Director of People Operations

Dandelion Chocolate • San Francisco, CA

26d • $100,000 - $115,000 • Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• Long tenures – Shaping culture takes time, and we’re especially impressed by candidates who have demonstrated sustained commitment, ideally through four or more years in recent roles, along with a clear trajectory of growth or impact. While we understand that careers are rarely linear, we’re most excited by leaders who have contributed to multi-year, cross-functional programs and invested deeply in the teams they’ve supported.
• Previous recruiting experience – Prior recruiting experience is a significant advantage. You’ll partner closely with managers to understand the skills and qualities they seek in candidates and to ensure roles are thoughtfully positioned in the market. You’ll often work with leaders during high-pressure periods, and we value experience supporting, steadying, and guiding managers with an even-keeled, fair, and can-do approach.
• Professionalism & discretion – You bring calm judgment and integrity to sensitive situations and never traffic in gossip or speculation. You’re trusted to handle confidential information with care, maintain secure documentation practices, and exercise sound judgment in both digital and in-person settings. Experience in roles involving mediation, confidentiality, or complex interpersonal dynamics is a plus.
• Organizational skills – You are organized, reliable, and attentive to detail. You value punctuality, respond thoughtfully and promptly to communication, and keep hiring and personnel materials well documented and easy to navigate.
• Technical fluency – You’re comfortable working across modern HR and collaboration tools, including Google Workspace, Rippling, JazzHR, and, as needed, Canva or Figma.
• Team & interpersonal skills – You’re perceptive, empathetic, and skilled at reading group dynamics. You put others at ease, navigate organizational complexity with humility, and ask thoughtful questions that help teams stay aligned and focused.
• You’ll have a seat at the executive table, deep visibility into the heart of our organization, and the rare opportunity to help shape Dandelion’s culture from the inside out. We’re looking for someone who brings out the best in others, meets people where they are, and leads with empathy, clarity, and steady judgment. As our craft chocolate operations grow and evolve, you’ll help ensure that what makes our culture special not only endures, but deepens. We value experience, but never more than heart, humility, and good judgment.

Responsibilities

• 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 teams for peak holiday operations, to ensuring our traditions and internal systems continue to reflect our values as we grow.
• Cultural Programming – Our People Operations calendar includes origin trips, professional development, bike repair day, Thanksgiving potlucks, and many other traditions that bring our values to life. You’ll champion these rituals while thoughtfully evolving for scale – ensuring our cultural touchpoints remain meaningful as we grow from 8-10 locations to many more, and potentially another factory.
• People Operations – People Operations at Dandelion spans many disciplines including recruiting, benefits and compliance, professional development, leveling, IT and facilities, community and neighbor relations, and, on occasion, personnel matters. No one person can do everything, so you’ll lead through thoughtful collaboration and delegation – working closely with our CXO, legal advisors, IT partners, seasonal recruiters, and long-time HR colleagues to ensure each area is well supported.
• Technical evaluations – From timeclocks, scheduling, checklists, benefits, IT vendors, security cameras, and LMS systems, work with stakeholders to determine which tools provide the right features and efficiencies for the upcoming 3-5 years of our business.
• Recruiting & Team Building – Thoughtful hiring is one of the most important investments we make in our future. Each year, we aim to place key hires early so team members are well trained and supported heading into our holiday season. You’ll steward relationships with a small network of recruiters, agencies, community groups, and alumni partners to build a strong, diverse candidate pool. You’ll oversee sourcing strategies, scheduling, and initial screens, and maintain clear, thoughtful notes to support hiring managers in making great decisions. We track the health of our recruiting function through turnover and are especially proud of the long tenures and internal growth that result from this care.
• Seasonal Staffing – During the holiday season, we welcome 40-50 additional team members through our alumni community, hiring, and partner agencies. You’ll help create a positive, well-organized seasonal experience for both managers and team members, supporting strong onboarding, clear communication, and thoughtful transitions at the end of each season.
• Other tasks as necessary – Our culture is grounded in kindness, humility, and a shared belief that no one is above rolling up their sleeves. We are a close-knit team, and especially during the holidays, we show up for one another with generosity and flexibility. We’re looking for someone who brings curiosity, adaptability, and strong follow-through — someone who takes pride in learning what’s needed and seeing important work through.

Benefits

• We are proud to offer a variety of benefits and perks that our team members enjoy. All team members receive paid time off for vacation and sick time.
• We also offer an industry-leading subsidy on medical, dental, and vision insurance through Kaiser, Blue Shield, and the Guardian.
• We offer a 30% discount on all Dandelion products, a $150 annual Dandelion Chocolate gift card, chocolate and pastry tasting opportunities, free beverages and snacks, FSA benefits, commuter benefits, professional development training, safety shoe reimbursement for qualifying positions, CPR training, safety training, trips to origin, opportunities to travel to our Japan locations, and paid time to work on manager-approved internal committees that are essential to the organization.
• This is an exempt, salaried position with a range of $100,000-$115,000 annually.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed