Location England
Job-type Permanent
Salary £Competitive
Reference BBBH13643_1626257879

Cafédirect is a UK-based social enterprise with a bold business plan that goes above and beyond standard Fairtrade credentials.

Championing the work and passion of smallholder growers, Cafédirect delivers delicious hot drinks that improve livelihoods, while pioneering better ways of doing business. They work with entrepreneurial grower cooperatives, bypassing the conventional coffee market to find a fairer, more personal, and more direct way to trade. Additionally, unlike any other coffee company, Cafédirect invests 50% of profits into Producers Direct, a UK Charity that works to improve sustainability and livelihoods, right across the coffee growing world.

Acre is thrilled to partner with Cafédirect to identify a new Head of Purpose and Sustainability. If you're keen to provide strategic leadership and sustainability expertise within a purpose-driven company, this could be a great next step for you.



As a part of Cafédirect's Executive Team, the new Head of Purpose and Sustainability will contribute to the overall strategic direction and leadership of the organisation. This person will have the opportunity to:

  • Work closely with members of the Executive Team to develop a new future-looking business model, which sets the standard of world-class ethical business.

  • Own, deliver and integrate Cafédirect's Gold Standard, which embodies their triple bottom line approach and ensure KPIs are delivered each year.

  • Lead relationships with smallholder farmers and provide strategic input to producer development programmes.

  • Coordinate Cafédirect's external communications with key stakeholders and develop an annual report to demonstrate the company's impact.

  • Work closely with the CEO and Executive Team to maintain and develop Cafédirect's values and culture.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

  • Excellent relationship management skills with the ability to work collaboratively with internal and external teams, and across diverse cultures.

  • Experience of promoting and delivering sustainability change in a business context, balancing sustainability outcomes with commercial awareness.

  • Experience of developing and implementing sustainability strategies as well as strong project management skills.

  • Enthusiasm for working in a fast-paced, globally oriented environment.

  • The ability to contribute to a multi-disciplinary leadership team

  • A degree or relevant qualification in a sustainability-related discipline, as well as experience of working with producers.

  • Spanish language skills would be beneficial.

If you think you have the resilience, determination and positive approach to work for a company that celebrates business as a force for good and measures success in the shared wellbeing of the communities it touches, please get in touch. Emily Goetsch via emily.goetsch@acre.com.