Print Production Associate Jobs in Encinitas, CA

ob Title: Print & Assembly Production Associate

Hours: Full-time

Department: Hybrid - Product Makers + Creative

Report: Studio Manager

Wage: $27.50/hr

Location: San Francisco

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 the producers who grow and ferment our beans. Now we’re seeking a full-time Print and Assembly Production Associate to bring those chocolate experiences and relationships to life through beautifully crafted handmade signage, printed booklets, curated information sheets, and more. We’re always searching for distinctive, quality cocoa beans and now we’re seeking a positive, and detail-oriented team member to help our Creative and Packaging teams operate as seamlessly as possible.

This is a hybrid position that will report to two departments. You will start working with Creative two days per week and Product Makers three days per week. This division of labor will be flexible depending on company needs, such as during a large holiday kitting job, or an urgent print job, and may shift as Creative demand is projected to grow in the future.

Creative: Much of this role consists of understanding and troubleshooting our equipment. Through an arsenal of print production machines from a label maker, die cutter, foiler, to a cutter/creaser, we strive to support our Production, Café, Sales, Facilities, and Retail teams with cards, labels, product packaging inserts, retail signage, and personalized tasting class menus. In this role, you’ll be responsible for handling printing and production requests within a kind, fast-paced, and detail-oriented team.

Product Making: In this role you will work with the Product Making team to assemble finished products, such as gift sets with holiday wrapping and bow tying, packaging s’mores kits, or kitting customized corporate products. No matter the task, you catch on quickly and always maintain our high quality standards even in a busy time.

Our ideal candidate is a consummate craftsman who can safely operate and maintain complex print machinery as well as hand-paint and decorate props and banners. You have a strong eye for detail when quality checking print jobs and finished goods. When working repetitive manual tasks you easily slip into a zen state of mind, staying focused on consistency and quality. You are self-motivated and able to manage your own time effectively, finding great satisfaction in a job done beautifully. While working around other Dandelion teams, you are a master of focus and consistency and are energized by an ever-changing work environment. You learn quickly and jump headfirst into new tasks, asking questions along the way and adjusting according to feedback. 

• Print Shop: Take ownership of the upkeep and maintenance of our production equipment. If you hear a new whir or sputter, investigate and report it so we avoid future downtime. If the cutter seems dull, switch out blades and recalibrate. Some equipment require service calls from our vendors, while others may require hands-on repairs in coordination with a virtual technician or following a written manual. You will work closely with your manager to determine the best resolution for machine issues.
• Packaging: Prepare products including taping and folding boxes, cutting ribbons and filling tins. Assemble small and large gift boxes, creating an excellent customer experience from the ground up. Eager to learn new processes and techniques as new products are launched.
• Staging and Organization: Set up, close down and sanitize Product Maker work space and Print Shop machinery, including laying out work stations and components, tracking print and product making times and quantities. Ensure finished product is labeled and palletized to ensure a smooth transition to the Warehouse team. Receive, inspect and put away deliveries in a timely manner.
• Adhere to Best Safety Practices: We take safety very seriously. This role has a physical component which requires proper lifting (up to 50 lbs), wearing respirators when working with paint, storing items so that heavier items are on bottom, using stepladders, and being aware of potential hazards when working with machines. Please be safe!
• Graphic Design: While we have a team of graphic designers, it’s helpful to dive into Adobe Illustrator or Indesign to fix a bleed or die line on an internal production file, or to advise the team on fixes.
• Inventory Tracking: Perform weekly inventory checks on production material and coordinate on inventory with the leadership team.
• Staging and Organization: Set up, close down and sanitize Product Maker work space and production machinery, including laying out work stations and components, tracking print and product making times and quantities. Ensure finished product is labeled and palletized to ensure a smooth transition to warehouse team. Receive, inspect and put away deliveries in a timely manner.
• Prioritization and Time Management: You will eventually be operating alone one or more days per week. To set yourself up for success, work with your manager to set weekly production goals, weighing priorities by team, company and collaborator timelines and optimizing efficiencies in batching similar tasks together.
• Assist with the Creative Team on special projects and events: such as sewing banners for chocolate festivals, merchandising initiatives, and decorating for holiday events at the factory.
• Other tasks as necessary

• Availability: Our ideal candidate can work five 8-hour days per week, Monday through Friday.
• Safety: Comply with company policies and procedures. We work with both simple hand-held blades and complex machinery each day and must maintain strict standards for both your personal safety and for the integrity of the machinery.
• Detail-Oriented: If you don’t like detail and perfection, this isn’t the role for you. If you derive joy from seeing signs aligned and retail shelves in meticulous order, you’ll find yourself in good company here.
• Technical Ability: Familiarity with the following is ideal: Primera, Adobe Creative Suite, Fiery, Google Sheets. You will be expected to perform simple operations such as toggling design layers, export files, set up cutting jobs, spreadsheet data entry. You don’t need to be a technical genius, though you should feel comfortable using new software, tools, trying new techniques, and asking questions. 
• Machine Skills: You are capable of learning and operating new machines independently and are able to observe and diagnose issues during production to mitigate flaws or optimize production. You have the foresight to know when to call for a technician’s help.
• Other Skills: If you sew, have beautiful penmanship, or other crafting skills that is a bonus.
• Physical stamina: Ability to perform repetitive tasks for long amounts of time, and walking throughout the shift. Ability to lift at least 50lbs.
• Teamwork: Maintain strong and respectful relationships with teammates, company collaborators and outside vendors.
• Proactive: Beyond your own tasklist, look out for the team and proactively ask how you can help. During the holidays, we tend to have even more last-minute requests and one-off projects and we always appreciate someone who offers to pitch in proactively.

The benefits and perks continue beyond a robust chocolate education. Dandelion Chocolate constantly invests in our people and culture. All team members receive medical, vision, and dental benefits as well as the option to enroll in our 401k program. All employees receive paid vacation time, holiday pay, and paid sick time. In addition, our team members enjoy commuter benefits, FSAs, local gym discounts, chocolate tasting opportunities, the chance to travel to origin and our Japan locations, and a range of opportunities to grow and develop within the company.

Please email jobs@dandelionchocolate.com with a copy of your resume and an optional cover letter. You’ll stand out from the crowd if you include one or two sentences detailing a favorite crafting project. We do our best to respond to all serious candidates within 7-14 days. We look forward to hearing from you!

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