit
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Physical and mental health, financial and legal coaching available at no cost to the employee
• Free mental health app subscription
• Employee discount on merchandise, coffee gear, and at Equator cafes
• Continuing coffee education classes
• Free coffee
• Paid Time Off for voting on Election Day
• After 60 days as an employee at Equator
• Healthcare Benefits (for full-time employees working over 30 hours per week)
• 100% employer-covered premium medical insurance
• Voluntary Insurance Plans - dental, vision, long-term disability, pet, and supplementary life insurance
• Employer covered life insurance premium
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) - healthcare and daily dependent care
• After 90 days as an employee at Equator
• Holiday Pay after 90 days of employment. Eight Equator-observed holidays per year
• Paid Time Off with tenured increases for full-time employees
• 1 paid volunteer day per year
• After six months as an employee at Equator
• 401K with up to a 4% company match on employee contributions

Compensation will be commensurate with experience.

We’d love it if you used the video answer feature for our screening questions. It’s a great way for us to get a better sense of your roasting experience and how comfortable you are talking about it. Plus, it helps us see your personality and passion for the role!

This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by p eople assigned to this job. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. Job responsibilities can change according to the operational needs of the business. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant.

Equator Coffees is an equal-opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, and discharge will be based on competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability or any other applicable legally protected characteristics.