Equal Exchange was the first Fair Trade coffee company in the United States. We are a worker cooperative, owned by our employees. Since 1986, we have been demonstrating the viability of worker co-ops and authentic Fair Trade. Help us achieve our mission! We’re looking for someone to join our small regional sales and distribution team in St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s a full-time, worker-owner track position, with eligibility for membership in our cooperative after one year.

• Employment Status: Full-time, regular, non-exempt position, Worker-Owner track
• Hours: M-F, 7:30am - 4pm or 8am - 4:30pm, some weekend work occasionally
• Starting Salary: $16-$17.50/hour, DOE
• Benefits: Full health/dental/vision insurance coverage, vacations, holidays, sick days, eligibility for worker ownership
• Department: Midwest Sales & Support Operations
• Report to: Midwest Customer Service & Operations Manager
• Responsible for: Customer service tasks, goals and support of regional office sales and operations as determined with supervisor
• Location: St. Paul, MN

• Exceptional attention to details
• Strong organizational skills
• Customer service experience required
• Ability to communicate effectively and compassionately with customers and team members
• Ability to manage time and responsibilities and to plan ahead
• Ability to be flexible & manage several tasks at once, and to recover quickly from interruption
• Comfort with and adaptability to complicated software, and computer work
• Creative & effective problem-solving mindset
• An interest in the mission of Equal Exchange
• Experience with or interest in working for a cooperative organization preferred
• Ability to fill orders efficiently and accurately as needed, including lifting 70 pounds routinely as needed

Customer Service (Approximately 80-90%)

• Primary receptionist for office and phones.
• Communicate Equal Exchange’s mission.
• Answer phones, process orders, and answer customer questions knowledgeably, accurately, and kindly.
  • Adjust and improve CS systems to better support customer needs.
  • Process credits and handle returns. Problem-solve customer issues.
• Account development: Proactively support Sales Team in educating buyers, monitoring promotions implementation, ERP pricing errors, account changes, etc.
  • Collaborate with Sales team on special projects, product launches, and sales-growth initiatives.
  • Assist local Sales rep with in-store demos.
• Develop fluency in our ERP software and other technology.
  • Serve as a backup training resource for regional Sales reps interfacing with the MN office.
  • Serve on ERP Instructions Committee to keep documentation up to date.
• Develop expertise in our products, and familiarity with coffee equipment we loan to our customers.
• Other job-related responsibilities and projects as needed.

Inventory Backup (Approximately 0-15%)

• Monitor and manage short-term low-stock situations in coordination with Sales reps and supervisor.
• Write & enter weekly transfers from main office as needed. Coordinate with Canton inventory lead as needed.
• Assist Warehouse Lead with stock counts as needed.
• Physically & electronically receive transfers as needed.

Warehouse Operations Backup (Approximately 0-10%)

• Order-Picking. Support for warehouse as needed. Must be able to routinely lift 70 lbs.
• Shipping. Prepare orders for UPS and truck shipments in time for daily deadline.
• Stocking & Clean up. Support for warehouse as needed.

Worker Ownership/Fair Trade Development (Approximately 5 – 10%)

• Participate in staff, team, department, and educational meetings.
• Understand our producer partners, trading policies, and the Fair Trade movement.
• Understand and participate effectively in our worker cooperative model.

Equal Exchange supports equal employment opportunity for all classes of individuals, regardless of age, race, color, national origin, citizenship status, disability, religious creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, economic status, veteran status.