Senior Manager, Operations, Americas

Wingstop•United States,

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Operations is a dynamic, hands-on leader responsible for driving operational standards, efficiency, and building capability across our markets in the Americas. This role blends deep operational expertise with strong commercial acumen, project leadership, and people development. Reporting directly to the Ops Director, Americas, the role acts as a strategic right hand, shaping and executing operational improvement initiatives that elevate brand integrity, unlock profitability, and strengthen brand partner performance. This Ops leader gets energy from working in an entrepreneurial environment at pace, building systems, frameworks, and new market entry plans. They operate with humility, collaboration, and relentless focus on results. The ideal candidate loves being hands on from the fryer up and is comfortable leading multiple markets, business partners, and priorities. This role will be critical in building a premium lifestyle brand across the region with multiple New Market Entries planned. The Senior Manager, Operation plays a pivotal role in executing the Americas Ops strategy, driving scalable systems and performance improvements to support rapid growth and brand consistency. The leader will build out a team of Ops Excellence coaches and New Market Entry Managers on our quest towards Global Flavour Domination! Candidate must be bi-lingual: English and Spanish. Portuguese desirable.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Business, Food Service Management, or a related field; MBA preferred.
7–10 years of progressive experience in regional operations, training, or a related field, ideally within a major restaurant or hotel brand.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
Strong business acumen with the ability to develop, analyze, and negotiate business agreements.
Proven ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
Demonstrated leadership experience in one or more of the following areas: Operations, Training, People Management, Restaurant Audits, or New Market Launches
Bi-lingual: English and Spanish.
Frequent use of a computer and other technology is essential to the successful completion of your everyday responsibilities.
Regularly engage in collaborative communication, leveraging critical thinking and interpersonal skills to exchange ideas and information with cross-functional teams, brand partners, and the broader Wingstop team.
Routine needs to shift priorities among simultaneous projects, while upholding quality and sense of urgency.

Nice To Haves

Portuguese desirable.

Responsibilities

Design and embed consistent operating standards and performance routines across markets.
Identify and drive efficiency, margin, and throughput improvements through analytics and insight.
Partner cross-functionally (Finance, QA, Training, Development) and across regions to align with brand and financial goals.
Lead operational innovation -including non-traditional formats (e.g., Drive Thru) and equipment/process trials—from concept to rollout.
Leverage digital tools and dashboards to monitor performance and identify improvement opportunities.
Ensure all initiatives are measurable, scalable, and embedded into daily field operations.
Translate strategic business priorities into executable projects with clear pacing, ownership, and milestones.
Drive adoption and sustainability of new initiatives through structured change management, stakeholder engagement, and consistent follow-up.
Conduct regular Brand Partner restaurant visits to coach, train, and develop teams—ensuring brand protection and operational excellence.
Lead and develop the New Market Entry (NME) Team, ensuring successful new market launches and continuous partner support.
Create and deliver targeted capability-building programs for field leaders and partners.
Serve as a mentor and coach, developing both immediate team members and future successors.
Demonstrate strong P&L literacy -linking operational decisions directly to financial outcomes.
Evaluate and prioritize opportunities, balancing brand standards, efficiency, and commercial viability.
Provide operational insights to shape regional and business planning.
Communicate complex operational narratives through clear, compelling storytelling and executive-ready presentations.
Act as a liaison between WRI Corporate and Brand Partners, ensuring alignment, clarity, and partnership.
Uphold food safety, QA, and compliance standards with rigor.
Lead third-party QSC audits and Voice of the Guest (SMG) programs, ensuring continuous improvement.
Act decisively when operational or brand integrity is at risk.