People Operations & Talent Manager

Dandelion Chocolate • San Francisco, CA

86d

About The Position

This is not a typical recruiting or operations role. Reporting to the CXO, you’ll step into one of the most interesting People Operations apprenticeships – where your early exposure to sensitive and strategic information – including exit interviews, performance reviews, labor budgets, leadership planning – will accelerate your judgment far beyond traditional recruiting roles. The core of People Operations starts with talent and team building. You’ll champion our tradition of thoughtful hiring, long tenures, internal promotions, and investing in our people. None of this happens by chance. Professional development starts with successful onboarding so team members know how to engage with our internal programs. Longevity comes from understanding each team member’s motivations and aligning their aspirations with Dandelion’s long-term goals. When the fit is right, our craft chocolate and chocolate experiences reflect that harmony. With your guidance, we’ll continue building one of the most celebrated companies in San Francisco that will endure for a hundred years or more – one thoughtful hire at a time.

Requirements

• Bring calm judgment and professionalism to sensitive situations.
• Demonstrate follow-through and reliability in previous roles.
• Handle sensitive information with maturity and good judgment.
• Be punctual, responsive to emails within 24 hours, and organized.
• Ensure grammatically correct replies with no misspellings or typos.
• Keep candidate notes and personnel details organized in Google Suite.
• Read a room and pick up on unspoken interpersonal dynamics.

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience in roles requiring discretion, mediation, or confidentiality.
• Experience in recruiting or People Operations.

Responsibilities

• Research sourcing strategies, schedule and conduct initial phone screens, maintain detailed notes for the hiring manager to review later to make sound hiring decisions.
• Schedule reference checks with candidate contacts to hire candidates with full confidence.
• Shadow the outgoing People Operations leader to see peak operations before taking on those reins in 2026.
• Co-host company-wide interview training sessions, work with managers to regularly update job descriptions, and orchestrate first-day experiences.
• Phone screen, hire, and onboard permanent and seasonal café, retail, fulfillment, and packaging roles.
• Develop a strategy to double team size with the help of agencies during peak holiday seasons.
• Ensure candidates receive confirmed interview times, guided tours, and timely responses.
• Support other People Operations work, including helping team members with timeclocks, coordinating IT repairs, and organizing professional development classes.
• Collaborate closely with CXO, legal advisors, IT agencies, seasonal recruiters, and long-time HR colleagues.
• Report to the CXO and interface regularly with the CEO, CFO, and COO, tracking annual turnover and candidate funnels.

Benefits

• Paid time off for vacation and sick time.
• Industry-leading subsidy on medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 30% discount on all Dandelion products.
• $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 and safety training.
• Trips to origin and opportunities to travel to Japan locations.
• Paid time to work on manager-approved internal committees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level