Coffee Category Specialist – Calgary, AB

DSL Inc; Calgary; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Spending Account

RRSP Matching

Education Support

Culture of growth

Job summary

DSL Inc. is seeking a Coffee Category Specialist in Calgary to accelerate growth in the commercial coffee equipment space. You will act as the SME across key accounts and prospect new ones in Western Canada, driving new unit placements and service programs with a strong emphasis on relationship building.

You’ll collaborate with sales teams, manage roaster partnerships, and lead menu development to differentiate offerings and boost revenue in a fast-growing category.

Qualifications

• Passion for coffee and understanding of coffee equipment/
• Commercial drive with ability to grow a category from the ground up.
• Confident communicator with experience in customer-facing roles.
• Relationship-focused with partners across roasters and distributors.

Responsibilities

• Drive new placements of commercial coffee equipment across DSL’s territory in Western Canada.
• Own the coffee equipment sales pipeline from inquiry to close.
• Present and demonstrate equipment solutions tailored to customer segments.
• Support field sales as SME on coffee equipment during calls and demos.
• Develop strategic relationships with roasters, distributors, and suppliers.
• Monitor pipeline activity and CRM records; track market trends.

Skills

Coffee passion

Commercial mindset

Strong communicator

Relationship builder

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Coffee Category Specialist – Calgary, AB

At DSL, our purpose is creating moments of joy, one serving at a time. Representing world‑class brand partners Taylor, Henny Penny, and Franke Coffee Systems, DSL is the largest Canadian supplier of premium foodservice equipment, and the exclusive factory‑authorized service provider for the equipment we sell.

At our core, we believe in doing right by our customers, finding the best solutions to fit their needs, being creative and innovative, working hard, and having fun along the way.

Coffee is one of our fastest‑growing categories – and this role is the first of its kind at DSL, purpose‑built to lead that growth. Are you looking to grow with a company with over 110 years of unmatched quality, expertise, and after‑sales support? We want to hear from you.

About the Role

The Coffee Category Specialist is a market-facing role designed to accelerate DSL’s growth in the commercial coffee equipment category. Reporting directly to the Sales Manager, you’ll serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the specialty coffee segment across DSL’s existing strategic accounts and prospecting new accounts in the roaster, café, bakery, hospitality, c‑store, restaurant, and institutional markets.

You’ll work closely with the sales team – acting as a subject matter resource on coffee equipment solutions, supporting demos and trials, managing key roaster and supplier relationships, menu development, and driving both new unit placements and service programs in the coffee category.

A core part of this role is building DSL’s coffee footprint beyond our existing customer base. You’ll be expected to identify and pursue new strategic accounts across Western Canada – researching target markets, generating your own leads, and taking prospects from first contact through to close and successful onboarding. This is a greenfield opportunity, and the right candidate will be energized by the challenge of developing new business from the ground up.

This role includes a competitive base salary plus a performance‑based commission structure – your results will be recognized and rewarded. This role is a blend of technical product knowledge, commercial acumen, and customer‑facing relationship work. There is real career runway here – for the right person, this role grows with the category.

What You’ll Do

Category Sales & Placement

• Drive new placements of commercial coffee equipment across DSL’s territory in Western Canada
• Own the coffee equipment sales pipeline – identifying, qualifying, and advancing opportunities from initial inquiry through to close
• Present and demonstrate coffee equipment solutions tailored to each customer segment (c‑store, QSR, café, hospitality, etc.)
• Support field sales reps as the category Subject Matter Expert (SME) on coffee equipment – joining key calls, demos, and customer meetings as needed
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with commercial coffee roasters, distributors, and supply partners across Western Canada
• Identify co‑selling and bundled program opportunities with key roaster accounts
• Stay current on roaster partner programs, preferred equipment specs, and promotional opportunities

Product & Technical Expertise

• Develop deep product knowledge across DSL’s coffee category portfolio (Franke Coffee Systems, ice machines, water treatment systems, and service programs)
• Guide customers through equipment selection, configuration, total cost of ownership conversations, and ROI projections
• Collaborate with customers and roaster partners on menu development – helping operators build beverage programs that drive revenue and differentiation
• Support the service team by ensuring customers are set up correctly from point of sale – right equipment, right training, right service program

Service Program Attachment

• Promote and sell DSL’s service, All‑in‑One (AIO), preventive maintenance, and auto‑mailer programs alongside equipment placements
• Position service agreements as core to the customer value proposition – uptime, cost predictability, and equipment lifecycle
• Monitor and co‑manage DSL’s Franke Digital Services (FDS) – a cloud‑based equipment dashboard that supports remote troubleshooting, menu/software updates, and service notifications
• Track and report on pipeline activity, account development, and market trends in the coffee equipment space
• Maintain accurate account and opportunity records in a CRM
• Monitor competitor activity, new product launches, and macro market trends and shifts

Who You Are

• Passionate about coffee– you understand the culture, the equipment, and what operators care about
• Commercially driven– you’re motivated by targets and energized by building a category from the ground up
• A confident communicator– comfortable presenting to operators, roasters, and distributor partners both written and verbal
• Technically curious– you don’t need to be a technician, but you’re the kind of person who wants to understand how things work
• Relationship‑oriented and customer‑obsessed– you genuinely care about your customers’ and peer’s success, not just the sale
• Growth mindset– you’re endlessly curious about your customers, your market, and your craft; you seek out feedback, invest in your own development, and are always looking for ways to learn and grow
• Self‑directed and entrepreneurial– you’re comfortable operating with autonomy, developing systems & processes, and taking ownership of outcomes
• Creative and resourceful— you think beyond the obvious, find unexpected angles to solve customer problems, and aren’t afraid to bring fresh ideas to how the category is built and sold
• Fun‑loving– you bring energy and personality to every interaction; you know that great relationships are built on trust and a good laugh, and you thrive in a team culture that works hard and has fun along the way
• Organized and motivated– you manage a pipeline and are highly motivated and ambitious
• Background in specialty coffee, coffee equipment, or B2B foodservice sales is a strong asset
• Post‑secondary education is an asset; equivalent industry experience is equally valued

Why DSL

• Compensation:Competitive base salary plus performance‑based commission
• Benefits:Health Spending Account (flex or HSA) once eligible
• Extended Health:Dental, vision, and extended health care once eligible
• RRSP Matching:Company‑matched RRSP program once eligible
• Education Support:Industry training and certifications relevant to your role
• Culture:Strong company culture and core values – we work hard and have fun along the way
• Career Trajectory:A growing company means real opportunities for the right person