Operations Manager

Spudbar International; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SpudBAR is seeking an ambitious Operations Manager to elevate a growing Australian QSR brand rooted in franchising. You’ll work with leadership to strengthen unit economics, lift store performance, and amplify franchise partner capabilities across the network.

You don’t need a decade in a senior ops role, but you do need meaningful franchising experience, strong commercial instincts, and the confidence to influence operators network-wide.

Qualifications

• Franchise experience is essential.
• Experience in a franchised QSR network is highly valued.
• Able to influence franchise partners and drive network-wide improvements.

Responsibilities

• Build stronger unit economics across the network, focusing on sales, COGS, and labour.
• Lead and develop Area Manager(s), setting priorities and ensuring execution.
• Drive in-store execution to improve food quality, service, and standards.
• Own supply chain activities and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Develop and roll out SOPs and tools to scale the business.
• Support store openings and onboarding of new operators.

Skills

Franchise experience

QSR network experience

Leadership

Job description

A NEW DAWN FOR AN ICONIC AUSTRALIAN FRANCHISE.

This isn’t a role for someone who’s spent the last decade sitting in an Operations Manager chair.

We’re looking for someone on the way up - ideally an ambitious Area Manager, Franchise Business Manager or multi‑site operator who’s ready for more ownership and wants to put their stamp on a growing brand.

You know what makes great stores tick. You understand the numbers behind them - sales, COGS, labour and ultimately profitability. And importantly, you understand franchising: how to build credibility with franchise partners, create buy‑in and turn that buy‑in into action.

You don’t need to have spent years in a senior operations role. But you do need meaningful experience working within a franchised QSR network, strong commercial instincts and the confidence to influence operators across a network.

As our Operations Manager, you’ll work directly with our leadership team to build stronger unit economics across the network - growing sales, improving margins, developing better operators and making SpudBAR simpler, stronger and more scalable as we grow.

If you’re looking for the role you’ve already done, this probably isn’t it. If you’re looking for the role that could define what you do next, keep reading.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

This is a hands‑on franchise operations and commercial performance role.

Your number one priority is simple: help our franchise partners build stronger, more profitable stores.

You’ll:

• Drive store‑level unit economics, with a relentless focus on sales, COGS and labour


• Deep‑dive store P&Ls, identify performance gaps and turn them into clear actions


• Coach and challenge franchise partners to improve performance - building the buy‑in required to make change happen


• Lead and develop our Area Manager, setting priorities and driving execution across the network


• Get deep into COGS, purchasing, portion control, yield, wastage, stock, labour, rostering and productivity


• Spend time in stores improving food execution, service, standards and operational flow


• Own our operational supply chain and identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve margins


• Build and improve the systems, SOPs and tools that make SpudBAR simpler and more scalable


• Train franchisees, managers and teams so better ways of working actually stick


• Help get new stores open and humming


• Trial new products, equipment and technology before network rollout


• Find problems, get to the root cause and fix them properly

In short: build better operators, stronger unit economics and more profitable stores.

You’re a tenacious and hungry Area Manager, Franchise Business Manager or multi‑site operator with meaningful experience in a franchised QSR network.

Franchise experience is essential.

More importantly:

• You understand the nuances of the franchisor/franchisee relationship - and how to influence without relying on authority


• You understand a store P&L and know the levers that drive sales, COGS, labour and profitability


• You can look at an underperforming store, diagnose what’s happening and build a practical plan to improve it


• You have the credibility and presence to create genuine buy‑in across a franchise network


• You don’t just recommend action - you get people to take it


• You know what great hospitality operations look like - front and back of house


• You’re comfortable getting on the tools when that’s what’s needed


• You can challenge a franchise partner when needed - and still have them want to work with you


• You’re a strong leader and coach who can set expectations and hold people accountable


• You love a good system and naturally look for simpler, smarter and more profitable ways of doing things


• You have high standards and don’t walk past problems


• You’re curious enough to ask why, and tenacious enough to keep going until you find the answer


• You’re ambitious. You want responsibility, exposure and the chance to build something


• You want to manage operations from behind a laptop


• BOH isn’t really your thing


• Commercial performance and store P&Ls aren’t your thing


• You can identify a problem but expect someone else to solve it


• You think an audit is just ticking boxes


• You’re uncomfortable challenging franchise partners or having difficult conversations


• You think writing an SOP means the job is done


• You need a big corporate structure around you to get things done


• You think “near enough is good enough”

WHAT YOU’LL GET OUT OF IT

This is a genuine opportunity to go from operating within someone else’s system to helping build one.

You’ll get:

• Real ownership over the operational and commercial performance of an established Australian QSR brand


• Direct access to the people making the decisions


• The opportunity to shape systems that will be used across 20+ stores and counting


• Exposure to operations, franchising, supply chain, new store development and commercial decision‑making


• Plenty of autonomy and room to make your mark


• A business with big growth ambitions - and a role designed to grow with it

THE BORING (BUT IMPORTANT) STUFF

This is a full‑time Melbourne‑based role with regular travel across the SpudBAR network.

You’ll need a valid driver’s licence, reliable vehicle, Australian working rights and a willingness/ability to regularly travel regionally/interstate.

Meaningful operational experience within a franchised QSR network is essential.

Reference checks will form part of the recruitment process.