Roastery Technician

Ember Coffee Co.; Big Lake, Northern (MN, KY); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Ember Coffee Co. is seeking a Roastery Technician in Big Lake, MN to join the production team. You will work with the Production Lead to execute roasting, packaging, and fulfillment duties while maintaining quality and accuracy in every step.

You will handle roasting with the Sivetz roaster and Cropster, assist with K-Cup production, inventory, and order packing for direct-to-consumer and wholesale customers. A strong emphasis on process discipline and proactive communication is required.

Qualifications

• Experience with roasting and packaging processes in a production setting.
• Ability to follow documented formulas and standards precisely.
• Strong attention to detail and defect flagging when something is off.

Responsibilities

• Roast coffee using the Sivetz roaster and Cropster.
• Blend and flavor coffees according to documented formulas.
• Produce and package K-Cups; ensure correct grind, weight, and labeling.
• Manage green coffee inventory and log shipments.
• Fulfill orders for DTC and wholesale channels; verify accuracy.
• Maintain cleanliness and sanitation; follow weekly/ monthly routines.
• Assist with customer communications and respond to inquiries as needed.

Skills

Roasting

Packaging

Inventory control

Quality awareness

Tools

Sivetz roaster

Cropster

K-Cup equipment

Job description

The Roastery Technician is the hands that keep the roastery moving. You work alongside the Production Lead to execute the daily and weekly rhythm of roasting, packaging, fulfillment, cleaning, and customer-facing tasks. You're not just following a checklist. You're expected to understand why each step matters, do it right every time, and speak up when something looks off.

About Ember Coffee Co.

Ember Coffee is a specialty coffee roastery and cafe based in Big Lake, Minnesota.

Description

What You're Responsible For

Production and Roasting

You assist with or independently run production tasks as directed by the Production Lead:

• Coffee roasting using the Sivetz roaster and Cropster
• Blending and flavoring coffees to documented formulas
• K-Cup production: grinding, filling, and packaging
• Spot-checking roasted coffee inventory levels
• Receiving green coffee shipments and logging them in Cropster

Consistency matters. When you're blending, grinding, or roasting, the output needs to match the standard every time. If something looks or smells different, you flag it before it moves to the next step.

Order fulfillment is a major part of the weekly workload. You'll work through the fulfillment process across all channels as assigned:

• Pulling products from existing stock using pick lists
• Packaging whole bean and ground coffee: staging bags, applying labels, grinding, sealing, applying date and grind stickers
• Building and boxing orders for DTC shipping (USPS via Pirate Ship) and wholesale shipping (SpeeDee via ShipIt)
• Staging local pickup orders in-store
• Verifying order accuracy: right product, right grind, right label, right box

The detailed task sequences for each fulfillment day are in the Weekly Roastery Rhythm project in Asana. You're expected to follow them precisely. Accuracy is the single most important thing in fulfillment. A wrong bag or a missed label is a real problem for a real customer.

Customer Service

You share responsibility for customer-facing communication:

• Responding to customer emails, Intercom chats, and voicemails
• Replying to product reviews (Loox and Google)
• Following up on failed subscription payments when assigned

Same-day response is the standard. If you're unsure how to handle something, ask the Production Lead rather than guessing.

Facility and Cleaning

You share responsibility for keeping the roastery clean, organized, and inspection-ready:

• Daily end-of-shift sanitation, cleanup, and shutdown routine
• Weekly deep cleaning tasks as assigned (equipment, floors, grinders, vents, bathroom)
• Monthly maintenance and deep clean rotations
• Rodent trap checks, plant care, and general facility upkeep as assigned

The full cleaning schedule lives in Asana. The standard is simple: the roastery should be ready for an unannounced inspection on any given day.

Retail

• Stocking coffee shop retail shelves and roastery wire shelves
• Restocking mugs and drip brew selections as needed

How You Work With the Production Lead

The Production Lead plans the week, assigns daily priorities, and decides how work gets distributed. Your job is to execute that plan reliably and communicate clearly.

What's expected:

• Follow the daily startup and closeout routines consistently
• Check Asana and Slack at the start of each day for your assignments
• Let the Production Lead know if you're falling behind, blocked, or see something that needs attention
• Ask questions early rather than making assumptions
• Complete tasks to the documented standard, not your own shortcut

What earns trust over time:

• Anticipating what needs doing next without being told
• Flagging problems before they become bigger problems
• Taking ownership of tasks you've been trained on and running them independently
• Suggesting improvements to processes you work with every day

Physical Requirements

• Standing and moving for the full shift
• Lifting and carrying green coffee bags (up to 150 lbs with assistance, typically 60-70 lbs)
• Operating roasting equipment, bag sealers, grinders, and packaging machinery
• Working in a warm environment near roasting equipment