Director of Restaurant Operations

SSP•New York, NY

35d•$140,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

SSP America operates a diverse portfolio of restaurants across John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4. We work closely with our brand partners and airport authorities to deliver great experiences for the nearly 100 million passengers traveling through our airports each year. With stories of unrivaled hospitality and authenticity at the heart of what we do, our team members bring our airports to life. We elevate airport food and beverage and take pride in delivering “a taste of place®” throughout North America. We are excited to offer a career-defining opportunity for an experienced Director of Restaurant Operations to lead the large-scale, multi-brand food and beverage operation within JFK Terminal 4. This is a high-impact leadership role overseeing 18 units making it one of the most operationally complex terminals in our portfolio.

Requirements

Minimum 10 years of progressive restaurant leadership experience with full P&L accountability.
Minimum 5 years of multi-unit leadership overseeing General Managers or multi-unit managers - required.
Experience leading a minimum of 8 operating units within a multi-concept portfolio - required.
Experience managing at least $30 million in annual sales volume - required.
Demonstrated success in stabilizing or turning around underperforming units using systems-based leadership.
Proven ability to build strong cultures, develop leaders, and maintain calm, structured accountability in fast-paced environments.
Experience partnering with cross-functional teams (Finance, HR, Culinary, Brands, Airport Authorities) to achieve operational goals.
Strong proficiency with POS systems and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Ability to develop operational presentations and reporting for senior leadership.

Nice To Haves

Airport operations experience or leadership in a similarly regulated, high-volume environment — strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead and support a team of multi-unit managers and direct reports, ensuring consistent execution of brand standards, product launches, and promotional programs.
Maintain uncompromising quality, food safety, and operational integrity in all units.
Conduct regular internal assessments to ensure compliance, readiness, and optimal guest experience.
Own full P&L responsibility for a large-scale, multi-unit environment with diverse concepts and brand partners.
Analyze KPI and sales performance trends, forecast business needs, and create action plans that drive sustainable results.
Optimize labor, inventory, and cost structures through effective planning and operational discipline.
Build a strong leadership bench by coaching, mentoring, and developing managers to meet the demands of a complex terminal.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance culture with clear expectations and accountability.
Support succession planning and ensure strong leadership continuity across all units.
Enforce compliance with SSP policies, brand standards, union requirements, and local/state regulations.
Implement scalable systems and processes that support consistent execution across multiple concepts and unit types.
Partner with internal departments (Finance, HR, Culinary, Brands) to ensure alignment and support operational goals.