Overview
Coffee Specialist Jobs in Doha, Qatar at Sterling Restaurants W.L.L.
Title: Coffee Specialist
Company: Sterling Restaurants W.L.L.
Location: Doha, Qatar
The Coffee Specialist makes sure the coffee is right every step of the way, from the roast profile, to how it is made at the roaster, to what the client tastes in the cup.
This is a hands-on role, especially in the early stage. You will help set up and qualify the Qatar roasting partner, then run coffee operations day-to-day once things are live, while also meeting clients directly for cuppings, training, technical support, and business development.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. PRODUCT & BLEND DEVELOPMENT
- Own and maintain roast profiles and blend specifications for all SKUs supplied in Qatar, starting with CB Coffee Espresso Perfecto, matching the Dubai-approved cup profile.
- Develop new blends and private-label products for JV clients as the account base grows.
- Review and optimize blends periodically based on customer feedback, green coffee availability, and commercial requirements.
- Maintain spec sheets, cupping protocols, brewing recipes, and QC documentation for every SKU.
2. PRODUCTION & CONTRACT ROASTER MANAGEMENT
- Qualify, audit, and approve the Qatar roasting partner.
- Check and approve the Qatar roasting partner: make sure the cup profile matches ours, and that packaging, labelling (including Arabic), batch coding, and expiry dates are correct.
- Learn Qatar’s food and safety rules for roasters (MOPH and Baladiya) and stay involved in making sure our roasting partner follows them.
- Check every production batch against our standards (roast, packaging, consistency) before it is approved for release.
- Manage the switch from Dubai-roasted supply to local Qatar roasting once the roaster is ready, keeping the coffee at the same quality throughout.
- Monitor roasting consistency, production yields, and roasting losses to ensure operational efficiency while maintaining quality standards.
3. QUALITY CONTROL & COFFEE EXCELLENCE
- Cup coffee regularly, green when needed, production batches, and shelf-life checks to make sure it meets our standards.
- Keep clear quality records for each batch, from origin to the outlet.
- Conduct regular quality audits at customer locations to ensure the coffee served matches the intended cup profile.
- When a client raises a quality issue, find out what went wrong, implement corrective actions, and make sure it does not happen again.
4. CLIENT-FACING WORK & CUSTOMER CARE
- Run cuppings and tastings for prospective and existing clients (institutional, F&B, retail) as part of sales and onboarding.
- Act as the technical point of contact for existing accounts: barista training, equipment support, recipe and dosing guidance, grinder calibration, and ongoing account care.
- Support the sales team with technical input during client pitches and onboarding: specification presentations, sample coordination, tasting sessions, and customized coffee solutions.
- Conduct regular customer visits to review coffee quality and strengthen customer relationships.
- Handle and resolve client-reported quality or service issues together with the Dubai QC and sourcing teams.
5. EQUIPMENT, BREWING STANDARDS & TRAINING
- Establish and maintain brewing standards across all customer locations.
- Define grinder settings, extraction recipes, milk texturing standards, dosing, and calibration procedures to ensure consistent cup quality.
- Support installation, commissioning, and calibration of espresso machines and grinders.
- Develop and deliver coffee and barista training programs for Drinkit, Al Muftah F&B brands, and JV customers to ensure consistent execution across all locations.
6. CROSS-MARKET COORDINATION
- Work closely with the Dubai team (QC, sourcing, and sales strategy) to keep the Qatar program aligned with group standards and roadmap.
- Feed Qatar market intelligence back to Dubai leadership: client feedback, competitor activity, customer preferences, and the local specialty coffee landscape.
- Support new SKU registration and product launches for the Qatar market.
- Support green coffee evaluation and origin selection together with the Dubai sourcing team.
7. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
- Support the commercial team in developing new B2B, institutional, retail, and hospitality accounts through coffee expertise and technical presentations.
- Represent the JV during coffee events, exhibitions, customer meetings, and product demonstrations.
- Identify opportunities for new products, seasonal offerings, and private-label solutions that support business growth.
- Continuously improve coffee quality, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction while maintaining alignment with Dubai standards.
What we are looking for:
Coffee experience
Solid, hands-on experience in specialty or commercial coffee, ideally across roasting, quality control, blend development, or B2B accounts.
Cupping
Strong cupping skills. A Q Grader certification is a plus, though not required if you can show the skill in practice.
Contract roasting
Experience working with or auditing a contract roaster, especially somewhere in the GCC, will be very helpful for this role.
Client-facing
Comfortable meeting clients directly: running tastings, training sessions, and technical conversations with F&B operators and institutional buyers.
Languages
English required. Arabic is a strong advantage, given the local labelling and institutional side of the job.