Chocolatier

About Tom Foolery Chocolates

Tom Foolery Chocolates is a Chicago-based premium chocolate company making bon bons and bars built on nostalgic American flavors - cereal milk, key lime pie, brown butter cornflake, waffle cone. Founded on a family candy-store heritage dating back to 1902, we're a small and growing team building toward direct to consumer, wholesale, corporate gifting, and a flagship retail store.Position Summary

We're hiring a part-time Chocolatier to support production of our bon bon and bar lines out of our licensed Chicago production kitchen. This is a hands-on craft role with flexible scheduling, competitive hourly pay, and a clear path to a full-time leadership position as the business grows.

Responsibilities

• Temper chocolate and produce molded bon bons and bars to established specifications
• Prepare ganaches, caramels, and other fillings
• Execute shelling, piping, capping, and unmolding
• Apply cocoa butter finishes and decorative work
• Package and label finished product for DTC, wholesale, and gifting orders
• Monitor product quality and flag inconsistencies in temper, appearance, or set
• Maintain sanitation, food safety, and organization standards in a shared kitchen environment
• Support ingredient prep, inventory counts, and receiving
• Assist with new product development and test batches

Qualifications

Required

• Professional kitchen experience in pastry, confectionery, or bakery production
• Working knowledge of chocolate tempering, or strong pastry fundamentals and willingness to learn
• Demonstrated reliability and consistent availability
• Strong attention to detail and quality standards
• Illinois Food Handler certification, or ability to obtain before start date
• Ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 50 lbs

Preferred

• Formal pastry or confectionery training
• Experience with molded or enrobed confections
• Experience in a small-batch or early-stage production environment

Growth Opportunity

This role is being hired with advancement in mind. As production volume grows across wholesale, corporate gifting, and our planned flagship retail location, we intend to promote from within into a full-time Executive Chef role. For the right candidate, equity participation is on the table.

Compensation & Details

Pay

$28 - $40/hour, depending on experience

Hours

Approximately 10 per week, with room to grow

Schedule

Flexible - you set your own schedule

Start Date

September 2026

Location

Chicago, IL (on-site)