Job Description

The Opportunity: The Palate of a Chef, the Mind of a Scientist

TCHO is looking for a rare professional to serve as the tactical engine of our research and production. This individual will fill a high-impact role that bridges the gap between creative sensory exploration and technical production. This is a hands-on role at our factory, responsible for tending the entire lifecycle of our chocolate. This begins with the cacao beans being grown around the world by our farmer partners, to the final production of high-end chocolate and confections at our production facility in Berkeley. We are seeking a maker who can manage complex data and production schedules while maintaining a disciplined focus on creativity and flavor.

This position is 100% onsite due to the hands-on nature of the role, including production, sensory evaluation, laboratory work, and small-batch confectionery manufacturing.

1. Sensory Mastery & Tasting

• Daily Analysis: Lead disciplined daily sensory panels of raw cacao liquors, experimental batches, finished chocolate, and confections to ensure every product meets TCHO standards.
• Raw Material Selection: Participate in the selection and sensory analysis of all raw materials, including cocoa beans, liquor, powder, butter, and inclusions such as nuts or vanilla.
• Final Sign-off: Provide sensory sign-off for final products coming off the line to ensure manufacturing quality and consistency.

2. The “Source” & Laboratory Management

• Bean Sample Management: Manage the intake of cacao samples from global partners, including roasting, winnowing, and grinding micro-batches to evaluate fermentation quality and genetic potential.
• Flavor Lab Oversight: Manage daily operations of the flagship TCHO Flavor Lab space (one of only 12 worldwide).
• Operational Upkeep: Oversee lab organization, cleaning, sample retention, and restocking of laboratory supplies and equipment.

3. Production, Formulation & Retail Confectionery

• Formula Creation: Develop and manage proprietary daily production formulas used by the manufacturing team.
• Retail Confectionery Production: Act as a Confectioner for TCHO Retail, responsible for creating small-batch and small-lot confections for retail customers, including hand-crafted and limited-run items.
• Efficiency & Scalability: Support factory operations by optimizing run times, flush materials, FIFO practices, and small-batch scalability.
• SOP Compliance: Ensure all product SOPs are followed, including requirements related to cross-contamination, Organic, Kosher, and Fair Trade certifications.

4. New Product Development (NPD)

• Dream-to-Reality: Translate creative product concepts into consistent, repeatable production.
• Prototyping: Execute hands-on prototyping and produce sales and retail samples, including chocolate formulas, plant-based ganache, enrobed items, panned goods, and other confections.
• Scaling: Move products from lab-scale concepts to small industrial and retail-ready production.

Who You Are

• Palate-Driven: You possess an advanced ability to articulate flavor and a deep interest learning how the magic of chocolate comes to life.
• Analytical: You love a good system and can track R&D data and formulas with precision to keep projects on a professional timeline.
• Technically Grounded: You likely have a background in Food Science, Pastry, or Confectionery and know your way around the bakery and confectionery world.
• Onsite & Flexible: This is not a desk job. You are based at our Berkeley HQ and willing to work weekends to keep the lab and production cycles moving.

Skills & Abilities

• Bachelors’ degree or equivalent
• Minimum 3 years working in pastry, confectionary or chocolate industry,
• Demonstrated leadership experience of teaching and developing teams within food industry.
• Excellent writing, reading and communication skills
• Spanish fluency is a major plus.
• Ability to transport and move 50-pound handloads
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for entire shift
• Must be able to work above ground levels-10 feet and in cold and warm temperature work environment

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