Vice President, Operational Support

Whitsons Culinary Group•DeSoto, TX

7d•$190,000 - $225,000

About The Position

The Vice President of Operational Support provides high-level leadership, vision, and operational excellence across assigned regions while driving organizational growth, client retention, and new business development. This position ensures that all operational controls, administrative systems, and reporting procedures are executed with precision to support financial stability, compliance, and long-term sustainability. In addition to regional oversight, this role partners closely with the Retention Team, supports new business opportunities, assists in new account openings during defined stabilization periods, leads special corporate projects, and plays an integral role in training and developing district and onsite operational leaders. The VP will model and reinforce Whitsons’ mission of Enhancing Life One Meal at a Time through service excellence and strong operational leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Food Service Management, Business, Culinary Arts, or related field; or 10-15+ years of progressive multi-site leadership experience in food service.
ServSafe certified (required).
Local jurisdictional safety certifications, as required.
10+ years of food service management experience across multiple service lines.
Minimum one year of experience leading in a high-volume urban K-12 environment.
Strong culinary background required.
Demonstrated success in multi-site leadership, talent development, and operational excellence.
Strong Microsoft Office skills.
Ability to learn new technology platforms quickly.
Ability to work cross-functionally and lead through influence across multiple business units.
Executive presence and effective communication skills
Exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills.
Strong critical thinking and issue-resolution capabilities.
High level of organization, time management, and accountability.
Ability to influence, coach, and guide teams at all levels.
Business Acumen
Problem Solving/Analysis
Strategic Thinking
Leadership
Excellent Communication Skills
Decision Making
Financial Management
Collaboration Skills
Teamwork Oriented
Project Management
Personal Effectiveness/Credibility
Change Agent

Nice To Haves

Preferred: SNS Level 3, FMP, CDM, active SNA membership.
Proficiency in Salesforce, Culinary Suites, and operational software preferred.
Bilingual Spanish highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Provide daily leadership aligned with Whitsons’ mission, values, and strategic objectives.
Drive regional performance across sales, profitability, food quality, compliance, and customer experience.
Conduct frequent field visits to assess operations, coach teams, and ensure program execution.
Deliver accurate operational reporting to the COO; monitor performance and take corrective action as needed.
Implement systems and processes that support scalability, efficiency, and financial strength.
Strengthen client partnerships through proactive communication and consistent onsite presence.
Review and resolve operational, financial, or program performance issues.
Lead transition planning, equipment reviews, and onboarding for newly awarded accounts.
Conduct a minimum of three weekly site visits, with priority given to underperforming or high-profile accounts.
Ensure compliance with merchandising, menu standards, HHFKA requirements, and operational SOPs.
Partner with the Retention Team to support renewal strategies and strengthen year-over-year retention.
Serve as the operational lead for new account openings, ensuring full implementation of systems, staffing, training, safety, and menu execution before transitioning to the long-term DM.
Drive resolution of renewal-risk escalations by coordinating action across functional teams.
Support bid tours, proposal development, operational design, labor modeling, and sales presentations.
Provide strategic recommendations on the operational feasibility of new business opportunities.
Lead operational components of corporate projects including acquisitions, technology rollouts, pilots, and strategic initiatives designated by the COO.
Partner with Operations and Compliance leadership to establish project boards and workflows in Monday.com.
Support the structured training and onboarding of new District Managers, General Managers, and other operational leaders.
Mentor and develop high-performing managers; strengthen succession pipelines.
Identify coaching gaps and address underperformance with accountability and defined timelines.
Lead regional meetings and support company-wide training forums.
Own regional financial performance, annual budgets, and client return negotiations.
Develop and oversee annual improvement plans for each account (sales, labor, food cost, training, marketing).
Partner with DMs to improve Days Outstanding (DO) through focused receivables strategies.
Monitor pay scales to ensure market competitiveness and alignment with talent needs.
Support safety initiatives and collaborate with the Safety Team to reduce claims.
Champion the adoption and effective use of Culinary Suites, Salesforce, and all operational systems.
Ensure consistent use of forecasting, menuing, PORs, audits, and reporting expectations.
Collaborate with IT and cross-functional partners to improve system performance and user experience.
Ensure proper maintenance of assets; recommend capital investments that enhance safety, sales, and retention.
Oversee construction, equipment planning, and coordination during new account transitions.
Provide full leadership, direction, and performance oversight for District Managers and operational leaders.
Conduct monthly supervisory check-ins, annual performance reviews, and ongoing coaching.
Maintain high accountability to company standards, behaviors, and performance outcomes.
Perform other duties, responsibilities, and strategic assignments as directed by the Senior Vice President - Operations or COO, including participation in high-priority operational initiatives, new business efforts, organizational transformation projects, and cross-departmental partnerships.