Operations Coordinator

To apply, you will only have to fill a short form on our website that will take you less than 5 minutes.

Job Title: Operations Coordinator

About The Company:

Our client is a small, fast-moving candy startup in San Diego whose founders have about 50 years of combined industry experience. It runs wholesale candy distribution and custom gummy and product development, and it invents its own products.

About The Role

Candy Pros is looking for a highly resourceful, organized, proactive, and commercially minded person who can take an idea or objective and figure out how to make it happen.

We have important projects and opportunities sitting on the back burner because we haven't had the time to move them forward. We need someone who can take ownership of these initiatives, research the best way to execute them, find the right people and resources, and manage the process through completion.

This is not a traditional administrative assistant role. We need a doer, problem-solver, and project owner who combines entrepreneurial resourcefulness with excellent organization, sound business judgment, and high standards for quality.

You don't need to know how to do everything when you start, nobody knows this but we expect you to know how to research, find answers, identify the right resources, and determine the best path forward. Basically, figure it out.

If you encounter something you don't know how to do, your response should be:

"I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out."

We want someone who is scrappy about finding solutions and controlling costs but also has an eye for quality. We don't want the cheapest option simply because it's cheap. We want the best solution for the money.

Above all, we're looking for someone with a "consider it done" mentality who takes ownership, moves quickly, communicates consistently, and follows through.

Key Responsibilities

• E-commerce and sales channel development

Help Candy Pros expand its online sales channels.

Examples:

Launch our wholesale store on Faire.

Research and set up our store on Airgoods.

Gather Product Information, Pricing, Images, And Other Required Materials.

Organize and upload product listings.

Identify additional sales channels that could benefit our business.

Manage Listing Updates And Other Platform Requirements.

• Product pricing and catalog development

Help us finalize our price lists and create professional, accurate product catalogs.

Examples:

Organize product information and SKUs.

Research competitor pricing and market information.

Help develop wholesale price lists.

Coordinate product descriptions, specifications, and images.

Identify missing information and obtain it from our team.

Ensure consistency across catalogs, our website, and sales platforms.

• Research and sourcing

Conduct thorough research to find the best vendors, suppliers, service providers, and business resources.

For example, if we need a candy co-packer, we don't want a random list of companies from Google. We want you to identify qualified candidates, investigate their capabilities and reputations, verify relevant information, compare pricing and quality, and present your strongest recommendations.

The same applies to finding manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, freelancers, agencies, and other business resources.

We want you to find the best sources, not just any sources.

• Social media and marketing operations

Help turn our social media efforts into an organized, effective operation.

Examples:

Research the best approach for our business.

Develop a practical plan for getting our social media operation off the ground.

Find and evaluate marketing professionals, freelancers, agencies, and tools.

Compare costs, capabilities, and deliverables.

Recommend the best resources.

Coordinate execution and manage timelines.

Help establish a consistent content creation and publishing process.

• Website development and management

When we need a new website or improvements to an existing one, figure out how to get it done.

Examples:

Research platforms and potential approaches.

Identify qualified developers or agencies.

Compare capabilities, portfolios, pricing, and proposals.

Interview potential providers.

Recommend the best option and explain why.

Coordinate the project, manage timelines, and follow up on deliverables.

You don't necessarily need to build websites yourself. You need to find the right people, evaluate their work, and manage the project through completion.

• Purchasing and cost optimization

Help us source products, equipment, and supplies for our warehouse and business operations.

Examples:

Research suppliers and compare quotes.

Evaluate quality, shipping costs, reliability, and pricing.

Find the best value rather than automatically choosing the lowest price.

Communicate with vendors and obtain information.

Coordinate orders and follow up.

Identify opportunities to reduce costs without compromising quality.

• Trade shows and special projects

Help organize and execute trade show participation and other business initiatives.

Examples:

Research trade shows and evaluate opportunities.

Coordinate booth requirements, displays, materials, and logistics.

Find vendors and obtain quotes.

Organize deadlines and deliverables.

Coordinate shipments and supplies.

Ensure everything is ready on time.

• Recruiting and finding talent

Help us identify and recruit the people we need to grow.

Examples:

Research job roles and candidate markets.

Write and publish job advertisements.

Identify appropriate recruiting platforms.

Develop interview questions and screening criteria.

Research and evaluate candidates.

Coordinate interviews and organize hiring information.

• General business research and problem-solving

Help with projects that don't fit neatly into a predefined category.

Examples:

Find the best flight and travel arrangements for a trip.

Research unfamiliar business opportunities.

Find professionals or vendors to solve specific problems.

Evaluate software, services, and business tools.

Develop processes for unfamiliar tasks.

Coordinate projects involving multiple people or organizations.

The common thread is simple: you can be given an objective without knowing all the steps in advance, and you can independently determine how to accomplish it.

How We Expect You To Work

Our preferred working process is:

Understand the objective. Clarify what we want to accomplish and any important constraints.

Research thoroughly. Investigate options, verify information, and identify the best resources.

Develop a recommendation. Explain your findings, reasoning, estimated costs, and proposed approach.

Agree on the plan. Discuss your recommendation with us and make important decisions together.

Execute. Coordinate the people, resources, and activities needed to achieve the objective.

Communicate and follow through. Keep us informed, solve problems, and ensure the project reaches completion.

We want someone who exercises independent judgment while collaborating with us on significant decisions.

We don't want to micromanage every step, and we don't expect you to make major commitments without appropriate discussion and approval.

The Skills And Qualities We Need

Resourcefulness and problem-solving

Excellent research and information verification skills.

A natural ability to figure things out.

Persistence when answers aren't immediately obvious.

The ability to find the right people, tools, and resources.

Strong judgment when comparing alternatives.

Speed and initiative

A bias toward action.

The ability to move quickly without sacrificing accuracy.

A proactive approach to identifying next steps.

The ability to work independently without constant direction.

A willingness to take ownership rather than wait for someone else to solve the problem.

Organization and project management

Strong organizational skills.

The ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.

Attention to detail and deadlines.

Consistent follow-through.

The ability to coordinate people, vendors, and deliverables.

Communication

Excellent written and verbal communication.

Proactive updates on progress, milestones, and next steps.

Clear explanations of findings and recommendations.

The ability to raise important questions early.

The ability to present problems alongside proposed solutions.

Business judgment and quality

A commercial mindset and awareness of cost.

The ability to distinguish good value from simply being cheap.

An eye for quality, professionalism, and presentation.

Good judgment when evaluating vendors and business opportunities.

Technology

Experience with Shopify and e-commerce platforms is valuable. HubSpot experience is a plus, but not mandatory.

More important than knowing a particular tool is the ability to learn new systems, research unfamiliar processes, and use technology effectively.

AI tools may be used when appropriate, but candidates must verify information, exercise independent judgment, and take responsibility for the quality of their work.

The Person We Want to Hire

We want someone who combines the organization and reliability of a strong operations professional with the initiative and resourcefulness of an entrepreneur.

You should be able to take a complicated or unfamiliar task, break it into manageable steps, find the right resources, and make steady progress without needing constant guidance.

You should care about the quality of your work and take pride in delivering results.

If people regularly come to you because you're the person who can figure things out, solve problems, and make things happen, we want to hear from you.

Schedule:

Monday to Friday

9:00 AM to 11:00 AM PT

10 hours per week

Salary And Benefits:

• Payment in USD or Local Currency according to candidate's preference.

• Full-time remote opportunity.