COFFEE SALES AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT COORDINATOR

About De La Gente

De La Gente (DLG) generates economic opportunities for small-scale coffee producers in Guatemala. While we are based and have offices in La Antigua Guatemala, our work extends to nine partner cooperatives located in Sacatepéquez, Sololá, San Marcos, Huehuetenango, and Quetzaltenango with which we commercialize coffee, offer technical assistance, and provide financing opportunities.

De La Gente’s coffee commercialization program provides better and more stable prices to our partner coffee cooperatives and their member producers. DLG commercializes both green coffee for roasters, as well as roast coffee directly to consumers, primarily in North America and secondarily in Guatemala.

Job Description

The Coffee Sales and Customer Support Coordinator is the primary point of contact for all accounts and customers. Responsibilities include the sales, operational, and logistic elements of the Coffee Commercialization Program. This is an ideal opportunity for somebody interested in the intersection of business and development as it relates to coffee, and contributing directly to improving the lives of coffee farmers in Guatemala.

Responsibilities

• Support the Coffee Commercialization Program team in developing annual sales strategy based on sales targets, past data, and market analysis
• Provide customer support to individual roasted coffee buyers
• Manage relationships and communication with wholesale accounts (both green and roasted coffee accounts)
• Identify and contact (via email, in person or phone) potential customers to pitch DLG coffee and deliver samples
• Work with providers (warehouses, shippers, roasters) to manage fulfillment of orders in the US
• Help to organize and facilitate trips made by current and potential accounts (both green and roasted coffee accounts)
• Manage coffee sales in Guatemala (Including order fulfillment and delivery)
• Manage billing, recordkeeping, and prepare regular reports on sales data and inventory
• Reports to the Coffee Commercialization Program Manager

Qualifications

Necessary:

• Previous experience in sales, customer service or general for-profit work
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent problem-solving skills, organization and attention to detail
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to new situations
• Analytical and numerical skills
• Ability to learn quickly, familiarize with new information, and develop new systems
• Interest in working as part of an international team and actively approaching people of diverse backgrounds
• Fluency in English and Spanish

Desirable:

• Previous experience in the specialty coffee industry
• US Visa

Characteristics

Candidates should be outgoing, dynamic, confident, and open-minded with a hands-on mentality. In particular, we expect candidates to:

• Have a high level of professionalism and personal integrity, as well as a personal commitment to development work
• Be results-orientated, with a high level of ambition and ability to stay focused on goals and hold self to high standards
• Be determined and resilient in challenging situations, stay positive and show tenacity and independent thinking in adverse settings
• Be adaptable and flexible when faced with unexpected situations or new difficulties.
• Show teamwork in multicultural situations. We can only achieve results through collaboration that is based on respect for people of diverse backgrounds
• Demonstrate entrepreneurial and creative abilities when approaching challenges and developing dynamic solutions