Roastery Operations Lead

Drift Coffee & Kitchen; Wilmington (NC); Hybrid; USD 31,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Employee discounts

Free food

Free uniforms

Advancement opportunities

Training & development

Job summary

Drift Coffee & Kitchen is seeking a hands-on role in our Roastery and cafés. This hybrid position supports training, equipment maintenance, seasonal beverage development, and operations across Drift’s roastery and stores.

The role offers growth into a full-time production roasting track, with hands-on learning and collaboration with the Head of Coffee. Ideal candidates combine barista experience with a passion for coffee, strong communication, and a flexible attitude to support our expanding

Qualifications

• Barista experience and a love for coffee
• Strong communication and people skills
• Attention to detail and consistency
• Flexibility to adapt to changing weeks
• Willingness to learn equipment maintenance
• Interest in seasonal beverage development
• Interest in roasting and production path
• Collaborative teammate willing to grow with Drift

Responsibilities

• Assist with production tasks (weighing, bagging, labeling, packing)
• Deliver coffee to local stores and prepare shipments
• Participate in cuppings, QC, and sensory development
• Learn roasting under Head of Coffee guidance
• Grow roasting knowledge for potential full-time roaster role
• Support equipment maintenance and preventive care
• Collaborate with Culinary Team on seasonal menus
• Support online shipments and trainings as needed
• Improve operations and team communication

Skills

Barista experience

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Flexible/adaptable

Learn equipment maintenance

Seasonal beverage development

Roasting interest/production path

Team collaboration

Reliable transportation

Tools

Grinders calibration

Brewers maintenance

Roastery equipment

Job description

Benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Employee discounts
• Free food & snacks
• Free uniforms
• Opportunity for advancement
• Training & development

Reports to: Head of Coffee / Head Roaster

Hours: 25-35 hours per week (hourly, $20-23/hr)

Location: Hybrid role across Drift cafés & Drift Roastery

About the Role

We’re looking for someone passionate about coffee, people, and continuous learning to join Drift’s coffee program. This role is an extension of our Head of Coffee and is a full production role within the Drift Roastery, while also supporting quality, training, and operations at Drift and within Drift’s coffee program.

It’s a hands‑on, flexible position that blends training and education, equipment care, seasonal beverage development, and roastery apprenticeship. Over time, this role can grow deeper into the roastery, with the potential to step into a full‑time production roasting role.

What You’ll Do

At the Roastery

• Assist with production tasks (weighing, bagging, labeling, packing)
• Deliver coffee to all local ILM stores once per week and prepare non local shipments for shipping
• Participate in cuppings, QC, and sensory development
• Begin learning how to roast under the guidance of the Head of Coffee
• Grow roasting knowledge and skills with the potential to become a full‑time production roaster as the program expands
• Be available for extra hands on special projects or new initiatives
• Maintain clean and organized workspace

In the Cafés

• Assist with equipment maintenance across all stores — including cleaning, calibrating grinders, checking brewers, and supporting preventive care — while actively learning and improving this skill
• Maintain scheduled maintenance of all coffee equipment throughout the calendar
• Collaborate with the Culinary Team to develop and roll out seasonal drink menus across all Drift cafés
• Help QC coffee at cafés and assist with rollout of any new product or coffee within the coffee program and roastery

Additionally

• Assist in fulfillment of online shipments of coffee and retail items
• Support scheduled trainings and workshops at the roastery
• Continually strive to improve operations, product quality, and team communication
• Be willing to take on miscellaneous tasks as needed to support the growth of the program and the Drift brand

What We’re Looking For

• A love for specialty coffee and a desire to grow in the industry
• Barista and café experience (ideally with some training or shift‑lead background)
• Strong communication and people skills — you’re comfortable teaching and supporting others
• Attention to detail with an eye for consistency and quality
• Flexible and adaptable — no two weeks will look the same
• Curiosity and willingness to learn equipment maintenance and build skill in this area
• Excitement to contribute to creative seasonal beverage development
• Interest in learning to roast and pursuing a production roaster path
• A collaborative teammate who’s energized by Drift’s growth
• Reliable transportation (role includes traveling between cafés and the roastery)
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record
• Ability to lift 75 pounds unassisted at the roastery and loading/unloading delivery van

What We Offer

• Hourly wage of $20–$23 based on experience
• A hybrid role blending café training, QC, equipment maintenance, seasonal menu development, and roastery apprenticeship
• Ongoing mentorship from Drift’s Head of Coffee
• Clear growth pathway into a full‑time production roasting role
• A team culture that values passion, hospitality, and innovation