Senior manager, roasted coffee quality and operations

senior manager, Roasted Coffee Quality & Operations

Now Brewing – Seeking a Coffee Quality & Operations Leader! Lead the future of Starbucks coffee quality and the talented teams who bring it to life. #tobeapartner

From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrates coffee and the rich global tradition, but that also connects people around the world. We are known for developing extraordinary leaders who share this passion and are guided by their service to others.

As senior manager, you will lead the Roasted Coffee Quality & Operations team, responsible for driving the technical stewardship of roasted coffee quality across Starbucks’ global roasting network, ensuring precision, repeatability, and scalability as the business evolves. This role provides deep expertise in roasting science, sensory methodology, and process control partnering closely with suppliers, operations, and R&D to translate green coffee potential into consistent, high quality roasted outcomes at scale. You will lead the Roasting Center of Excellence, advancing enterprise roasting standards, strengthening training and calibration frameworks, and enabling the Global Master Roaster community through focused technical, sensory, and capability building support. In doing so, this role shapes enterprise quality programs and reinforces Starbucks’ commitment to craft, consistency, and operational excellence worldwide.

As senior manager, Roasted Coffee Quality & Operations, you will:

Set Strategy & Drive Coffee Quality Excellence

• Guide the development, harmonization, and scaling of roasted coffee quality standards, sensory protocols, and roasting best practices through the Roasting Center of Excellence
• Lead global coffee quality strategy and programs, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities and Starbucks quality standards
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor on end-to-end coffee quality, from green coffee through roasting, sensory, and manufacturing execution
• Drive strategic global coffee initiatives by supporting quality, sensory, and operational scaleup across manufacturing networks, ensuring successful adoption of new tools, processes, and standards
• Develop strategic and operational plans that balance long-term priorities with day-to-day execution needs while minimizing risks, improving quality and operational efficiency
• Drive continuous improvement—enhancing productivity, reducing costs, and integrating state-of-the-art practices across roasting - Using data, KPIs, and operational insights to guide decisions and establish clear performance expectations
• Ensure strong governance, compliance, and business continuity planning for all roasting and quality functions
  
  

Lead Team Vision & Develop Capability

• Strengthen and grow capabilities across roasting and sensory teams, empowering direct-report and cross-functional partners to innovate, learn, and elevate craft
• Cultivate an inclusive, high-performance environment that encourages collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement
• Provide coaching and development support for global roasting and sensory SMEs, creating opportunities for mastery and technical leadership
• Foster connectedness across global teams by sharing context, clarifying expectations, and enabling shared problem-solving
• Serve as relationship lead with key stakeholders and external suppliers, supporting escalations and strengthening quality outcomes
• Communicate changes in policies, practices, and priorities to ensure clarity and alignment across teams
• Build strong influence through relationships, shared goals, and a focus on enterprise success
  
  

We’d Love To Hear From People With

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, engineering, quality, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, international business, or other applicable fields (ideally with food and beverage experience)
• Progressive experience leading a quality and operational team (10 years)
• Project and/or program management experience (10 years)
• Applicable coffee industry experience (5-10 years)
• Proven ability to collaborate, influence, and drive alignment on process excellence and standards across a global organization
• Strong communication, negotiation, listening, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to operate effectively at multiple levels in a fast‑paced environment
• Experience with global food safety regulatory frameworks, including FDA Preventive Controls for Human Food and GFSI schemes (e.g., BRC or SQF)
• Passion for coffee, roasting craft, sensory evaluation, and coffee quality systems. Legacy and/or evolved q-grader preferred.
  
  

As a Starbucks partner, you (and your family) will have access to medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits. Partners have access to short-term and long-term disability, paid parental leave, family expansion reimbursement, paid vacation from date of hire*, sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked), eight paid holidays, and two personal days per year. Starbucks also offers eligible partners participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, a discounted company stock program (S.I.P.), Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock), incentivized emergency savings, and financial well-being tools. Additionally, Starbucks offers 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, student loan management resources, and access to other educational opportunities. You will also have access to backup care and DACA reimbursement. Starbucks will comply with any applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, and in accordance with its plans and policies. This list is subject to change depending on collective bargaining in locations where partners have a certified bargaining representative. For additional information regarding partner perks and more detailed information about benefits, go to https://www.starbucksbenefits.comstarbucksbenefits.com.

• If you are working in CA, CO, IL, LA, ME, MA, NE, ND or RI, you will accrue vacation up to a maximum of 120 hours (190 in CA) for roles below director and 200 hours (316 in CA) for roles at director or above. For roles in other states, you will be granted vacation time starting at 120 hours annually for roles below director and 200 hours annually for roles director and above.
  
  

The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate will be based on multiple factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, and internal equity. At Starbucks, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the high end of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

We believe we do our best work when we're together, which is why we're onsite four days a week.

Join us and inspire with every cup. Apply today!

Starbucks Coffee Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.

Starbucks Coffee Company is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at applicantaccommodation or 1(888) 611-2258.