Head of Restaurant Excellence & Standards

Joud Coffee; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading coffee retailer in Abu Dhabi is hiring a Head of Restaurant Excellence & Standards to build and implement a comprehensive operational system across all outlets. The role demands extensive experience in multi-site F&B operations and proven success in developing SOPs, training programs, and audits to ensure consistent quality and performance. Candidates should demonstrate effective field leadership and the ability to deliver measurable improvements rapidly. A strong execution discipline is needed for this hands-on delivery role.

Qualifications

• Experience in hospitality groups or café chains is essential.
• Must have implemented and scaled learning and execution systems.
• Ability to coach and enforce standards effectively.

Responsibilities

• Build a complete SOP framework for operations.
• Implement daily routines and ensure compliance.
• Design and run audit programs for quality assurance.

Skills

Multi-site F&B experience

Delivery of SOPs and training

Field leadership

Strong execution discipline

Job description

Overview

Role Joud Coffee is hiring a Head of Restaurant Excellence & Standards to build and deploy a complete operating system across our outlets. This role owns the end-to-end loop: Standards → Training → Daily Execution → QC/Audits → Coaching → Continuous Improvement. This is a delivery role. You will build what does not exist, implement it fast, and enforce it with managers on the floor.

Scope

• Multi-site café operations (17 outlets)
• Heavy field presence (outlets and production where relevant)
• Direct accountability for standardization, discipline, and consistency

Key Responsibilities

1. Standards & SOP System
   • Build a complete SOP framework: templates, format, naming, versioning, approvals, review cycles.
   • Create operationally realistic SOPs and “build cards” for applicable routines.
   • Ensure standards are short, visual, executable, and consistently used.
2. Execution System (Checklists & Routines)
   • Implement non-negotiable daily/weekly routines across outlets
   • Make compliance visible; drive follow-through and accountability.
3. Training & Certification
   • Build role-based pathways and certification for all team members.
   • Implement assessments and on-floor validation (competence, not attendance).
   • Establish retraining and recertification rules for critical standards.
4. QC, Audits & Corrective Actions
   • Design and run an audit program: daily manager checks, weekly audits, monthly deep audits.
   • Implement corrective action management: assign, track, verify closure, eliminate repeat failures.
   • Define critical control points (quality/safety/compliance) and enforce consistently.
5. Program Delivery & Governance
   • Pilot in 2–3 outlets, then rollout in waves across all outlets.
   • Establish governance: content ownership, update approvals, scheduled reviews, change logs.
   • Run a weekly cadence: scorecards, root-cause actions, and clear escalation.

KPIs (measured weekly)

• On-time checklist completion % by outlet
• Training completion + pass rate by role
• Audit score improvement and reduction in repeat non-compliance
• Time-to-competency for new hires
• Reduction in customer complaints / product inconsistency incidents

Candidate Profile

• Must-have
• Multi-site F&B experience ( café chains / hospitality groups).
• Proven delivery of SOPs, checklists, audits, and training across multiple locations.
• Hands-on experience implementing and scaling a frontline learning + communications + execution system (e.g., platforms used for digital SOPs, training pathways, assessments, checklists, audits, and outlet-level reporting).
• Field leadership: can coach, challenge, and enforce standards with outlet managers.
• Strong execution discipline: ships weekly deliverables, closes gaps, follows through.
• Nice-to-have
• QA/food safety audit experience and strong hygiene control mindset.
• Experience leading rollout programs (pilot → wave deployment).
• Experience operating in GCC/UAE frontline environments.

Working Style

• Field-first. You spend time where the work happens.
• You simplify. You standardize. You enforce.
• You deliver measurable improvement quickly.

How to Apply

Submit your CV and answer:

• What multi-site F&B group did you build standards for, and how many locations?
• What operating systems did you implement (SOPs/checklists/audits/training), and what measurable results did you achieve?
• Which frontline platform/system did you implement to manage SOPs/training/checklists, and what adoption/compliance results did you drive?
• What would you deliver in your first 30 days in this role?