Field Operations Lead Specialist - Northern California

Philz Coffee•San Francisco, CA

5h•Onsite

About The Position

At Philz, growth is about opening stores the right way. We are seeking a Field Operations Lead Specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area to lead the readiness, coordination, and continuous improvement of our New Store Opening (NSO) model. This role is crucial for ensuring each new store launches on time, operates smoothly, and supports long-term success. The specialist will work across teams to bring structure, discipline, and consistency to new store openings, while also strengthening field execution through tools, support, and project leadership. This position is ideal for someone who can align moving parts and build scalable systems, making a visible impact on growth. The role involves monthly travel in operating markets.

Requirements

3+ years in multi-unit training
Direct experience supporting new store openings in a lead training role with project management responsibilities
Must be able to achieve Manager-level ServSafe within 30 days of hire (company-provided)
Background in high-volume retail or food & beverage environments
Must reside in the Northern California market areas
Ability to sustain high energy across multi-week openings
Requires flexibility, resilience, and strong time management
High travel role (local and regional; NorCal - SoCal and beyond)
Assignments may range from daily travel to multi-week deployments
Excellent presentation and facilitation skills with the ability to engage and inspire diverse audiences
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to build relationships and collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels
Strategic Operator: Understands how all departments impact opening success
Systems Thinker: Builds repeatable tools, calendars, scorecards, and processes
Influencer without authority: Moves teams through alignment and clarity
Resource planner: Balances people, travel, labor, and timelines across multiple openings

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end NSO lifecycle from hiring to post-open support exit across multiple concurrent openings
Facilitate high-impact group training and in-store coaching across all roles
Ensure stores open on time aligned to rent commencement and turnover readiness
Ensure stores are operationally ready (systems, product, training, staffing)
Ensure stores are customer experience ready
Ensure stores are financially disciplined
Ensure performance metrics are met
Lead NSO planning
Own assigned NSO location opening calendar and readiness milestones (Staffing - Post-Open support exit)
Build training pod teams for maximum training excellence
Conduct biweekly staffing readiness calls
Identify risks and collaborate on mitigation plans
Standardize and continuously improve NSO playbooks, timelines, and readiness checklists as needed
Standardize and continuously improve post-open support structure and stabilization process
Raise the quality bar after every opening by leading post-mortems for each assigned opening and reviewing opening results, guest scores, hiring readiness, and first 60-day outcomes
Coordinate findings with the Manager, and present to Senior Leadership
Lead pilots, tests, and new process rollouts tied to openings
Act as a bridge between NSO and existing store operations
Step into high-risk openings or underperforming launches; make decisions on support deployment, timeline adjustments, and recovery actions in partnership with Field and Central Operations Leadership
Support Area Leaders in stabilizing new stores post-open, driving consistency across mature locations, and reinforcing operational standards and SOP adherence
Identify field-wide execution gaps in training and hospitality and translate into training improvements and tools
Deploy into the field to strengthen existing stores (When not in NSO cycles)
Support underperforming locations with structured recovery plans (When not in NSO cycles)
Reinforce the Bettering Days mission through operational excellence (When not in NSO cycles)
Consult and participate in high-impact operational projects such as NSO Process design and updates, Training system enhancements, Operational dashboards, Pilots and tests not related to New Store Openings
Build and maintain NSO Workbooks/Project plans
Build and maintain communication cadence across stakeholders
Build and maintain training & readiness alignment through design, validation, execution and evaluation