Coffee Sales and Marketing Manager

Job Description

Mission: What we want you to achieve

Build up a network of independent roasters across the UK who regularly buy and roast our specialty green coffees sourced from smallholder specialty coffee cooperatives in Rwanda and Uganda. Even if roasters regularly buy only a few bags, with us they can do so in a collaborative manner, giving Rwandan and Ugandan coffee farmers predictability and enabling The Alternative Coffee Co to order growing and economic volumes to ship. In this way, we can hold stock for these roasters to draw down over the crop year.

Your job is to: Manage the sales, administration and delivery process to each independent roaster, building engagement and loyalty to our initiative. Offer excellent customer service and build long-term relationships. Encourage cost effective collaborations between local roasters e.g. on joint deliveries, sample roasting and promotions in the local media.

Tasks, activities and work profile:

1. Identify and contact independent, artisan and small-scale coffee roasters

2. Introduce the company and its mission; Present the green coffee range and the USP

3. Manage and see through the escalation of leads and contacts through to sale and/or support other team members to clinch/make sales.

4. Keep profiles and logs of each roaster relationship

5. Understand their business strengths and weaknesses

5. Discuss and define how the company can best support the coffee roasters, or their customers (Cafes/shops etc) to provide pull through.

6. Attend coffee events and grow the visibility recognition of the company and its brand/values and high quality becoming a regular feature/voice in the independent coffee sector

7. Develop forecasts and delivery plans

8. Produce PR and marketing collateral (photos, social media, community discussion etc)

9. Contribute to press outreach.

Skills and attributes:

This job will suit a person who

• Likes social/environmental business
• Likes to get to know people and build long-term relationships
• Appreciates the story and mission of the company
• Loves coffee, coffee shop culture, independent business community/social enterprises and ethical/fair trade
• Is a positive person, and can sell worthwhile and high-quality products.

Essential Experience

The successful person will be able to

• Demonstrate relevant selling experience (at least one year)
• Show they pay full attention to detail
• Take pride in their results
• Show they are organised and have mastered all basic tools needed - Excel and other common programmes; Client record keeping systems; Dropbox
• Show they are a personable and engaging personality who can interact with customers.
• Build and work with a coordinated team of staff and volunteers.
• Drive and hold a full, clean license.

Location:

The two managers of The Alternative Coffee Company are based in Glasgow and Exeter. We do not mind where your base is in the UK. You must have the right to work in the UK. You would need to have a home-office set up or make an agreement to work at a like-minded social or fair trade enterprise in your area. We will pay you or your host an allowance for this each month.

This job will require regular travel around the UK. You do not need to own a car. We would set up a hire/lease arrangement for your travel, coffee events and roaster visits.

Duration:

We want to provide the successful candidate with the assurance that they have everything to go for despite the difficult times we live in. This contract is for permanent employment.  Probation: six months, with periodic monitoring/reviews.

Reporting to:

We will hold weekly planning meetings on Mondays.
You will send weekly outcome reports to Pauline (Ollema) and Kiera (SFTF) on Fridays and prepare a ‘Monthly targets achieved’ report against plans.

To apply: Please send your cv and a covering letter, outlining why you like the sound of this job and what is your most relevant sales and marketing experience and what you achieved there to: Pauline Tiffen PTiffen@ollema.net

 Closing Date: 26th August Interviews: Week beginning 29th August Job Start: September onwards. 

Company Description

The Alternative Coffee Co was established by a partnership between Ollema Fairer Farming Ventures and the Scottish Fair Trade Forum in 2021 to create a new kind of purchasing and relationship opportunity for independent, artisan and micro roasters around the UK to connect with, and buy specialty coffee from small holder farmer cooperatives.

Our role is green bean wholesaler, and roaster-cafe´ support group, aiming to get genuine and motivating people and planet stories the farmers can relate through to the end consumer/coffee lovers. 

You will work for The Alternative Coffee Co. Your employer will be Ollema which is the company that hosts and supports The Alternative Coffee Co. Ollema directly backs innovative ventures in fair/green/agro-ecological supply chains with expertise and finance.