Head Coffee Roaster | New Luxury Startup | NYC
HEAD COFFEE ROASTER
Luxury Food & Beverage Brand | New York City
Full-Time | In-Person | $130,000 – $160,000
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
A first-of-its-kind luxury food and beverage lifestyle brand launching in New York City is seeking an exceptional Head Coffee Roaster to join its founding team. The brand spans e-commerce, subscription gifting, and flagship retail — celebrating the world's finest wine, chocolate, coffee, and tea under the ethos of "discernment and delight." It is backed and led by a repeat entrepreneur and tech founder, with seed capital in place and a target launch in 2025.
This is a ground-floor, creative ownership role. The Head Coffee Roaster is one of the brand's core "Taste Makers" — the expert practitioners who define product quality and serve as the human face of the brand. You will lead the craft coffee program end to end — sourcing, roasting profiles, product development, and pairings — and curate a rotating selection of single-origin and specialty coffees across subscriptions, gift boxes, and café service. Coffee is the primary focus; the role also sources and manages a white-labeled tea program near-term, with a dedicated tea expert to follow as the brand scales. You will also be a brand ambassador and on-camera presence, giving the audience an authentic window into the craft.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Product & Craft
- Lead development of first-party branded coffee — sourcing, roasting profiles, and product line
- Curate a rotating selection of single-origin and specialty coffees for subscriptions, gift boxes, and café service
- Source and manage a white-labeled tea program; curate selections across key categories (green, black, oolong, herbal)
- Collaborate with the Head Chocolatier and Sommelier on pairings — coffee × chocolate, tea × chocolate, and seasonal collections
- Oversee roasting operations and quality control for all first-party coffee production
- Lead menu engineering and recipe costing across the coffee and tea program
Content & Community
- Film regular video content — product spotlights, behind-the-scenes production, sourcing stories, tasting tutorials — for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok
- Work closely with the marketing team on content creation and brand storytelling
- Participate in live tastings, corporate events, and brand activations
- Engage authentically with the brand's online community of enthusiasts
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- 5+ years of specialty coffee roasting experience; SCA certification strongly preferred
- Deep knowledge of origin, processing, and flavor profiling across coffee categories; working knowledge of specialty tea
- Proven ability to develop original roasting profiles and manage small-batch production
- Comfortable and natural on camera — able to communicate craft with clarity, warmth, and personality
- Collaborative mindset — excited to work across teams including with a Sommelier and Head Chocolatier on pairings and product development
- Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to thrive in a high-agency, ground-floor environment
Preferred
- Experience with international coffee traditions (Mexican, Japanese, etc.)
- Prior experience at well-regarded specialty roasters (e.g. Stumptown, Blue Bottle, or equivalent)
- Prior experience in a luxury food, hospitality, or DTC brand
- Existing relationships with coffee and tea suppliers or specialty ingredient sources
- Active presence or following in the food, coffee, or tea community
- Social media presence demonstrating authentic audience engagement
- Connected to the NYC specialty coffee community
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
- 💰 Salary: $130,000 – $160,000, commensurate with experience
- 🎯 Bonus: Performance-based; details TBD
- 🏥 Health, vision, and dental insurance included
- 🌴 PTO: 2 weeks paid vacation
- 📈 Equity stake in the company
- 🚀 Ground-floor creative ownership with significant growth potential — build your own team, including a future dedicated tea expert, as the brand scales
Full-time, in-person role based in New York City. Local candidates preferred. Equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse team.