Chief Operating Officer - Coffee Farm & Washing & Roasting Plant

Moyee Coffee Roasting Plc is the first multinational coffee roasting company based in Ethiopia and a pioneer in FairChain coffee. As a fully integrated company, from crop to cup. we handle everything from growing to roasting coffee locally. We export premium roasted coffee to international markets and supply top-tier hotels and leading supermarkets across Ethiopia.

Job Purpose

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership across the entire coffee value chain, including coffee farm operations, washing station processing, roasting plant production, and retail café operations.

The COO ensures operational excellence, product quality consistency, cost efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability from farm to final consumer experience. The role drives performance standards, quality compliance, brand consistency, and sustainable growth across all operational units.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

A. Operational Leadership

• Oversee farm operations, including planting, harvesting, and agronomy practices.
• Manage washing station operations (processing, fermentation, drying).
• Supervise roasting plant production planning and execution.
• Ensure production targets are met within budget.

B. Quality & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with coffee quality standards (export & specialty market requirements).
• Coordinate with Quality Control Laboratory.
• Implement SOPs and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance.

C. Financial & Performance Management

• Develop operational budgets and monitor cost efficiency.
• Optimize labor productivity and resource utilization.
• Analyze operational KPIs and implement corrective measures.

D. Team Leadership

• Lead farm managers, plant managers, and operational supervisors.
• Develop middle management capacity.
• Promote performance culture and accountability.

E. Supply Chain & Market Alignment

• Coordinate with Procurement and Sales departments.
• Align production plans with export demand and local market needs.

E. Café & Retail Operations Management

• Oversee day-to-day operations of company-owned coffee cafés.
• Ensure consistent brand standards, service quality, and customer experience.
• Develop SOPs for café operations, barista performance, and hygiene compliance.
• Monitor café sales performance, cost control, and profitability.
• Ensure effective stock management between roasting plant and cafés.
• Supervise café managers and ensure performance accountability.
• Implement customer satisfaction measurement and improvement programs.
• Lead expansion planning for new café locations (if applicable).

F. Brand & Customer Experience Alignment

• Ensure cup quality consistency from farm to retail.
• Align roasting profiles with café market demand.
• Coordinate with Marketing and Sales to strengthen brand positioning.
• Drive premium coffee positioning and specialty coffee standards.
• Maintain quality traceability across the value chain.

G. Commercial & Revenue Optimization

• Monitor revenue streams across wholesale, export, and café retail.
• Improve gross margin per kg across value chain stages.
• Develop cost-per-cup and profitability analysis models.
• Identify new product development opportunities (blends, specialty lines).

Requirements

• MSc / BSc in Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Food Science, Industrial Engineering, Business Management or related field. MBA is an added advantage.
• Minimum 12–15 years’ progressive leadership experience in coffee farm and processing operations, agro-processing, FMCG, food manufacturing, or coffee industry.
• Proven experience managing multi-site operations (farm + plant + retail preferred)
• Strong understanding of coffee washing, Coffee processing (washed & natural), roasting, and export standards.
• Proven leadership experience in manufacturing/agro-processing.
• Strong financial and operational management skills.
• Experience in the specialty coffee market is highly desirable.
• Cost control & P&L management
• Experience in the specialty coffee market is highly desirable.
• Strong financial analysis and performance management capability.
• Demonstrated leadership of large, multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent strategic thinking and execution capability.