Food systems, Sustainability,
Community-based business

Hiring: Assistant Manager, St. Clair Boutique & Market Development

Social Enterprise: ChocoSol Traders
Location: 1131 St. Clair Ave W, Toronto ON

• Compensation: Starting at $22.50 to $24/hour, plus tips
• Position Type: Part-Time to Full-Time (25–30 hours/week)
• Term: One-year contract, with the possibility of extension or a permanent position depending on organizational needs and performance.
• Start Date: November 2026
• Reports to: Front of House Manager and Director of Sales

About ChocoSol

ChocoSol Traders is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker and social enterprise rooted in ecological and equitable trade relationships.

Through cacao, chocolate, coffee, and community engagement, we work to foster meaningful connections between producers, workers, retailers, and customers while supporting regenerative food systems and sustainable livelihoods.

The St. Clair Market Boutique serves as both a retail destination and an innovation hub for ChocoSol. Alongside retail sales and hospitality, the boutique plays an important role in product development, small-batch production, customer education, and market testing.

The Role

We are seeking an entrepreneurial, community-oriented Assistant Manager to help lead the continued growth and evolution of our St.Clair Boutique. The successful candidate will contribute to retail operations, product development, community engagement, and cross-departmental coordination while helping strengthen the connection between production, customer experience, and sales.

This role is designed as an Assistant Manager-level position with responsibility for primarily supporting the successful operation of ChocoSol's St. Clair Boutique & New Chocosol Galeria (expansion of ChocoSol on St.Clair W.)

As assistant manager we are looking for a dynamic and flexible leader to help support the broader ChocoSol sales & educational initiative for Q4 2026 and into 2027.

For the first 3 months we will be closing out the busy holiday season, including launching numerous events in Toronto, specifically the Salon du Chocolat, chocolat-TO, evergreen brickworks holiday markets & our St.Lawrence Market winter hot chocolate Shack. These dynamic event spaces and venues would be your training and trial grounds during your 3 month trial period.

We are seeking candidates to strengthen coordination between our retail, farmers market & events, production, operations and online sales channels. Candidates who demonstrate strong leadership, organizational skills, commercial awareness, and operational excellence will have opportunities to take on increased management responsibilities over time.

We are looking for a builder, organizer, and relationship-maker. Someone who enjoys creating & improving systems, developing people, strengthening community connections, and helping new products find their market. The ideal candidate combines hospitality and operational excellence with curiosity, initiative, and a desire to contribute to the long-term growth of ChocoSol.

Core Areas of Responsibility

1. Hospitality & Retail Leadership (35%)

Customer Experience & Sales

• Deliver exceptional hospitality and create memorable customer experiences.
• Act as an ambassador for ChocoSol's products, values, and ecological trade philosophy.
• Share product knowledge and educate customers about cacao, chocolate, coffee, and sourcing relationships.

• Support customers in selecting products that meet their interests and needs.
• Accurately process transactions through the POS system and maintain cash-handling standards.
• Support merchandising, displays, sampling programs, and retail presentation.
• Contribute to achieving sales goals through active customer engagement and relationship-building.

Beverage Program

• Prepare and serve cacao beverages, mochas, coffee, and seasonal drinks according to ChocoSol standards.
• Maintain consistency, quality, and presentation.
• Continuously seek opportunities to improve beverage service, efficiency, and customer experience.
• Support the development and promotion of seasonal and innovative beverage offerings.
• Increasing FOH average daily sales on a YoY basis by 10% when tasked to work FOH.

2. Operations & Supply Chain Coordination (25%)

Inventory & Production Coordination

• Monitor inventory levels across the St. Clair Boutique and coordinate replenishment needs.
• Support communication between retail operations, farmers markets, production, and fulfillment teams.
• Help ensure products are available in the right place, at the right time, and in approprisate quantities.
• Coordinate stock transfers and inventory movement between sales channels.
• Participate in inventory counts, reporting, and stock management systems.
• Identify inventory shortages, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improved forecasting.

Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Identify inefficiencies and propose practical solutions to improve workflows.
• Assist in documenting, refining, and implementing operational procedures.
• Support initiatives that improve communication, inventory visibility, and organizational effectiveness.
• Demonstrate curiosity, adaptability, and a continuous improvement mindset.

3. Community Engagement & Business Development (15%)

Local Partnerships & Marketing

• Build relationships with neighbouring businesses, market vendors, office towers, community organizations, and local stakeholders.
• Participate in St. Clair Market events, BIA initiatives, and community outreach opportunities.
• Identify and pursue low-cost, high-impact marketing opportunities that increase awareness and foot traffic.
• Support promotion of workshops, events, seasonal offerings, and new product launches.
• Help strengthen ChocoSol's visibility and reputation within the surrounding community.

4. Product Development, Market Testing & Commercialization (15%)

Boutique Production & Product Launch Support

• Champion products produced at the St. Clair Boutique through merchandising, sampling, storytelling, and customer engagement.
• Gather customer feedback and sales insights on new and seasonal products.
• Work with leadership and production teams to identify opportunities for product improvement and innovation.
• Support the documentation, pricing, merchandising, and promotion of boutique-produced products.
• Help evaluate which products are suitable for expansion into farmers markets, wholesale channels, and the online store.
• Contribute to creating a feedback loop between production, retail operations, customer experience, and product development.

5. Team Support & Administration (10%)

Communication & Collaboration

• Use Google Workspace and internal communication systems effectively.
• Maintain consistent communication with managers and cross-functional teams.
• Share operational updates and respond to internal communications in a timely manner.
• Participate in team meetings, training sessions, and professional development opportunities.

Cross-Department Support

• Assist with chocolate production, packaging, labeling, and related activities during slower retail periods.
• Support farmers market operations when needed, including setup, teardown, sales, and inventory preparation.
• Contribute positively to a collaborative and learning-oriented workplace culture.

Qualifications & Attributes

We are looking for someone who:

• Has experience in hospitality, specialty food retail, café operations, food service, or a related field.
• Demonstrates strong organizational and project management skills.
• Possesses an entrepreneurial mindset and enjoys building systems and improving processes.
• Takes initiative and actively seeks opportunities to improve operations and customer experience.
• Is energized by community engagement, relationship-building, and local business development.
• Has strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Is comfortable balancing operational discipline with thoughtful customer service flexibility.
• Enjoys learning and sharing detailed product knowledge.
• Can work independently while collaborating effectively with multiple teams.
• Is enthusiastic about food systems, sustainability, ecological trade, chocolate, coffee, and community-based business.

Previous supervisory or leadership experience is considered an asset.

Food Handler Certification is considered an asset but may be obtained after hiring.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand for extended periods.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 40 lbs.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced retail and food-service environment.
• Availability for early Saturday shifts and flexibility in scheduling, particularly during onboarding and training.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 6 months, the successful candidate will:

• Strengthen communication and coordination between retail, production, farmers market, and online sales operations.
• Improve inventory visibility and product flow across sales channels.
• Enhance beverage service efficiency and customer experience.
• Develop new community partnerships and local marketing opportunities.
• Champion successful boutique-produced products and support their growth into broader sales channels.
• Implement meaningful operational improvements that strengthen the overall performance of the St. Clair Market Boutique.

What We Offer

• A unique opportunity to work within a mission-driven social enterprise.
• Hands-on experience in retail operations, product development, community engagement, and sustainable food systems.
• Exposure to bean-to-bar chocolate making, coffee, cacao, and ecological trade.
• A collaborative workplace committed to learning, cultural exchange, and continuous improvement.
• Employee product discounts and opportunities for professional development.
• Potential pathways for continued employment and expanded leadership responsibilities following the contract term.

How to Apply

Please send your cover letter and resume in PDF format to: info@chocosoltraders.com
(addressed to Sunny De Quiroz)

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Thank-you for your interest; however, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. We receive many applications and cannot respond to all in-person, telephone, and email follow-ups.