Coffee Trainer

At Union Hand-Roasted Coffee, training is about more than technique — it's about building confidence, driving consistency, and helping our partners deliver coffee they truly believe in, whether they run five sites or five hundred. As a Coffee Trainer for our National Accounts channel, you'll be the coffee expert behind some of our largest multi-site partners. Working closely with our National Account Managers, you'll make sure every site in an estate serves Union coffee to the same exceptional standard. This is a field-based role, with the majority of your time spent delivering hands-on training at National Account sites, Union training locations, and customer head offices and training centres across the UK. Regular travel is an essential part of the role, so a full driving licence and access to your own vehicle, or another reliable vehicle, is required. While National Accounts will be your primary focus, you may also support other channels from time to time as business needs require. You'll work closely with baristas, site and area managers, operations and L&D teams, and Union colleagues to bring our coffees to life — consistently, confidently, and at scale. This is a fast-paced, people-focused role that brings together coaching, quality improvement and commercial impact. Your work will directly strengthen our most strategic customer relationships, support account growth and retention, and protect coffee quality across large, complex estates. You'll act as a trusted advisor, coffee educator and ambassador for Union, building strong partnerships with both on-site teams and head office stakeholders, and helping our National Account partners unlock their full potential. How you'll make an impact Delivering impactful coffee training across national estates Deliver engaging, hands-on training that builds confidence and consistency across multi-site operations Tailor sessions to each account's brand standards, equipment, menu and service style Support new site openings, estate-wide rollouts, menu launches and equipment changes Develop and deliver train-the-trainer programmes so customers' own trainers and champions can sustain standards between visits Supporting National Account Managers & customers Partner closely with National Account Managers to deliver account plans and drive success Build strong relationships with both site teams and head office stakeholders, including operations, food and beverage, and L&D teams Represent Union in account reviews and provide insights from the field to support growth, retention and engagement Coaching, quality & improvement Coach teams on-site to improve skills, workflow and service standards Run quality visits and audits against agreed brand standards, identifying gaps across sites and regions Deliver targeted, practical support where it's needed most, and maintain and elevate coffee quality across the estate Commercial impact Align training with each account's goals, KPIs and commercial priorities Support growth through improved quality, product knowledge and customer experience Track activity and outcomes across sites and report on impact to Union colleagues and customer stakeholders Technical support Provide guidance on equipment use, calibration and maintenance across a range of setups, from traditional espresso machines to bean-to-cup Troubleshoot issues quickly, working with service partners where needed, to protect quality and consistency Content & collaboration Create and adapt training materials, guides and resources for National Account partners, aligned with their brand standards and Union's key campaigns Support events, cuppings and customer education sessions, including sessions at customer head offices Contribute to a culture of learning and coffee excellence ABOUT YOU You're passionate about specialty coffee and motivated by helping others succeed — whether that's building confidence behind the bar, improving consistency across dozens of sites, or supporting teams to deliver great coffee every day. You take pride in seeing people grow, accounts develop and standards improve over time. You're a clear, supportive and adaptable trainer, comfortable working within large hospitality groups and multi-site operators, and able to balance a customer's brand standards with Union's approach to coffee quality. This is a field-based role with extensive travel to National Account sites across the UK, so you enjoy being on the road, managing your own schedule and working independently, while staying closely connected to National Account Managers and the wider team. You enjoy building strong relationships at every level, from baristas to head office, and acting as a trusted partner to customers, representing Union with professionalism, warmth and expertise. You don't need to tick every box, but you'll likely bring many of the following:

• Proven experience delivering engaging barista training and structured learning programmes, ideally across multi-site or national operations
• Experience working with national accounts, multi-site hospitality groups, contract catering or chain operators
• SCA qualifications or equivalent experience in specialty coffee education
• A background as a Head Barista, Area Trainer or similar role within hospitality or coffee
• Strong specialty coffee knowledge, including espresso, brewing and sensory skills
• Confidence coaching individuals and teams across multiple sites and regions
• Experience engaging senior and head office stakeholders, such as operations or L&D teams
• Excellent communication, coaching and facilitation skills
• Good commercial awareness and understanding of customer needs, KPIs and brand standards
• Technical knowledge of espresso machines and brewing equipment, including bean-to-cup
• A full UK driving licence valid for driving in the UK and access to a vehicle, as this role involves frequent travel to customer sites across the UK BENEFITS
• Competitive salary plus car allowance
• Pension salary exchange scheme
• 25 days' holiday plus 8 bank holidays
• Enhanced sick leave and pay
• Enhanced family and dependent leave and pay
• Paid time off for emergencies
• Paid time off for volunteering
• Access to 24/7, 365-day counselling support
• Discounts on coffee, equipment and accessories
• Access to the Extras Discount platform, offering savings across a range of retailers
• Access to Cycle to Work and Electric Car schemes
• Access to personal tech perks and discounts, including mobiles, laptops and household appliances
• Free daily breakfast, plus a bottomless supply of coffee and tea
• Unionistas recognition scheme, rewarding those who go the extra mile and put our values into action
• Regular social events and celebrations
• Access to a wide range of learning, development and training opportunities This role offers a competitive salary within a defined pay scale for the position. We do not ask candidates to disclose their current or previous salary at any stage of the recruitment process. If salary expectations are discussed, we will share the relevant pay scale for this role so that any conversation is based on transparent, comparable information rather than prior earnings. How to apply If this sounds like the right role for you, please send us your CV and a short cover letter telling us why you're interested in joining Union, and what you would bring to supporting our National Accounts. Please submit your application by 16 October 2026.
• While we try to respond to all applications, the sheer volume of responses sometimes means we can only focus on successful applicants. If your application is successful, a team member will contact you to arrange an initial conversation.