Coffee Quality & Innovation Manager

At Canterbury Coffee, quality starts long before coffee reaches the cup. We are looking for a Coffee Quality & Innovation Manager who brings together a passion for exceptional coffee with strong expertise in sensory evaluation, food safety, quality systems and continuous improvement.

Reporting to the Vice President, Operations this role leads our coffee quality, sensory, food safety and quality management programs and team, ensuring product integrity, consistency and compliance from green coffee through finished product.

As a sensory leader, you will establish and maintain standards for coffee evaluation, cupping and cup quality in collaboration with our Green Coffee Sourcing and Roasting teams. You will use sensory expertise and quality insights to identify opportunities to strengthen coffee quality, optimize practices and support innovation.

As our designated SQF Practitioner and food safety leader, you will also lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of our food safety and quality systems, ensuring SQF certification and regulatory and customer compliance across roasting, packaging, warehousing and distribution.

What You’ll Do

• Lead coffee sensory evaluation and own cupping standards, protocols, calibration and cup-quality expectations in partnership with Green Coffee Sourcing and Roasting.
• Apply sensory expertise and quality insights to strengthen coffee quality, consistency, sourcing decisions, product development, commercialization and innovation.
• Own the SQF food safety and quality management system, including HACCP, GMP, traceability, recall, food defence and food fraud programs.
• Establish and verify SOPs, sanitation standards and process controls, ensuring compliance across roasting, packaging and warehousing.
• Lead SQF, customer, internal and regulatory audits, maintaining audit readiness and driving effective root cause analysis, CAPA and continuous improvement.
• Oversee supplier and material approval, product verification, sanitation, pest control, complaints, nonconforming product, traceability and recall readiness.
• Provide QA risk assessment and sign-off for product, packaging, specification, trial and engineering changes, including verification before release.
• Support health and safety programs, training, investigations and corrective actions.
  
  

Scope of Leadership

• Lead, coach and develop the QA team, setting clear expectations and overseeing performance, scheduling, attendance and payroll inputs.
• Serve as the food safety and quality authority, with accountability to escalate risks, require corrective action, place materials or products on hold and authorize release under approved procedures.
• Represent Quality with auditors, regulators, certification bodies and customers, ensuring alignment with SQF, CFIA, Health Canada and applicable customer requirements.
• Partner across Green Coffee Sourcing, Roasting, Production, Procurement and Warehouse teams to resolve quality issues and embed effective food safety and quality controls.
• Champion food safety culture and influence cross-functional planning, change management, risk reduction and measurable quality improvements.
• Maintain independent Quality oversight while building strong operational partnerships and supporting effective execution.
  
  

Who You Are

• A confident people leader who develops teams through coaching, clear expectations and accountability.
• Passionate about coffee quality, with strong sensory judgment and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Collaborative and influential, able to build alignment across technical and operational teams while maintaining independent Quality oversight.
• Analytical and solutions-focused, using data, risk assessment and root cause analysis to make sound decisions.
• A clear communicator who can translate quality, food safety and regulatory requirements into practical action.
• Detail-oriented, adaptable and committed to high standards of integrity, compliance and follow-through.
  
  

What You Bring

• 4+ years of food and beverage manufacturing quality or food safety experience; coffee roasting or packaging experience is an asset.
• Experience leading or coaching QA staff and building, implementing and improving quality systems.
• Strong working knowledge of SQF, HACCP, GMP, sanitation, traceability, recall, supplier approval and document control.
• Experience with audits, CAPA, risk assessment, process change control and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of CFIA, Health Canada and applicable customer requirements; FDA knowledge where relevant.
• Food Science, Microbiology or related education preferred; SQF Practitioner and HACCP training are desirable.
• Strong coffee cupping and sensory evaluation capabilities; Certified Q Grader is an asset.
  
  

We Offer

• Base salary range of $88,000 - $110,000. Salary will be commensurate with experience, skills, and qualifications.
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits.
• 4 weeks of paid vacation
• Group Benefits Program
• Vacation Purchase Program
• Paid Volunteer Day
• Employee pricing on our product line-up
• Free, on-site parking
• A fun and supportive environment with opportunities for learning and development.
• And…a workplace filled with the aroma of coffee….all day…every day
  
  

Applications are welcomed from all individuals, including women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of our company.

To learn more about us, visit our website at canterburycoffee.com .