DIRECTOR/SR. DIRECTOR, STRATEGY, INSIGHTS & ANALYTICS

El Pollo Loco • Costa Mesa, CA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Insights and Analytics leads the development and execution of data-driven strategies to enhance business performance and customer engagement. The role spans business analytics, sales forecasting, consumer insights, Customer Care Center operations, pricing analytics, marketing and loyalty analytics, and budget management. The position works with the CEO, CFO, and other executive leaders to provide timely insights into business performance, macro trends, and competitive activity, and participates in annual planning and preparation of materials for business meetings, including Board of Directors meetings and earnings calls.

The role builds, mentors, and leads a high-performing analytics team, fostering collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. It has direct budget responsibility of $1–2 million and indirect responsibility of $45–55 million. The position is based in a typical office environment and works at the Support Center under the company’s hybrid work policy.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Statistics, Data Science, or a related field.
• At least 15 years of experience in analytics, preferably in the restaurant or retail industries.
• Proven leadership experience, including managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency with data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI and statistical analysis software such as R or Python.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including the ability to convey complex data and insights to diverse audiences and stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking, a results-oriented mindset, and the ability to drive change.
• Experience with budget management and financial forecasting.
• Ability to collaborate in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Ability to work on rapidly evolving projects, adapt to changing business needs, and focus on generating results.
• Ability to work with ambiguity, analyze and synthesize complex data, and draw business insights.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate, with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work at the Support Center in accordance with the hybrid work policy.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee business analytics strategies that inform organizational decision-making.
• Analyze key performance indicators and provide actionable insights to improve revenue, profitability, customer loyalty, and operational efficiency.
• Lead the sales forecasting process using historical data and market trends; own and refine the forecasting model to improve accuracy.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align forecasting and support achievement of sales targets.
• Oversee consumer insights and research, leading a team that identifies brand metrics, trends, consumer preferences, and behaviors.
• Apply consumer insights to product development, marketing strategies, loyalty programs, and customer experience improvements.
• Lead the Customer Experience Team responsible for Customer Care Center operations.
• Develop Customer Care Center systems and processes that support high service levels and customer satisfaction.
• Work with the Integrated Marketing team to ensure customer care scripts are appropriate for the brand.
• Manage vendors and balance effective tools with overall platform costs.
• Use data to improve customer experience and unit-level operations.
• Develop and implement pricing strategies using market analysis and competitive intelligence.
• Monitor price sensitivity and pricing performance to optimize revenue and profitability.
• Manage a third-party pricing consultant across company and franchise locations.
• Analyze marketing campaign and loyalty program effectiveness, using test-and-learn strategies to identify incrementality and impact.
• Provide insights to improve customer retention, engagement, and brand loyalty.
• Manage the Advertising Fund and allocate resources effectively.
• Collaborate with finance and other departments to track spending and maximize return on analytics initiatives.
• Work with executive leaders to provide timely insights into business performance, macro trends, and competitive insights.
• Participate in annual planning to shape the Annual Operating Plan and prepare materials for business meetings, Board of Directors meetings, and earnings calls.
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing analytics team and foster collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Exercise independent judgment on matters of significance to the company and proactively initiate process improvements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director