Vice President of Operations - Restaurants
About The Position
The Vice President of Operations leads operational performance across a growing restaurant franchise system. This executive drives franchisee success, improves unit-level economics, ensures brand consistency, and builds the operational infrastructure required for continued expansion. The role combines long-term operational strategy with hands-on work alongside franchisees to improve restaurant performance. The successful candidate brings restaurant franchising and multi-unit operations experience, builds credible relationships with franchise partners, and influences operators while maintaining high standards. The role oversees franchise operations support teams and works with executive leadership and cross-functional partners to improve restaurant results, support growth, and strengthen the franchise business model. Success is measured by sales and average unit volume growth, improved franchisee profitability and restaurant margins, stronger operational compliance and guest satisfaction, successful new openings, positive franchisee relationships, a high-performing support organization, and scalable systems for continued expansion.
Requirements
- 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in the restaurant industry, including significant multi-unit operational responsibility.
- 5+ years of experience leading franchise operations, franchise support, or a comparable function within a restaurant franchisor.
- Experience leading operations across a geographically dispersed, multi-unit restaurant system.
- Strong understanding of restaurant-level P&Ls, franchise economics, and operational drivers of profitability.
- Demonstrated success improving sales performance, operating margins, guest satisfaction, and franchisee engagement.
- Experience leading and developing field operations teams, including franchise business consultants and regional leadership.
- Ability to influence independent franchise owners without direct operational control.
- Experience supporting new restaurant openings, franchise system expansion, and operational transformation.
- Strong analytical, communication, relationship-building, and executive leadership skills.
- Willingness to travel regularly to franchise locations and corporate meetings.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or a related field.
Responsibilities
- Lead operational strategy and execution across the franchise system.
- Improve restaurant-level sales, profitability, guest satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
- Establish and monitor KPIs, including same-store sales, labor and food costs, throughput, guest experience, and franchisee profitability.
- Work with franchise owners and multi-unit operators to identify opportunities and implement improvement plans.
- Develop operational standards and accountability systems for consistent execution across locations.
- Identify underperforming restaurants and collaborate with franchisees on turnaround strategies.
- Ensure franchisees have the tools, resources, and operational support needed to operate successful restaurants.
- Build strong relationships with franchise owners and serve as a trusted operational advisor while balancing franchisee needs with brand standards and business objectives.
- Lead and develop the franchise operations support team, including Directors of Operations, Franchise Business Consultants, and field support personnel.
- Establish performance expectations, communication processes, and accountability across the operations organization.
- Facilitate franchisee meetings, operational reviews, and best-practice sharing.
- Partner with executive leadership to address franchisee concerns and strengthen franchisee engagement.
- Develop, implement, and improve operational systems, processes, and standard operating procedures.
- Ensure consistent execution of food quality, service, cleanliness, safety, and guest experience standards.
- Oversee operational assessments, field visits, and brand compliance initiatives.
- Simplify restaurant operations, improve productivity, and reduce controllable expenses.
- Partner with Training, Marketing, Technology, Supply Chain, and Development teams to align operations.
- Lead implementation of operational initiatives, technology platforms, menu introductions, and service improvements.
- Partner with Franchise Development and Real Estate teams to support system expansion.
- Ensure operational readiness for new restaurant openings, including training, staffing, systems, and franchisee support.
- Develop scalable processes to support growth without compromising restaurant performance or guest experience.
- Support franchisee onboarding, operational training, and new-market development.
- Evaluate operational capacity and identify organizational needs as the franchise system expands.
- Improve restaurant-level profitability through disciplined management of labor, food costs, productivity, and controllable expenses.
- Analyze systemwide performance trends and translate financial and operational data into actionable strategies.
- Partner with executive leadership to establish annual operational goals, budgets, and performance targets.
- Develop strategies to improve franchisee return on investment and long-term financial health.
- Provide operational performance updates and recommendations to executive leadership.
- Identify opportunities to increase average unit volume, improve margins, and strengthen the franchise business model.
- Travel regularly to franchise locations and corporate meetings.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
Education Level
No Education Listed
