Operational Excellence Manager

Areas USA, Inc • Miami, FL

2d

About The Position

The Operational Excellence Manager supports restaurant field operations and other departments within the Operational Excellence (OPEX) team, including partnering with the beverage team to roll out new initiatives. The role organizes and facilitates New Restaurant Openings (NROs), holds departments accountable to opening timelines and deliverables, and serves as the on-site Opening Coordinator for select openings. This position is the OPEX program expert, consistently following up on the program audit form and scorecard and helping operators improve scorecard performance.

The manager helps uphold brand, service, safety, health, food-safety, and sanitation standards across restaurants so guests receive a consistent brand experience and associates and guests remain safe. The role works with Regional Vice Presidents and support-center teams, including CrunchTime, Procurement, IT, Finance, and Training, to drive consistent, high-quality operations. It may involve extended periods in restaurant operations and on-site opening assignments lasting 4 to 6 weeks.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of multi-unit or senior restaurant operations experience.
• Proven experience with new restaurant openings, operational audits, and/or company-wide initiative rollouts.
• Strong project-management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple timelines and hold cross-functional teams accountable.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to lead calls and influence people at all organizational levels.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort working with audits, scorecards, and performance data.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams, and with restaurant technology systems.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively, including extended on-site assignments of 4 to 6 weeks.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including standing for long periods (up to 8 hours), using hands and fingers, handling, feeling, communicating verbally, hearing, reaching, climbing, balancing, tasting, smelling, walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and lifting or moving up to 50 pounds; required vision abilities include close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and focusing.

Nice To Haves

• Full-service restaurant experience preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience is also acceptable.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and lead Operational Excellence calls, ensuring agendas, action items, and follow-ups are communicated and completed.
• Coordinate and lead New Store Opening calls, holding departments accountable for opening timelines and deliverables.
• Partner with the beverage team, CrunchTime, Procurement, IT, Finance, and other departments to support rollouts and new initiatives.
• Spend extended periods in restaurant operations as required to reinforce the OPEX culture and standards.
• Work with Regional Vice Presidents to improve restaurant operations using the OPEX program as a roadmap.
• Serve as on-site opening execution coordinator for select restaurant openings for 4 to 6 weeks, collaborating with support-center departments and operations.
• Work with operators to improve the Operational Excellence scorecard.
• Support the Training team with programs and initiatives such as BATB.
• Monitor and follow up on OPEX program audit-form and scorecard items, tracking progress and driving accountability.
• Uphold brand standards across all locations to support a consistent, high-quality guest experience.
• Monitor restaurant compliance with company, local, state, and federal safety standards; identify risks and work with operations to put corrective actions in place.
• Monitor food-safety, food-handling, sanitation, and cleanliness standards and restaurant readiness for health-department inspections; provide feedback to the operations team.
• Support regular audits of brand, safety, and health standards, share findings with operations leaders, and follow up until gaps are closed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed