Chief Operations Officer (COO) 4 views

Company: CoffeeNet Trading PLC

Job Title: Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: HQ, Addis Ababa

Application Deadline: June 17, 2026

Job Summary

• The Chief Operations Officer (COO) will serve as the strategic architect of the company’s internal and external value chain. This COO is responsible for ensuring that the finest Ethiopian coffee moves seamlessly from the washing station/dry mill to the international buyer. The COO will be the strategic architect of our internal operations, ensuring that the journey of the coffee bean—from the highland smallholders to the global master—is seamless, efficient, and of the highest quality. COO will be responsible for translating the CEO’s vision into operational reality, managing a complex vertical that spans rural sourcing, technical laboratory analysis, bureaucratic export navigation, and global market expansion.

Salary & Benefits

• Salary is based on the company’s salary scale (with possible negotiation within the scale)
• Transport Services, Benefits and Rewards as per the company guidelines

• Application Date: Qualified and interested candidates may submit their CV and a cover letter as one PDF file to [email protected] within 7 consecutive working days from the date of announcement.
• All applicants must rename their CV file using the exact title of the position they are applying for before sending it via email. Fore example, If applying for Chief Operations Manager, rename your CV file as “COO – Then YOUR NAME”

Job Specifications (Requirements)

• Education: Master’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Agriculture, or Economics or a related field.
• Experience: 10+ years in executive operations, specifically within the Ethiopian Coffee Export sector.
• Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of the ECX (Ethiopia Commodity Exchange) or the “Vertical Integration” (Direct Export) model.
• Sensory Knowledge: Familiarity with SCA cupping protocols
• Certifications: Q-Grader certification is a significant advantage.
• Regulatory Savvy: Expert knowledge of Ethiopian export laws, FX regulations, and international shipping (Incoterms 2020).
• Communication: Native-level Amharic and professional fluency in English. Knowledge of Oromiffa or other regional languages is a significant advantage and asset for field operations.

Technical Skills & Competencies

• Coffee Mastery: Deep understanding of the Ethiopian coffee landscape (e.g., Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Guji, Limu regions).
• Financial Acumen: Expertise in managing OpEx/CapEx budgets and understanding foreign exchange regulations in Ethiopia.
• Technological Literacy: Proficiency in using ERP systems for inventory tracking and supply chain visibility.

Soft Skills

• Strategic Leadership: Proven ability to manage multidisciplinary teams and navigate the local socio-political landscape of coffee-growing regions and ability to translate the vision into actionable operational workflows.
• Negotiation: A “closer” mentality for both procurement at the farm level and sales at the boardroom level.
• Resilience: The ability to navigate the logistical and regulatory complexities unique to the Horn of Africa.
• Soft Skills: High-level negotiation, crisis management (logistics bottlenecks), and cross-cultural communication.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strategic Agility: Ability to pivot operations based on global coffee price volatility (C-Market).
• Operational Rigor: A “boots-on-the-ground” approach to visiting mills and warehouses.
• Integrity: Unwavering commitment to ethical sourcing and transparency in a high-stakes industry.