Project Manager, New Shop Openings

Potbelly Corporate•Chicago, IL

9d•Remote

About The Position

This position owns the New Shop Opening (NSO) process and cross-functional alignment from construction start to opening day. They will represent the voice of company training & operations by providing key operational strategy, execution, measurement, and continuous improvement. This position will also manage shop closure communications and coordination. This person will be involved in the development and execution of multiple projects in all phases, identifies gaps and issues in a forward-thinking manner and mitigates as needed to successfully deliver each project to the organization. They will be an integral part of developing and designing process improvements and systems that scale. This role will be responsible for taking feedback from cross-functional teams, Dream Team members, and Franchisees to create a repeatable and operationally sound process. This person will have project management experience and will closely work with all levels of operations and support center teams.

Requirements

Must have project management experience.
Must have the ability/stamina to work a minimum of 45 to 55 hours a week.
Will frequently reach, feel, bend, stoop, carry, finely manipulate and key in data.
Must be able to engage in problem-solving skills to help identify and solve potential issues in the field.
Must be able to communicate heavily through telephone, e-mail and in-person communications.
Must be able to travel as necessary to support new shop openings and other projects.
Must represent The Potbelly WAY and Our Values, including Leadership Traits.
Able to handle multiple priorities, and manage multiple project details.
Must be a results-oriented leader with who demonstrates Good Vibes.
Attention to detail and accuracy required, excellent organizational skills and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to handle multiple projects/tasks and uncertain construction timelines.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills including coaching and influencing others.
Strong computer skills including Excel, Word, Outlook and other.

Nice To Haves

Potbelly knowledge and experience preferred.
Franchise business knowledge and experience preferred.
Demonstrated strong coaching, relationship building, and influencing skills.
Smartsheet and FranDash experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead cross-functional project teams on plans, schedules, and details: Franchisees, Construction, Design, Ops Services, Supply Chain, Training, IT, Accounting and other RTI Shared Services, HR, Real Estate, Legal, and Marketing.
Owns the end-to-end New Shop Opening project lifecycle from construction start through post-opening stabilization, serving as the primary project manager responsible for scope, timeline, communication, risk mitigation, readiness validation, and successful operational execution.
Act as the primary liaison between Franchise and Corporate teams, must have strong collaboration skills and communications.
Develops realistic implementation schedules, monitors compliance with defined project objectives and ensures the timely completion of milestones and final project success.
Proactively identifies project risks, dependencies, and roadblocks; develops mitigation strategies and escalates issues appropriately to ensure timelines and operational readiness remain on track.
Evaluates and consolidates processes and procedures within shops & support center cross-functional projects to determine recommendations for program adjustments and continuous improvement.
Owns and facilitates readiness reviews, pre-opening checkpoints, and go/no-go decision processes to ensure new shops are operationally prepared prior to opening.
Delivers on defined New Shop Open success metrics with openings that are on time, prepared, and have strong sales and systems results from day 1.
Monitors post-opening performance, evaluates operational outcomes, gathers stakeholder feedback, and implements continuous improvement initiatives to enhance future opening success.
Presents clear and concise materials that communicate the overall message of the organization and tie-in the operating plan to each of the actionable items required from the program.
Lead implementation of new tools, systems, and process improvements supporting NSO scalability.
Effectively coordinates and communicates closure tasks to ensure smooth transitions.
Provides direct coaching and feedback to Specialist, New Shop Opening & Training and Dream Team Field Leaders as necessary.
Manage multiple simultaneous openings and transitions while balancing competing priorities.
Ensure clear communication, accountability, and alignment across all project stakeholders.
Participate in special projects as assigned by the Director of Training. Examples of these assignments may involve menu tests, equipment tests, other department support, documentation, or administrative support.
Provide insights and recommendations in meetings including: daily and weekly calls with field and support center cross-functional teams for markets with shops under construction, development meetings, Growth Friday, lead weekly pre-opening calls.