Regional Director of Operations

Insomnia Cookies•Detroit, MI

2d•$150,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Regional Director of Operations, you will be responsible for the performance of over 70 Insomnia bakeries, ensuring strong sales, profitability, operational excellence, guest experience, and people results across your region. You will manage your region as if it were your own business, utilizing data and field insights to identify opportunities and risks, and making informed decisions. The role involves coaching and developing District Managers and Area Managers to operate with ownership, build strong teams, and achieve results. You will stay curious, embrace new ideas, and translate company strategy into consistent execution across all bakeries. Significant time will be spent in the field to understand the 'why' behind the data. Success is defined by a region that delivers strong business results, exceptional operations, an "Always Warm" experience for guests, and a deep bench of capable leaders.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive multi-unit restaurant, retail, or hospitality operations experience.
5+ years leading multi-unit field leaders (e.g., Regional Director, District Managers) or equivalent.
Restaurant/QSR or high-volume food service experience strongly preferred.
Proven success leading a large, geographically dispersed business with full P&L accountability across multiple markets.
Experience overseeing 50+ locations strongly preferred.
Experience operating within small to mid-sized, high-growth companies comfortable with pace, ambiguity, and hands-on problem-solving.
Strong business and financial acumen (sales, EBITDA, labor, COGS, budgeting, forecasting, expense management) with a track record of delivering results.
Demonstrated ability to lead leaders, set clear expectations, coach effectively, build accountability, and develop leaders who own their businesses.
Success in building strong teams, developing high-potential talent, strengthening succession pipelines, and promoting from within.
Strong operator who uses data to diagnose performance, identify root causes, and translate insights into action.
Hands-on leadership style, willing to jump in when needed.
Experience leading through growth and change, translating strategy and innovation into consistent field execution.
Strong communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills.
Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent relevant leadership experience will be considered.
Ability to travel approximately 50-70%, including regular overnight travel.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, late nights, weekends, and holidays.
Ability to perform essential functions of the role with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Restaurant/QSR or high-volume food service experience
Experience overseeing 50+ locations

Responsibilities

Deliver the region's business plan, achieving targets for sales, profitability, labor, COGS, operating income, EBITDA, guest experience, and operational performance across 70+ bakeries.
Analyze P&Ls, performance data, guest insights, and field observations to understand business drivers and identify opportunities.
Set clear regional priorities and translate company goals into actionable plans for District Managers.
Identify opportunities to grow sales, improve productivity, manage costs, and strengthen profitability while maintaining guest and employee experience.
Scale successful initiatives across the region and anticipate future risks and opportunities.
Diagnose underperformance, address root causes, and hold leaders accountable for sustained improvement.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of District Managers.
Build leaders who can analyze their business, make sound decisions, develop their teams, and take action.
Incorporate coaching into leadership, providing feedback, recognizing performance, and holding leaders accountable for results and leadership.
Foster a strong culture of training and development, ensuring leaders understand and can deliver on performance expectations.
Hold leaders accountable for building the next generation of leaders and creating a strong succession pipeline.
Partner with the People team to identify and develop high-potential talent, improve retention, and create career growth opportunities.
Set high standards for operational excellence in product quality, food safety, cleanliness, speed of service, hospitality, and brand standards.
Ensure every bakery delivers an "Always Warm" experience for guests.
Conduct purposeful bakery and market visits to observe operations, coach leaders, interact with guests and employees, and identify improvement opportunities.
Provide hands-on support when needed to stabilize operations and understand root causes, using these moments for leader development.
Translate company strategy into effective field execution, ensuring leaders understand objectives and expectations.
Lead change with speed, clarity, and confidence, encouraging continuous improvement in operations.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Marketing, Finance, Digital, Supply Chain, People, Development) to implement new products, programs, technology, and initiatives.
Act as a strong advocate for the field, providing operating and performance data to inform company decisions and feedback on what is working and what is not.
Remove barriers and reduce complexity that hinder leaders from running businesses, developing teams, and serving guests.