We hire aspiring coffee professionals committed to authenticity and professional growth who are excited to be part of a workplace where they can make a positive difference in people's day. 

Current opportunities

Roaster

We are looking to bring an experienced, full-time Roaster onto our team to contribute to daily roasting operations in our Emeryville Roastery.

Reporting to the Director of Coffee, and working with the Lead Roaster, the primary responsibilities of the Roaster will include roasting, roaster maintenance, and production. The best candidate for this position will be an experienced coffee roaster with an unflappably positive attitude and a keen sense of how to coax the best expression of a coffee through the roasting process, exhibiting the completeness and balance Highwire is known for.

Required experience:

• 3+ years production roasting experience (preferably on Probat UG-22)

• Functional knowledge of Cropster

• You know how to cup and are comfortable talking about your sensory experience

• Sample roasting experience is a plus

• Experience with Google Docs and Shopify are desirable

• Experience and comfort toggling between different areas of responsibility and focus as the demands of the day dictate. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Understand Start-of-Day procedures for importing orders, preparing necessary pre-production paperwork, and creation of the roasting schedule. 

• Responsible for knowing all of the steps of starting up the roaster and afterburner.

• Know all of the coffee recipes and how to identify the green coffee in the space by bag or by ICO number.

• Be competent in the use of Cropster as a data-logging tool. Understand how to use Cropster to create the day’s roast schedule. Expected to log every roast and attach their name to batches they have roasted.

• Collect information about the batch code and make sure that the information in Cropster is accurately recorded on the batches of coffee sent to production. Finished weights should also be recorded.  

• Pull samples for Quality Control purposes and accurately record batch numbers, product name and finished weight/percent loss.

• Maintain Organic compliance by roasting Organic coffees first in the production day and by logging heat and air purge steps in the roasting log.

• Prioritize their work according to the priorities of the production day and delivery schedule, based on volume and workflow. For example, The Core, is typically the  biggest volume, but lowest priority since it goes out in bulk

• Participate in the bagging of coffee and the fulfillment of orders. This can and will include loading coffee into the weigh and fill, bagging of coffee using the weigh and fill, sealing of coffee bags with the heat sealer, folding of filled coffee bags, placing of filled bags on the bagging shelf, filling of orders with bagged coffee, grinding coffee for orders, packaging coffee for shipment, and recording of bags loaded into store orders.

• Maintain a pace of work consistent with the needs of production when bagging and filling orders.

• Attention to detail both in the roasting space and in the production space will be critical to the success of individuals in this position

• Comment on espresso dial-ins and Coffee of the Week posts to increase dialog and understanding

• Scoop, weigh, and lift green coffee into the roaster, and roasted coffee out of the roaster

• Maintain all roasting equipment using weekly, monthly and yearly checklists. This will include daily cleaning and vacuuming of the machines, and well as weekly, monthly, and annual tear-downs and deep cleaning of the equipment.

• Familiar with all of the blends, their flavor profiles, and best approaches in roasting to achieve flavor and roast degree goals.

• Participate in Quality Control exercises like cupping or tasting of brewed batches if something about a roast seems out of protocol. The production roaster will also be expected to help in tasting samples for future production needs.

• Stay aware of company communication around how coffees are received in the cafes, contributing to the conversations about coffee and sharing experiences in roasting with the staff

• Give and receive feedback with regards to different roast techniques or procedures. All discussions of coffee quality or perceived experiences of flavor will be delivered and received in a professional manner.

• Work collaboratively sharing information about the roasting process with other members of the roasting team.

• Keep a consistent pace of work with an expectation of producing three roasted batches of coffee an hour, up to 21 total batches in a standard production day.

• Adhere to existing roast protocols, and able to explain why decisions are made within the roasting process.

• Know how to operate the roasting equipment safely and will know how to shut down equipment quickly in the case of an emergency.  

• Understand the basics of fire safety and what to do in case of a fire, either inside the equipment or in the roasting area.

• Responsible for helping to maintain the green coffee inventory in the space, by physically loading and unloading green coffee, both in bags and buckets.

• Safe lifting techniques are expected at all times. Able to lift up to 40lbs, frequently, with occasional lifting up to 60lbs. They will also be expected to be able to move coffee bags with other team members, using safe, team-lifting techniques. 

