Assistant Chocolatier — Tom Foolery Chocolates

About Tom Foolery

Tom Foolery is a small, growing chocolate company in Chicago making chocolate for the clever and curious. We make inclusion bars, bon bons and gift sets in playful flavors, all handcrafted in our own production kitchen. The brand grows out of three generations of candy tradition, and we believe a little fun always tastes better.

We sell direct to customers, at Chicago markets and pop-ups, through corporate gifting, and to a growing list of specialty retailers. Wholesale is picking up, which is why we're building out the production team now.

The role

The Assistant Chocolatier works alongside our Chocolatier to keep production running smoothly. You'll prep inclusions, mold and package bars, and help with the day-to-day work of a small chocolate kitchen.

Deatails:

• Hours:  20 hours a week to start, with it to likely increase to 40 in early 2027
• Pay: $18–22/hour to start, depending on experience, with increases as the role and hours grow
• Schedule: Flexible, planned around production days; our kitchen is accessible 24/7, so shifts can be set together

What you'll do

• Prepare inclusions and fillings for bars and bon bons: baking, candying, toasting, portioning and weighing to recipe
• Run molding days with our tempering machine and polycarbonate molds, from filling and tapping to unmolding
• Wrap, band, box and label bars, bon bons and gift sets, including lot coding and date marking
• Pack and stage orders for direct-to-customer shipping, wholesale accounts, markets and corporate gifting
• Wash, dry and polish molds and equipment, and keep the kitchen clean and food-safe
• Track ingredient and packaging inventory and flag what's running low
• Log batches and follow our food safety, sanitation and quality procedures
• Help with seasonal pushes like holiday and Valentine's gifting, when volume and hours run highest

What we're looking for

We care more about attitude than a long chocolate resume. The right person is eager to learn, careful with details and happy working in a small, fast-moving team. Professional kitchen experience matters most; we'll teach you the chocolate.

Must have

• At least 1 year in a professional kitchen, bakery, pastry or food production environment
• Comfort following recipes precisely and working to consistent quality standards
• Ability to stand for long shifts and lift up to 40 lb
• Reliable availability for about 20 hours a week now, and interest in moving toward full time in 2027
• Food handler certification, or willingness to get one within 30 days of starting

Nice to have

• Experience with chocolate tempering, molding or confectionery
• Pastry production or kitchen leadership experience
• ServSafe Manager certification
• Interest in growing into a production management role

Where this role is headed

This starts as an assistant role, but we're hiring with growth in mind. As production expands and we launch new products, we'll need someone to take on a larger share of running production day to day.

1. Now through early 2027: about 20 hours a week, learning our products, recipes and production routines
2. Early 2027: moving to 40 hours a week as wholesale volume grows, with pay reviewed alongside the added hours
3. Longer term: the opportunity to grow into a production lead role, owning production schedules, batch planning and training new team members

How to apply

Send your resume and a few sentences about why this role interests you to Anna. Tell us about a kitchen or production job you've loved and what made it work for you. We'll reach out to set up a short conversation and, for finalists, a paid working trial shift in the kitchen.