Mexican Sourcing Agent: Specialty Coffee

OVERVIEW: We are a U.S.-based outdoor coffee gear company looking to develop a proprietary Mexican coffee optimized specifically for stovetop and camping percolators. To this end, we are looking for an experienced coffee professional with strong relationships within the Mexican coffee industry to facilitate our ability to source, roast, grind, and package the coffee in Mexico before importing the finished product into the United States. RESPONSIBILITIES: The consultant will help: -Review our existing coffee specification and recommend any necessary sourcing considerations -Identify Mexican green coffees that fit the target sensory profile -Obtain and coordinate green coffee samples for evaluation and roast development -Coordinate communication between Mexican suppliers and our company as needed -Serve as an ongoing sourcing resource as the product moves from development into production -Coordinate sample roasting and roast-profile development -Facilitate testing and iteration as our company evaluates samples using our percolators -Help identify commercial grinding capabilities capable of producing a consistent coarse grind with minimal fines -Help identify appropriate packaging and packing capabilities in Mexico -Serve as an ongoing local sourcing and product-development resource as the product moves into commercial production QUALIFICATIONS We are particularly interested in candidates who: -Have professional experience in the Mexican coffee industry -Have direct experience sourcing green coffee in Mexico -Have established relationships with Mexican producers, cooperatives, mills, exporters, roasters, or coffee manufacturers -Understand green coffee quality, processing methods, sensory characteristics, roasting, and commercial coffee production -Have experience identifying and evaluating roasting partners -Understand commercial grinding and coffee packaging requirements -Have experience in bringing a coffee product from sourcing through finished production -Have experience working with U.S. companies or exporting finished coffee products to the United States -Can communicate effectively in both English and Spanish -Can manage communication among multiple suppliers and production partners We look forward to collaborating on this venture!