Job Description

Job Title: Preventative Maintenance Mechanic
Hours : Full Time, Onsite (32-40 hrs/week, flexible schedule) 
Department : Chocolate Production
Report : CXO
Wage : L4-L5, $50+ hour depending on experience
Location : San Francisco, on-site, on call 

Preventative Maintenance Mechanic

About Us
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 the beans we buy. 

We modify and adapt industrial chocolate equipment to suit our small-batch, artisanal methods. That’s why we rely on skilled mechanics who are comfortable going off the OEM path – and even trailblazing a bit – to help us hit perfection. Today, we are seeking a key team member whose technical expertise will further our goal of making the best chocolate and confections in the world.

About the Role
This is a hands-on, preventative maintenance role supporting production at our working chocolate factory. You’ll ensure equipment stays clean, safe, and operational through regular upkeep and cross-team collaboration. While the chocolate steals the spotlight, there’s an elaborate ecosystem of motors, gears, filters, pumps, thermocouples, and belts that must be in tip-top shape to see beautifully-tempered chocolate realized. This role works shoulder-to-shoulder with Execs, Engineering, Facilities, Chocolate Production, Kitchen, and Confections teams to keep roasters, winnowers, ball mills, refiners, wrapping, dosing, tempering, and labeling machines safe and humming. We have approximately 10,000 square feet of foodsafe manufacturing space to maintain and which is visible to the public seven days a week.

About You
Our ideal candidate brings reliability, positivity, a love of machines, a penchant for problem-solving, and an unwavering dedication to food and machine safety. We work with tried-and-true chocolate-making equipment as well as finicky Italian prototypes. It’s rare that a team member comes to you when everything works perfectly, so it’s important to have a calm, steadfast spirit when a hose bursts, a breaker trips, or a critical machine goes down. We’re looking for a preventative maintenance mechanic who’s methodical, precise, and quietly proud of a motor that hums without drama—a steady hand who keeps the chocolate factory running smoothly by never letting the machines fall behind.

A Day in the Life
Your morning starts alongside our Chocolate Makers at the 16th Street factory, where the team gathers to review the day’s production schedule and station assignments. Yesterday, Engineering successfully replaced a conveyor belt and asked everyone to monitor the incline conveyor—so you keep your eyes and ears alert. A wobble or high-pitched hum is always worth investigating.

With the morning standup complete, you turn to this week’s preventative maintenance checklist in MaintainX: vacuum cocoa dust from roaster motors to prevent electrical fires, lubricate chains, check the walkie stacker’s battery. You start with the roaster PM to avoid interrupting incoming deliveries. You take extra care to prevent dust or debris from floating into the production space and make sure the vacuum is emptied for the next person.

Later in the day, a Chocolate Maker spots a minor leak inside the Ball Mill chamber. You take photos to document and call your Engineering colleague to share your observations. They confirm it’s a known quirk of the machine—a small drip that occurs at certain frequencies. While the long-term fix would require a major investment, the short-term solution is a weekly towel swap. You include photos and notes in your End of Day report so Chocolate Makers, Engineers, and leadership can stay aligned—and learn from the shared experience to keep the factory running smoothly.

With the day’s tasks complete and another smooth day of chocolate production behind you, you head home—knowing the factory is in better shape than it was yesterday.

