Richard J.

About Richard J.

Experienced roasting and production manager with 20+ years of progressive leadership in specialty coffee and food manufacturing. Proven ability to lead teams, optimize end-to-end production processes, and maintain strict quality, safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance. Deep expertise across roasting, packaging, inventory control, equipment reliability, and continuous improvement, with a hands-on ability to troubleshoot and repair mechanical issues while developing people and systems that improve operational performance.

Experience

1. Roasting and Production Manager

   Philz Coffee

   Jul 2024 — Present · Oakland, CA, US

   Manage daily roasting and production operations across green bean handling, roasting, blending, grinding, packaging, and packing to meet demand, quality, safety, and regulatory requirements.• Lead hiring, onboarding, coaching, training, and performance management for roasting and production team members.• Ensure compliance with HACCP, FSMA, SQF, Cal/OSHA, and environmental regulations, as well as internal food safety and sustainability programs.• Prepare for, support, and participate in third-party food safety and regulatory audits, ensuring audit readiness, documentation accuracy, and timely corrective actions.• Develop, implement, and maintain SOPs and workflows to improve safety, efficiency, consistency, and environmental compliance on the production floor.• Monitor production and process metrics to identify issues, perform root-cause analysis, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.• Diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair mechanical and operational issues on roasting and production equipment, minimizing downtime and supporting throughput goals.• Coordinate preventive, corrective, and predictive maintenance activities using CMMS software; partner with maintenance teams on equipment reliability and compliance strategies.• Support equipment CAPEX planning, evaluation, and installation for roasting and production assets.• Manage live inventory and full lot traceability through NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing, including end-of-month inventory accuracy and audit readiness.