Director of Field Operations

About the Role:

As the Director of Field Operations your role is to manage the daily operations of all Local Kitchens restaurants.  In this capacity your job is to oversee the field operations leadership team and adherence to Local Kitchens standards. You will focus on driving results through the Local Kitchens mission, values and brand guidelines. In addition you will manage this team to hit all Local Kitchens budgets and performance metrics in collaboration with the Chief Restaurant Officer (CRO) and Finance team.  

• People:

  • Directly manage a team of Area Managers, Sr General Managers, Field Recruiter, IT Manager,  and Culinary Operations Managers.  Manage their strategic growth plans and a bench for expansion.

  • Ensure team is developing and sourcing a roster of highly talented restaurant operators to support existing operations and expansions.

  • Work in collaboration with the Director of Training that all employees from line level to field leaders are executing all required training and food safety certifications.

  • Collaborate with CRO to set all budgets and plans related to the field operations leadership team.

  • Manage and Collaborate with the Culinary Operations Manager to ensure maintaining and beating goals around food quality, food cost, throughput, food safety, and culinary training.

  • Champion a guest-centric approach to operations, with a focus on delivering an exceptional dining and pick-up experience. Gather and analyze customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to enhance customer satisfaction.

• Product:

  • Ensure all kitchens maintain all required certifications, permits, and documentation to maintain normal business operations and safety standards.

  • Collaborate with the Director of Supply to ensure kitchens have products to maintain uptime and labor efficiencies. 

  • Ensure All Kitchens maintain the physical conditions of our brand guidelines while maintaining budget.

  • Ensure field leaders execute operation metrics to brand standards

  • Collaborate with CRO and VP of Culinary to establish kitchen goals surrounding food quality performance.

• Profits:

  • Ensure adherence to financial budgets to hit or beat agreed upon projections/budgets.

  • Ensure kitchens track to meet to beat key metrics across food cost, controllable opex, and labor.

  • Collaborate with CRO and VP of Finance to establish kitchen P&L goals.

About You

• Proven experience: 2+ years as a Director of Operations (or similar role)

• Multi-unit restaurant management: We're looking for someone who has thrived in a fast-paced, multi-unit environment, overseeing all aspects of a full-service restaurant operation.

• Food safety champion: A current Safe Food Handling certification (or ability to obtain).

• Financial and operational expertise: You'll possess a strong understanding of the financial side of the restaurant industry, including production, purchasing, and sustainable practices.

• Multi-faceted leader: You have a proven track record of driving high standards across all areas of the restaurant, from the Back of House to the Front of House, ensuring consistent excellence across multiple locations.

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary + Equity + Benefits

• High autonomy, impact, and trust

• Unlimited PTO (take the time you need)