Director of Operations (Portland, OR)

Mendocino Farms Talent Acquisition Team•Beaverton, OR

2d•$125,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Mendocino Farms, we do a lot more than just sell sandwiches and salads. We are a fast-casual restaurant brand on a mission to bring people together through fresh, culinary-driven food and unmatched hospitality. As we continue our aggressive growth trajectory across new and existing markets, we are seeking a dynamic, analytical, and hands-on leader to elevate our total rewards structure. Our Core Values and Mantras Sell Happy: The foundational philosophy that goes beyond serving meals to actively uplifting and improving every guest's day. Food Should Make People Feel Good: A commitment to using high-quality, whole, and thoughtfully sourced ingredients that make eating well easy. Be Culinary Explorers: A passion for combining fresh ingredients and bold flavors in unexpected, gourmet ways. Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary: Treating every customer and team interaction as a chance to lift someone's spirits. Get Better Every Day (GBED): An internal mantra encouraging continuous learning, personal growth, and skill development. We are Mendocino Farms, a unique, fast-casual restaurant concept breaking all the old paradigms of the restaurant business. At Mendocino Farms, we exist to sell more than just sandwiches, we sell happy. We are where the neighborhood comes together over inspired sandwiches and soulful salads made from thoughtfully sourced ingredients. Our name comes from legendary Mendocino County, a town known for pioneering the slow food movement and sustainable farming. At Mendo, we make daily decisions that reinforce our values of being trailblazers, learning and growing, building a ‘we’ culture, winning the day for our guests and our team members to ultimately, selling happy! SUMMARY As a DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS for Mendocino Farms you will lead a team of restaurant operators focused on operational excellence. You will be responsible for leading, managing and developing our operators throughout the Phoenix Area. You’ll be an active member of the Operations Leadership Team and help to shape operations strategy as well as ensure that the company’s strategic initiatives come to light in your market. The right candidate is a proven leader and operator, familiar with high growth environments, skilled at managing a P&L, is an excellent communicator, sets a high bar for him/herself, and is adept at developing talent. If you are someone who thrives in a critical leadership position and gains personal satisfaction when sharing knowledge and driving operational excellence, then this is a great role for you. This role will be based in the Portland area and will require travel to all Mendocino Farms locations within your region, and periodic travel to Los Angeles. During the first 4-6 months, frequent travel to other markets will be required as part of the training and onboarding process.

Requirements

7+ years of successful restaurant management/leadership operations experience required.
Previous senior leadership experience leading large restaurant teams in a geographically dispersed operations environment
Demonstrated ability to lead people and get results through others.
Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities
Familiar with Microsoft Office, and experience with using Excel.
High performance teams and a strong team player
Skill in assessing and prioritizing multiple tasks, projects, and demands
Strong written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

Manage field operations teams to deliver on our mission of Selling Happy
Monitor and drive flawless execution in day-to-day operations; visit our restaurants often to ensure that all aspects of the business meet established guidelines and standards across all dayparts and parts of the week.
Hire, train, develop, retain and evaluate leadership talent to create and maintain high performing teams that reduce turnover, create succession & growth and ensure that our top talent is ready to take on additional responsibilities.
Assist with the development of strategic and tactical plans for the market and ensure the completion of each, holding individuals accountable to assigned tasks.
Monitor all aspects of the business in-person and by using the various methods and reporting tools available (Daily sales reports, score cards, guest insights, labor and food cost tools), and then use the data and personal observations to coach and re-established goals.
Develop and execute plans and initiatives that consistently achieve and beat the company's desired sales and profitability targets for both existing and newly established operations.
Champion the operating culture by delivering a high level of system-wide operations execution that exceed guest expectations in each restaurant, every shift, every time; build a culture of accountability to financial and operational standards.
Ensure flawless opening, execution and results of new restaurant openings by playing an active role during pre and post opening.
Develop and maintain relationships across the company to ensure productive partnerships with various cross functional business partners and disciplines at Base Camp
Deliver consistently on the company's goals and KPI’s
Exhibit leadership by example through effective coaching, motivating and reinforcing the company's operating principles and core values while maintaining a high level of visibility with company operations.
Demonstrate progress through analysis and forecasting and presentation of conclusions and recommendations to the executive team.
Ensure compliance with all local laws and regulations as well as company policy as it relates to the running of your market especially as it relates to food safety and labor laws
Maintain a strong industry network and local market knowledge for our brand.
The role requires responding to critical and urgent, non-routine operational matters and emergencies outside of standard business hours. When on approved PTO, there is the option to delegate emergency coverage to a colleague.