Responsibilities

• Preventative Maintenance – Each piece of factory equipment has a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual Preventative Maintenance in MaintainX that you oversee to minimize downtime and support our chocolate makers in reaching their goal of improving our chocolate quality each year. Preventative maintenance includes lubrication, cleaning filters, replacing parts, tuning belt tension, and inventorying/ordering parts as necessary. Complete PMs efficiently, and update instructions when needed to keep this a strategic, living part of our operations. Use your time efficiently, stay accessible throughout the day, and prioritize tasks based on team activity and machine criticality.
• First Assessment –  Be the first eyes-and-ears for the Engineering team so they can determine whether an issue requires an easy fix (tripped breaker), a temporary fix (a clamp while a part is on the way), or whether the issue should be escalated via a formal work ticket.
• Communication & Reporting – Provide clear, proactive communication including End-of-Day reports with accurate technical terminology and clear priorities for the next day so the production team stays safe and informed. When an issue arises beyond Preventative Maintenance, report it through the appropriate channels such as using the Facility Issues form or the Engineering Equipment work order form. Attend weekly meetings with leadership to provide status updates and adjust maintenance priorities.
• Safety and Food Safety – Adhere to best safety practices and foodsafe knowledge. Chocolate is extremely sensitive to dust, moisture, and fumes, so be hyper-aware of cleaning chemicals and potential allergens, avoid any maintenance procedure that might introduce water or excessive moisture into the chocolate batches. If you see any potentially unsafe actions or environments worthy of risk assessment, address or escalate the issues immediately until the situation is resolved. Leave each workspace sanitized and ready for the next day’s production.
• Parts & Supplies – You may occasionally be responsible for researching new parts, keeping shipping expenses in mind (e.g., don’t order distilled water from McMaster-Carr for $150 when it’s $2 at Safeway). When parts arrive, make sure that they are labeled, logged in MaintainX, and stored in the appropriate bin. Maintain a clean, organized work area while keeping any dangerous chemicals, potentially unsafe tools, or expensive equipment locked down so that the right tools are always in the right place.
• Hospitality – As a public-facing San Francisco chocolate factory, hospitality is at the core of what we do. Be welcoming to guests and mindful of your appearance when tours take place. For instance, if we need to empty a vat of chocolate to conduct an Annual PM, please donʻt empty chocolate into a trash bucket when a photo-curious tour group is nearby.
• Team player – Be someone team members want to work with again and again. This includes being respectful in shared workspaces, cleaning up after projects, and leaving notes when a temporary fix is in place so others know how to work around it. Proactively follow up with team members to see if a machine is smoothly operating. Work hand-in-hand with our Facilities Manager and Engineering team member on overlapping projects (e.g. new air conditioning, building air compressor, parts library).
• Strategy, Metrics, & Mindset – We will track production line uptime, % of completed PMs, and safety near misses. While many of these reports will be automated, familiarize yourself with these metrics and see how your goals impact the success of the company. We want to avoid a mindset of, “I keep the machines up; the rest is up to you.” We’re all working towards the shared goal of crafting the worldʻs best chocolate.
• Long-term projects -– You’ll spend your initial 90-180 days training and understanding the factory’s rhythm. Once you’ve been trained and cleared on machines, assist Engineering and Facilities on longer-term projects as appropriate.
• On-call – While rare, be available on-call to assist with chocolate production emergencies such as a flood. If after-hours work is necessary to avoid disrupting production, adjust working hours accordingly to avoid excessive overtime.
• Other tasks as necessary

Requirements

• Schedule – This is a full-time role, Monday through Friday. While our Chocolate Makers work a single daytime shift, some overlap is important for real-time communication. We ask that you attend either the 8am or 3pm production huddle each day to stay in sync.
• Machine Know-how – You have hands-on experience with industrial machinery, including gears, pumps, motors, belts, and basic electrical systems. You can read machine specs, safely use a multimeter, and troubleshoot efficiently in a production environment. Experience with 240V systems is helpful; electrical certification is not required.
• Physical Strength – You can safely lift 50 lbs, use ladders (8–12 ft), and work in awkward positions when needed. We provide the necessary PPE and forklift certification.
• Digital & Tech Skills – You’re comfortable using Google Sheets, Docs, Gmail, Chrome, MaintainX (maintenance software), and Trainual (our knowledge base). You can take photos, log work, send emails to team members, and revise checklists and SOPs as needed. You’re tech-curious and willing to pick up new tools as our systems evolve.
• Preferred: Food Production Expertise – Previous experience working in a production line or in an industrial food setting is a huge plus.

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

How to Apply
Dandelion is growing, and we are invested in employees who take ownership of their roles and are interested in contributing in a bigger way with us. You'll stand out from other candidates if you send a short 1-2 paragraph cover letter detailing why you think this role is a potential fit for your long-term career. We do our best to respond to all serious candidates within 7-14 days.

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