Now Hiring – Junior Trader

Now Hiring: Junior Trader

Royal Coffee | Emeryville, CA | Full-Time, Hybrid

About the role 

Royal Coffee has been importing specialty green coffee since 1978. We’re independent, family-owned, and have teams in Emeryville, Oakland, Canada, China, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We import coffee from up to 30 different origin countries per year and maintain SPOT and forward positions in three different countries. 

We are looking for someone to join our Sales team and build a career in coffee trading. This role combines account management, business development, green coffee buying, and supplier relationship management. The successful candidate will be expected to grow an existing book of business, develop new customer relationships, and ultimately take ownership of significant sales volume while managing supplier partnerships and collaborate with colleagues on inventory management and buying decisions. The work is customer-focused, fast-paced, and integral to Royal Coffee’s success. 

Please note: for this position, we will only be considering individuals with advanced verbal and written Spanish fluency. Native Spanish speakers are particularly encouraged to apply. 

What you’ll do 

• Grow and manage a portfolio of coffee roasting customers, with clear expectations around account retention, revenue growth, and new business development 

• Develop and execute a sales plan to expand your book of business through prospecting, relationship building, referrals, and industry networking 

• Work toward managing substantial annual green coffee sales volume while maintaining strong customer relationships and commercial performance 

• Visit accounts and attend industry events 

• Work with our buying teams to solicit and evaluate offers and purchase coffee  

• Communicate with suppliers to stay on top of relevant production trends, and ensure contract performance 

• Field inbound sales leads via phone, email, and in-person communication 

What we’re looking for

• Demonstrated success in a sales, account management, or business development role. You enjoy building relationships, pursuing opportunities, and growing revenue. 
• Comfortable with performance expectations tied to customer growth, sales activity, and commercial results. 
• Self-motivator; comfortable working independently and as part of a team 
• Experience buying green coffee 
• Spanish and English language fluency 
• Clear written and verbal communication in English and Spanish 
• Enthusiasm for and experience in the coffee industry 
• Experienced cupper 
• Ability to multi-task 
• Solid Excel skills (pivot tables, basic formulas, clean data entry habits) 
• Strong organizational and time management instincts; you notice when something is out of place and fix it 

This is not primarily an operations or administrative position. Successful Junior Traders are relationship builders, sales specialists, and coffee experts who enjoy growing accounts, winning new business, and creating long-term value for customers and suppliers alike. 

Nice to have

• Q Grader certification or active progress toward it 
• Experience forecasting inventory needs 
• Experience with international travel 

Schedule, location, and what we offer 

• Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM 
• Our sunlit Emeryville office overlooking the San Francisco Bay 
• Free on-site parking 
• Opportunity for hybrid work after initial training period 
• Salary is commensurate with experience, $48 – 55/hr range 
• Medical and dental coverage 
• 401(k) with company matching 
• Paid time off and holidays 
• All the coffee you can drink
  
• Hands on training from experienced and dedicated coffee traders 

How to apply 

Send a resume and a short note about why this role interests you and why you think you would succeed at Royal. Bonus if you tell us a coffee sales story that helps us get to know you. Please send the email to careers@royalcoffee.com Subject line must be ‘Junior Trader position’.