Director of People Operations

Director of People Operations

Job Title:

Director of People Operations

Hours:

Full-time, Monday-Friday

Location:

On-site at our 16th Street Factory

Department:
People Operations

Report to: CXO

Level: L6

Wage:
Salary, exempt

Dandelion Chocolate is a bean‑to‑bar chocolate factory in San Francisco’s Mission District. We make chocolate from only two ingredients, cocoa beans and cane sugar, and travel to origins as often as we can to build good, trusting relationships with farmers.

Our mission wouldn’t be possible without a people‑first culture that thrives on hard work, trust, and integrity. Many of our tenured team members stay for years because they feel invested, developed, and known. Our recruiting team has an unusually high bar: every hire shapes our long‑term culture, so we look beyond bullet points on résumés to find individuals with both the technical and people skills to invest in our craft chocolate community for the long‑term.

We think of this role in three interconnected areas: talent, culture, and operations. Our success has always been rooted in our people, and you’ll champion our tradition of thoughtful hiring, long tenures, internal promotions, and deep investment in our teams. We’re especially proud of our longstanding tenures, which grow out of understanding each team member’s motivations and aligning their aspirations with Dandelion’s long‑term goals.

When this alignment is strong, it shows in the quality and care of our craft chocolate.

Our mission‑and values‑driven culture is supported by a rich set of programs and traditions, including origin trips, interview training, All Hands meetings, the Employee Review Board, safety week, and professional development. As we grow and evolve, you’ll regularly assess and refine these initiatives to ensure they remain meaningful, effective, and energizing for our teams.

You’ll also lead the systems and partnerships that support great day‑to‑day work. Working closely with our Senior People Operations partner, Facilities Manager, and CFO/Finance team, you’ll help ensure labor budgets are aligned, payroll runs smoothly, and new team members have seamless access to tools and key cards from day one. With a seat at the executive table, you’ll help translate expanding teams, new leveling programs, and changes in employment law into thoughtful people practices that support strong, values‑aligned leadership.

In the near term, success includes staffing our teams in Q1 so we can meet and exceed our goals, restarting cultural initiatives such as origin trips and professional development, and partnering with our Director of Retail to evaluate LMS solutions for our cafés and stores. You’ll work alongside a seasoned People Operations teammate who oversees compliance and benefits, as well as a trusted network of contractors focused on talent development.

With your guidance, we’ll continue building one of the most respected companies in San Francisco — an organization designed to endure for a hundred years or more through craft, care, and community.

We are looking for leaders who have long tenures (5+ years) in their recent professional history so you have the perspective to see how changes now will impact the organization in 2‑4 years. You’re steady, trustworthy, and quietly ambitious – the kind of person that others look up to when things get complicated. Your experience speaks to your resilience and ability to align candidates, teammates, and managers during high‑stakes seasons.

• Leadership Support – We see People Operations primarily as serving the leaders of our teams, helping them develop long‑term succession plans, translate the company values to each team’s day‑to‑day success, and providing them the resources and coaching to best build, align, and lead their teams.
• Exec Relations – People Operations is a key strategic function at Dandelion, and you’ll join a collaborative culture where Pops is trusted, valued, and central to our success. You’ll report to the CXO and work closely with the CEO, CFO, and COO to align people strategy with business priorities — from informing labor budgets and hiring plans, to preparing…