We have an exciting new opportunity to join our Quality Control Team at our roastery in E16.
Hello, we’re Union Hand-Roasted Coffee – a proud B Corp and the UK’s leading speciality coffee roaster. We source high-quality coffee direct from farmers in 14 countries via our pioneering model, Union Direct Trade. We roast all of our coffee on-site at our East London roastery and distribute to cafes, retailers and homes across the UK for coffee lovers to enjoy.
We are focused on quality and sustainability across everything we do and to date, we’ve had a positive impact on the livelihoods of over 500,000 people. In 2022, we certified as a B Corporation, an extremely exciting step for us. But that’s not all! Our sourcing model won The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2017 and 2022. In 2022 we were also awarded the European Coffee Awards for Best Speciality Coffee Roaster and Most Ethical Brand. We are proud that 23 years on, our commitment to quality and sustainability remains the same and is recognised by coffee drinkers and industry folk alike.
We’re proud roasters for some of Britain’s finest cafes and restaurants, as well as supplying to retailers to sell to home consumers. Our coffee is also available roasted fresh to order for coffee drinkers at home via our online shop.
Our inclusive, diverse team of Unionistas consists of around 65 people – a smiley bunch of people passionate about coffee, mostly based at our East London roastery. Yes, it does smell like coffee!
As a B Corporation, Union places great emphasis on building a people-centric culture. Every Unionista is expected to fully embrace our values and demonstrate these in everything that they do. In doing so we believe that we can build a brighter future for all. These values are:
• Work as one. We value teamwork and respect each other • Wow them. We want to do the best for our customers • Keep learning and sharing. We want to continuously strive for excellence and share this with others • Just brew it. We value entrepreneurial attitude and ‘getting things done’ • Enjoy it. We want to spread the joy of coffee • Do the right thing. For everyone in our Union - from farmers to suppliers to Unionistas in the roastery and our environment
What you will be doing:
The Coffee Quality Manager will work closely with the Head of Quality overseeing the quality of coffee from sourcing to final product, ensuring that all coffee meets high standards of taste, consistency, and safety. This role involves collaborating with the sourcing, roasting, and production teams to establish and maintain quality benchmarks, manage cupping processes, and implement continuous improvement initiatives. The Coffee Quality Manager will work closely with production team to deliver the highest quality coffee.
Key requirements of the role will be:
To be responsible for the quality management of production samples – including daily production cupping • To support our Coffee Roasters in maintaining quality standards throughout the production process • To maintain quality control protocols from production to distribution • To support the Head of Quality in maintaining flavour profiles and managing coffee calibration • To undertake shelf life / bench testing on packed products • To collaborate with the Head of Quality on NPD and EPD • To organise and record cuppings, quality and roasting data • To undertake physical analysis and roasting of green coffee samples • To support the Head of Quality and Head of Ethical Sourcing on green coffee procurement • To monitor and coordinate timely receipt of green samples • To support the BRC/EMS Coordinator in conducting traceability exercises • To benchmark competitor products to enable Union to stay ahead in product offerings • To investigate customer quality complaints and provide recommendations for action • To support the Commercial Team on customer presentations, tendering processes, roastery visits and cupping sessions
It is also very much hands-on and given the nature of the job, some non-core hours and weekend work will be required.
The role will also require good mobility and physical dexterity as you’ll need to operate a range of machinery. You will also need to work on foot for extended periods – particularly during cupping processes and training events
You’ll have:
• Advanced coffee certifications (Q Grader, SCA certifications) preferred • Proven experience in quality assurance within the specialty coffee industry or similar environment • Good knowledge of coffee quality standards, sourcing practices, roasting processes, and sensory evaluation • Advanced cupping/coffee quality skills
We’ll also be looking for:
• Strong analytical skills and familiarity with data-driven quality improvement techniques • Someone highly skilled at detecting and addressing variations in quality • Someone analytical and data-driven with a strong focus on data in decision-making and quality improvement • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate quality standards across departments • Experience working with NetSuite/Cropster would be highly advantageous
You’ll get:
• Great, agile team to work with • The chance to be an active part of Union’s success in spreading the love of speciality coffee • Lots of holiday – with 25 days of holiday plus the usual bank holidays • Fantastic support for parents - enhanced family/dependant leave and pay allowances • Support for your future – access to our salary sacrifice workplace pension scheme from day one • Support with travel – access to our Cycle to Work Scheme / Electric Car Scheme • Free breakfast – and endless great coffee to drink at work • Staff discounts - and free sample coffees to take home! • Time to give and support our communities – with paid time off for volunteering
You’ll be part of our team helping us grow, in the right way – upholding our ethics and values and having some fun on the way.
We are an equal opportunities employer and believe that diversity is a strength. We really care about creating a diverse and inclusive team and we welcome people from all backgrounds, with different perspectives, ideas and experiences to work with us. In our team, everyone has the freedom to give their opinion, grow in their career and be part of a genuinely caring and inclusive team.
If you think you like the sound of this role and fit the description, we’d love to hear from you. Please note that while we will try to respond to all applications, sometimes the sheer volume of responses means we can only focus on successful applicants. If your application is successful one of the team will be in touch to arrange an initial conversation.
