Operations Specialist

Based in Durham, NC, with regional offices around the country, Counter Culture Coffee has been continuously innovating in the coffee industry since 1995—and we’re looking for new team members to help us expand our efforts.

Counter Culture Coffee is:

• A relentless pursuit of coffee perfection
• A dedication to real environmental, social, and fiscal sustainability
• A commitment to creating cutting edge coffee people

Position: Operations Specialist

FLSA Status: Exempt

Job Overview:

The Operations Specialist works closely with the Operations Manager who is accountable for the entire manufacturing process of our roastery. This position focuses on operational excellence - best practices regarding inventory control and integrity, production efficiency and efficacy. The operations specialist applies sound judgment to favorably impact financial departmental performance, and works with Production and Roasting Supervisors in utilizing performance management methods. This role is an integral part of the Roasting and Production Teams and will coordinate efforts, leverage strengths, identify opportunities, and build the road map to ensuring desired outcomes are achieved.

The ideal candidate has an entrepreneurial spirit and is motivated by shaping strategy and solving problems. The ideal candidate is compelled to never stop moving forward, driving value and achieving goals. A change agent, they are action and detail-oriented. Their vision aligns with Counter Culture's and they will overcome significant obstacles working with the team to win. Resourceful and communicative, they build a strong rapport with the team: inspiring, motivating, and mentoring.  

Job Duties:

• Work closely with Operations Manager and team to use LEAN principles to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence
• Manage daily activities of Durham Roasting and Production ensuring process efficiency and efficacy
• Ensure inventory integrity and clarity in manufacturing costs
• Learn and champion the Great Game of Business paradigm including forecasting weekly production labor costs.
• Help build scalable and sustainable systems in a growth environment
• Motivate, inspire, and hold team accountable
• Coordinate efforts to identify and solve concerns
• Participate in building the  Durham operations annual operating plan and participate in Sales & Operations planning ensuring production is aligned with sales requirements

Requirements:

• B.S. in managerial/technical area or related experience
• 5 years of demonstrated experience in warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, or comparable experience; preferably in food, pharmaceutical, or beverage products
• Experience working in a team leadership role in respective environment
• Ability to record, report and analyze reliable data 
• Experience with Lean manufacturing and quality systems supporting continuous improvement and a high performing culture
• Ability to understand and analyze a manufacturing/supply chain P&L
• Willingness to be very hands-on, influencing, mentoring, and coaching
• Experience in ERP Systems and proficient in spreadsheet and word processing software

Preferred Skills:

• Commercial coffee roasting experience
• Project Management experience
• Experience with NetSuite ERP, MRP, and WMS solutions

Physical Components of this Job:

The physical activity of this position:

• Reaching: extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Standing: particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Walking: moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
• Lifting: raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position.
• Fingering: picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.,
• Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities in which the employee must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly,
• Hearing: perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make discriminations in sound.
• Repetitive motion: substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

Physical requirements of this position:

Medium work: exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently.

The visual acuity requirements including color, depth perception, and field vision.

The conditions the employee will be subject to in this position.

• The worker is subject to environmental conditions. Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.
• The worker is subject to noise. There is sufficient noise to cause the worker to shout in order to be heard above ambient noise level.

Benefits: Currently, the offered benefits include: group health (medical, dental, and vision), available the first of the month after 30 days of employment; Flexible Spending Accounts for Healthcare and for Dependent Care; short- and long-term disability; life insurance; 401(k) program; paid time off; six company holidays.

Counter Culture Coffee is an Equal Opportunity Employer in both policy and practice.

Counter Culture Coffee assesses candidates for employment based on their knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job for which they are applying and without regard to any non-job related category as protected by federal, state or local law. Finalist candidates for employment will be required to demonstrate USA employment eligibility (per federal and state law, Counter Culture Coffee participates in the federal E-Verify program).