Now Accepting Applications for 2023-2024!

NKG PACE 2022–2023 Partners Porttia Portis and Jayy Terrell in the Neumann Gruppe USA lab in Hoboken. 

NKG PACE is now accepting applications for the 2023–2024 program year! We hope you’ll consider applying, if it’s a fit for you, or share the news with friends or colleagues who might be interested. The application window closes Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. ET. 

You can apply at the bottom of the APPLY page on this web site!

Below, we’ve tried to answer some common questions. Did we miss a few? Please contact nkgpace@nkg.coffee. And as always, we suggest following us on Instagram, for updates and insights into the program.

What is NKG PACE?

The Neumann Kaffee Gruppe Partnership to Advance Coffee Equity (NKG PACE) was created in close cooperation with the Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity (CCRE) and is a paid, one-year program designed to foster greater diversity in the U.S. coffee industry. Each year, it offers three members of the Black community — a group that experiences the largest gaps in employment and decision-making roles in the U.S. coffee industry — the opportunity to become green coffee quality specialists.  

NKG PACE Partners are full-time employees of Neumann Gruppe USA for one year and participate in a program that’s part QC apprenticeship (they’ll be prepared to successfully take the Q exam by year’s end, if they desire) and part comprehensive green-coffee education. The curriculum covers all aspects of green coffee, including Trade and Logistics, and is a mix of independent learning, group learning and a Speaker Series with colleagues and experts from around the globe. Partners are also paired with a mentor selected by the CCRE, to encourage their professional journey.  

Heading into our second year, we’re adjusting the curriculum to offer Partners a better-rounded education, with more experience in Logistics and Customer Service. This is to offer them more meaningful exposure to other aspects of coffee, in hopes of increasing their education, broadening their potential interests and expanding their possible career trajectories. The long-term career path for a person in Logistics, for example, could be COO. Whether Partners remain in QC or follow other opportunities in coffee, an educational foundation in Quality Control is an absolute advantage

Where are the positions located?

Currently, Partners are located in Hoboken, N.J. (our headquarters office, overlooking downtown Manhattan); Seattle, W.A., home of Atlas Coffee Importers; and San Diego, C.A. We cannot guarantee specific locations to specific Partners, nor can we guarantee that all three offices will be offered to the 2023–2024 class. We may narrow the location to two or even one location; we’ll update this site asap, should such a decision be made.

What is the salary?

Partners are paid a very entry-level salary. It’s simply what we’re able to pay, to offer this opportunity. It is not indicative of the salaries we expect Partners to earn after the program.

In addition to a bi-weekly salary, Partners receive fully-funded healthcare with extra funds for healthcare expenses, 401k benefits with matching, commuter benefits and paid time off. Light relocation funding is also available, as needed. This can include airfare for moving and a limited stay in your new city while apartment hunting.

Who should apply?

If you’re a barista and love coffee, but don’t see the path ahead, this could be for you. If you’re early in a coffee (or similar) career and want to better understand the complete green coffee supply chain, this could be for you. If getting paid to geek out on coffee sounds like a dream, this could be for you.

You don’t need coffee experience to be considered, but you will need some sensory abilities and a desire and willingness to learn. Strong organizational skills are a plus, and so is curiosity.

NKG consists of 50 companies in 26 countries, and we make the expertise of our global colleagues available to Partners; we also have an extensive online learning library of classes related to coffee and personal and professional growth. Additionally, CCRE pairs each Partner with a volunteer mentor. The more energy and interest you have to engage with these assets, the more, we believe, you’ll grow and excel.  

Why does the application include a Letter of Recommendation?

We are all more than the titles we’ve been assigned or the companies we’ve worked for. Our resumes don’t speak to our full selves. The Letter of Recommendation is an opportunity for someone who knows you well to speak highly of you, sing your praises, help us to get to know the real you. It’s there to work on your behalf.

When will I hear if I’m accepted?

The timeline looks like this:

Dec. 1: Application window closes at 5pm ET. No exceptions.

Dec 19–30: Ten semifinalists will be contacted for interviews.

Jan 2–20: Interviews conducted.

Jan 25: Six finalist will we be mailed sensory kits with instructions for completing exercises at home by Feb. 17

Feb 27 week: Three individuals will be contact and invited into the program.

April 26: First day in your assigned office.

How do I apply?

The application form is here. You’ll need a resume and Letter of Recommendation. As with so many online forms, it’s a good idea to answer in a document and paste your answers in afterward. We wish you the best of luck. •