Head of Coffee

United Baristas; York and North Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Moving assistance

Free coffee on shift

Staff discount

Job summary

kWh Coffee, a fast-growing speciality coffee company in York, is seeking a senior roaster to lead roast profiling and production. You will develop profiles on a new roaster and Bellwether, cup batches, and train teams to run profiles at partner venues.

You’ll blend barista work with operations, sharing insights at events and on camera. Equity options and a 9-month fixed-term contract are available, with relocation support if moving to York.

Qualifications

• Experience in roasting or close exposure to roasting in a production setting.
• Strong palate and ability to explain roast profiles and flavour development.
• Comfortable managing busy service periods and interacting with customers.

Responsibilities

• Develop roast profiles on the new roaster for filter, espresso and decaf.
• Roast production on Bellwether and track colour and weight loss.
• Cup and sign off every batch; sample roast green coffees with senior team.
• Turn profiles into recipes for other venues to run on their roasters.
• Lead events, tastings and roast days; represent the future of coffee to customers.
• Manage barista shifts, pack orders, and assist with operations and food safety.

Skills

Roasting

Coffee profiling

Customer service

Event planning

Tools

Bellwether roaster

Electric roaster

Job description

kWh Coffee is a fast-growing speciality coffee company in York, and we roast on 100% electricity.

Espresso machine ,Iberital IB7 2-group machine2 automatic grindersknock drawerFull barista kit includedB...

2016 Probat BRZ2 Double Drum Electric Sample Roaster - York, UK

Great machines, 2 available good condition with chillers

We're kWh Coffee, a fast-growing speciality coffee company in York, and we roast on 100% electricity. We've been backed by York Angels to help make the coffee supply chain more sustainable and more innovative, and this role is a chance to join early as we expand. Our chairman is Laurence Beardmore, former Director of York Coffee Emporium.

We're looking for someone to help lead coffee (roasting and profiling) across the company, and run a roastery-cafe in a very, very prominent spot in the centre of York (YO1), alongside Caitlin and Shaun (co-founders).

This role is perfect for someone looking to move from a barista role or roastery role into a role that combines full-stack management of a coffee programme..

We roast on a Bellwether and on a brand-new roaster we haven't named publicly just yet. It's going to be a new product for the industry, and you'll be one of the first people in the UK to build profiles on it. It'll be roasting right there on the counter, showing 100s of people passing per day the future of coffee. If you believe that small footprint, tabletop machines can transform the coffee industry, this is the role for you.

We'll also be bringing it to cafes, offices and universities around the UK, so the profiles you build will run in other people's venues, too.

This is a senior role in a fast-growing startup with stock options and a full-time salary. If that kind of environment excites you, this is the right role.

The role

You'll cup, log and sign off what we sell, help run our events, and be the person who shows customers what the future of coffee looks like. You'll help to develop roast profile development on the new roaster and roast on our Bellwether, too.

A lot of this role will involve barista work and day-to-day interactions with customers, particularly over busy periods, as the roaster will be based in a cafe.

You'll also work closely with Shaun (co-founder, tech and sourcing) and Caitlin (co-founder, operations and cafes) to keep everything running smoothly, as well as the marketing team. We work closely with Laurence, one of the first Q Graders in the UK, and maybe the most knowledgeable coffee roaster in the North.

We're a startup, so the job won't stay in one box. There'll often be barista shifts and operations work, too, from packing orders to setting up for an event. As a result, at the end of the 9 month contract, there will be stock options or we will support you in building your own electric-powered roastery or whatever move you make next. There is also scope for commission-based work.

What you'll do

Develop roast profiles on the new roaster for our filter, espresso and decaf coffees with Shaun, and keep refining them.Roast production batches on our Bellwether.Cup every batch and track colour (Agtron) / weight loss.Sample roast and cup new green coffees with Shaun / Laurence, and help decide what we buy.Turn your profiles into recipes other venues can run on their own roasters, and help train their teams.Help run our events, from tastings and roast days to festivals with our electric coffee bars.Roast in front of customers and show off the future of coffee - you'll be happy to chat about what's happening in the drum.Work barista shifts and pitch in on operations: packing orders, stock, cleaning and food safety records.Help with the odd bit of content for our socials.

About you

You cup confidently and can say why a roast tastes the way it does, and what you'd change.You're at home with roast data: curves, rate of rise, development time, colour.You can run a busy bar, you like looking after customers and you're happy to muck in wherever it's needed.You're organised.Ideally: You've roasted, or been around when roasting, speciality coffee in production. Any roaster is fine - almost nobody in the UK has used our new one yet, and we'll train you on it.You're excited by the future of coffee and happy to be the face of it, at events and sometimes on camera.We're aware this is a unique skillset, so we offer stock options.

Nice to have: SCA Roasting modules or a Q Grader licence, experience training other people, and experience on a Bellwether or another electric roaster.

The deal:

Contract: an initial 9-month fixed-term contract, starting mid-November 2026.At 9 months: we'll review it together. The next step could be a roasting-only role, a client-facing role, technician role, or something else that suits you and the business. If there isn't the right role available, we're also keen to support you in building your own electric-powered roastery.Equity: we aim to offer equity in kWh so you share in what we're building.Hours: full-time or part-time - tell us what works for you. Shifts will include some weekends and events.Pay: TBD, pro rata for part-time, depending on experience.Moving to York? We'll help you get settled, with advice on where to live, renting and finding your feet in the city, and a £500 moving assistance budget.Also: training on the new roaster with Laurence (coffee) and Shaun (software), free coffee on shift and a staff discount in our online shop.

You'll need the right to work in the UK.

We're accredited by the Good Business Charter. That means we pay at least the real Living Wage, plan shifts fairly, look after our team's wellbeing and welcome applications from everyone.

A practical guide to understanding coffee’s aroma, mouthfeel, taste and flavour.

The Coffee Tasting Handbook provides step-by-step guidance to identify each coffee's definingcharacteristics. You can then apprecaite why you enjoy some coffees more than others and be empowered to chose coffees that you like.