Job Title
Head Roaster
Location
Beanworks Coffee Roastery, Blisworth
Reports To
Director
Direct Reports
Coffee Roasters / Roastery Production Team
Hours
Full-time, 40 hours/week (occasional early starts and flexibility for production demands)
Salary
£38k to £45k depending on experience
Purpose of the Role
The Head Roaster leads all coffee roasting and production operations at the Blisworth Roastery, taking ownership of roast quality, consistency, output and safety. This is a hands-on leadership role: you will roast, develop and refine profiles alongside the Head of Coffee while managing and developing a small team of Coffee Roasters, ensuring Beanworks consistently delivers exceptional coffee at the volumes our wholesale and retail customers depend on.
Key Responsibilities
Roasting & Production
- Own the end-to-end roasting operation, from green bean intake through to packed, dispatch-ready product.
- Develop, refine and maintain roast profiles across the product range, balancing flavour, consistency and yield.
- Plan and manage the daily/weekly production schedule to meet sales, wholesale and seasonal demand.
- Conduct regular cupping and quality control checks; take corrective action on any deviation from spec.
- Maintain accurate roast logs, batch records and traceability documentation for all production.
Team Leadership
- Lead, coach and manage the roasting team, including rotas, workload allocation and day-to-day performance.
- Recruit, train and develop roasters as the team grows, building a clear skills and progression pathway.
- Set and uphold production standards, ensuring the team operates safely, efficiently and to specification.
- Run regular team meetings and contribute to wider performance review processes.
Equipment, Safety & Compliance
- Oversee roaster maintenance schedules, working closely and building relationships with engineers/suppliers on servicing and repairs.
- Ensure the roastery meets food safety, health & safety, and environmental compliance requirements (HACCP, fire safety, machinery safety). Own risk assessments and safe working procedures for all roastery activity.
- Manage green coffee and packaging stock levels, minimising waste and downtime.
Cross-Functional & Strategic
- Work closely with the Directors and Head of Coffee on capacity planning, new product development and equipment investment.
- Partner with the Head of Coffee and Account Management team on new coffee sourcing, seasonal releases and customer-specific roast requests.
- Report on production KPIs (yield, waste, output, quality) and identify continuous improvement opportunities.
- Represent Beanworks' roasting expertise with key wholesale accounts and at trade events where relevant.
Person Specification
Essential
- Proven hands-on roasting experience, ideally 3+ years, including experience roasting at commercial volume.
- Experience leading, managing or mentoring a team in a production or hospitality environment.
- Strong sensory skills — confident cupping, evaluating and adjusting roast profiles.
- Working knowledge of food safety and health & safety requirements in a production setting.
- Highly organised, with the ability to plan production against fluctuating demand.
- Comfortable using roasting software/data logging tools (e.g. Cropster or equivalent).
Desirable
- SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) Roasting qualifications, or equivalent industry training.
- Experience with specific roaster types in use at Beanworks (Giesen).
- Background in green coffee sourcing or supplier relationships.
- Experience supporting new product development or seasonal/limited-edition releases.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £38,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