• Use both electric and manual pallet jacks to manipulate pallets of coffee in the space. 

• Maintain a safe working environment

• Maintain a clean and clear workspace, before, during and after their roasting shift.  

• Pitch in on general cleaning duties of the roasting and  production areas as well as the general warehouse.

• Set up (daily) cuppings and help to break them down.

• Communicate with the Production Lead and Lead Roaster about the production day and to address any exceptions

• Data log all roasts through Cropster and adhere to roast recipes 

• Fill in on production duties as needed

• Unload weekly coffee deliveries and organize pallets in the roastery

• Participate in roastery staff meetings

• Take constructive criticism about the roasting process

• Provide constructive feedback to others and collaborate around solving issues

• Aim to create and support a positive work environment at all times

The pay range for this position is $24 to $28/hr. Starting wage will be determined based on experience.

In addition to monetary compensation, Highwire’s benefits package includes opportunities for 70% subsidized medical and vision insurance.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to steveford@highwirecoffee.com

Production Team Member

We are looking to add a Production Team Member onto our team to participate in production at our Emeryville Roastery. This is an entry level position reporting to the Director of Coffee and supplementing the Production Lead. It will start at 30 hours per week across five days. 

The Production Team Member will need to be the quintessential team-player, as they will wear several hats throughout their day-to-day responsibilities. This role will package and ship orders all while maintaining high levels of quality control. This role will require excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and a persistent pace of urgency in order to succeed. A positive attitude and professional demeanor will be expected at all times.

The best candidate for this position will be a team player with a focus on efficiency, cleanliness, and accuracy with an unflappably positive attitude.

Key Responsibilities:

• Understand Start-of-Day procedures for importing orders, preparing necessary pre-production paperwork, and creation of the roasting schedule. 

• Prioritize their work according to the needs of the production day and delivery schedule, based on volume and workflow.

• Bag of coffee and fulfill orders. This can and will include loading coffee into the weigh and fill, bagging of coffee using the weigh and fill, sealing of coffee bags with the heat sealer, folding of filled coffee bags, placing of filled bags on the bagging shelf, filling of orders with bagged coffee, grinding coffee for orders, packaging coffee for shipment, and recording of bags loaded into store orders.

• Maintain a pace of work consistent with the needs of production when bagging and filling orders.

• Attention to detail in the production space will be critical to the success of individuals in this position 

• Understand the basics of fire safety and what to do in case of a fire, either inside the equipment or in the roasting area.

• Use of safe lifting techniques are expected at all times.

• Use both electric and manual pallet jacks to manipulate pallets of coffee in the space. 

• Able to lift up to 40lbs, frequently, with occasional lifting up to 60lbs. They will also be expected to be able to move coffee bags with other team members, using safe team-lifting techniques. 

• Pack tea accurately and efficiently.

• Maintain a clean and clear workspace, before, during and after their shift.  

• Pitch in on general cleaning duties of the roasting and production areas as well as the general warehouse.

• Take direction and feedback from the Production Lead and communicate with the roasters about the production day and to address any exceptions

Experience:

• Experience with Google Docs and Shopify are desirable

The pay range for this position is $21 to $25/hr. Starting wage will be determined based on experience.

In addition to monetary compensation, Highwire’s benefits package includes opportunities for 70% subsidized medical and vision insurance.   

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to steveford@highwirecoffee.com

Barista 

If you're the person customers look forward to seeing in the morning, and can crush a bar rush while staying cool, we'd like to hear from you! A Highwire barista is a student of hospitality and coffee. A barista strives to delight our customers by being approachable, coffee-focused, detail-oriented, and operationally excellent. They are a pleasure to work with, connect with our guests in authentic and meaningful ways, and ultimately create someplace special. They are values-focused, results-driven, and learn the Highwire way to help drive growth and loyalty for their location.

We start all new baristas at $18.67/hr plus tips with a plan for growth up to $20.67/hr and beyond with promotions. We offer training, health insurance, PTO, and 401K with a company match. You get free coffee to drink and a bag of coffee or tube of tea to take home each week.

We're currently hired up, but check back here to see when that changes.

In the meantime, let us know if we should meet you! 

Send your resume and and a brief cover letter to info@highwirecoffee.com