Director, Operations - EMEA

Wingstop Restaurants Inc.; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Life insurance

Income Protection

EAP

Business Travel Medical

Job summary

Wingstop Restaurants Inc. is seeking a Director of Operations - EMEA to lead regional operations and people development across markets.

The role focuses on building best-in-class operational excellence, optimizing BOH and drive-thru, and driving growth in new markets with strong leadership and collaboration with Brand Partners. The successful candidate will drive regional strategy, oversee learning initiatives, and partner with marketing to expand market share while delivering consistent

Qualifications

• 10+ years of restaurant or multi-unit operations experience, international exposure.
• Experience in a franchise system.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high performing teams.
• Strong strategic thinking with ability to translate vision into action.
• Proven experience leading remote teams.
• Deep understanding of QSR/restaurant operations, controls, and financial levers.
• Ability to travel, ~30% internationally.

Responsibilities

• Build a culture of Ops Excellence with globally consistent, locally relevant experiences.
• Leverage BP relationships to build capability and scale infrastructure.
• Drive key Ops metrics: OSAT, speed, accuracy, consistency, QSC audits.
• Define regional Ops Strategy and processes to drive SSSG and margins.
• Foster a “People First” culture with holistic people planning.
• Collaborate with Function Heads to roll out LMS, tech stack, and design playbooks.
• Partner with Marketing to grow market share and profitability.
• Develop and coach regional ops team to exceed goals and foster growth.
• Lead growth initiatives for BOH optimization and Drive Thru concepts.
• Support network of restaurants with operations, compliance, training, and sourcing.
• Identify simplification opportunities and remove blockers.
• Provide governance on standards/tools and measure results.
• Analyze Ops, People, and Training metrics to find opportunities and coach teams.
• Resolve regional issues with Brand Partners to implement solutions.
• Ensure successful New Market Openings across the region and internationally.

Skills

Restaurant operations

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Global/EMEA operations

People development

Job description

Who We Are

We’re not in the wing business. We’re in the flavor business. It’s been our mission to Serve the World Flavor since we first opened in 1994, and we’re just getting started. 1997 saw the opening of our first brand partner operated Wingstop location, and by 2002 we had served the world one billion wings. It’s flavor that defines us and has made Wingstop one of the fastest growing brands in the restaurant industry.

Above all else – our success is largely due to our people and our core values, or what we call The Wingstop Way of being entrepreneurial, service‑minded, fun, and authentic. We believe having a strong people foundation centered on these collective values creates a crave‑worthy culture and talented team, as well as ensures our brand is poised for accelerated growth. We all win together.

What We’ll Need

The Director, Operations - EMEA will be instrumental in turbo charging Wingstop’s next phase of growth on our journey to becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand. Accountable for Operations & People leadership in support of our partners in both established markets and New Market Entry; a key decision maker and strategic thought partner to the Senior Director, Ops & Development and Brand Partner teams.

The Director, Operations - EMEA has the horsepower to make things happen with a proactive hands‑on approach to their work. Throughout defining and executing their Ops Strategy, the Director, Operations - EMEA is laser focused on building capability within the markets. Culturally and commercially astute, the OD thrives in a fast paced, high growth environment. Passionate about developing those around them, the Director, Operations - EMEA takes a people first approach to their work.

Key areas of focus for this role will include building best‑in‑class operational excellence, Restaurant & Enterprise economics, New Market Entry, BOH optimization, Drive Thru, People Planning, L&D, training, successful restaurant growth in existing markets, crisis management, equipment innovation & value engineering.

• Build a culture of Ops Excellence, ensuring accountability to deliver globally consistent and locally relevant Consumer & Employee experiences.
• Leverage relationship capital with BPs to build capability in their organization and to support them with building‑out their infrastructure for scale.
• Drive exceptional Ops metrics including OSAT, Speed, Accuracy, Consistency and QSC audit scores.
• Define the regional Ops Strategy and build the necessary processes, systems and routines to drive SSSG and bottom‑line conversion.
• Sustain and sponsor a “People First” Culture across the region, diving into holistic people planning to include capability mapping, bench planning and engagement.
• Work in collaboration with Functional Heads to roll out company growth initiatives such as: Learning Management System, Tech stack and Global Design Playbook.
• Work closely with Marketing Director to develop and implement plans to grow market share and increase revenues and profitability in a sustainable manner.
• Build, Coach and Inspire the regional operations team. Provide enriching development opportunities for them, allowing the business to exceed its goals and the individuals to grow.
• Lead growth strategy initiatives for the region, working closely with Central functional leaders on BOH optimization, tech enabled kitchen & defining Wingstop’s Drive Thru proposition
• Develop, lead, and provide expertise to the full network of restaurants – working with BP’s operations leadership, in all areas of operations, compliance, brand management, training, sourcing and franchising. Work with other parts of the business / stakeholders to deliver concept design, new product development, and culinary and business insights.
• Determine operational simplicity opportunities, removing blocks and barriers from the organization.
• Provide governance and regional oversight to ensure operational standards and tools are effectively implemented, with feedback and insights informing their ongoing evolution. Set appropriate metrics, measure and communicate results.
• Deep dive into all Ops, People & Training metrics to identify business opportunities. Conduct gap analysis and lead remedial action to drive performance. Lead on the job coaching and training interventions where necessary.
• Manage a wide range of regional issues with our Brand Partners identifying the root causes and finding creative solutions. Work closely with BPs to build solutions in partnership.
• Ensure hugely impactful and successful New Market Openings within the region and across international business. Collective success is fundamental to Wingstop’s growth plans.

What You’ll Need

• 10+ years of experience in restaurant or multi‑unit operations, with significant international exposure
• Experience working within a franchise system
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high performing teams
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into action
• Proven experience leading remote teams
• Deep understanding of QSR / restaurant operations, controls and financial levers
• Ability to travel, C.30% internationally

Who You Are

No job is too small. You recognize that the real work happens in the restaurants, and everything we do should support their success. You stay humble, roll up your sleeves, and always look for ways to help. You learn from others and contribute wherever you can.

You care deeply about doing great work and driving results. You’re curious, ask questions, and seek out opportunities to improve. You don’t just point out problems—you bring solutions, ideas, and perspectives that move the team forward.

You take full responsibility for your work and see things through to completion. You aren’t afraid to fail because you know that failure is a part of learning and growth. You take action, move fast, and keep pushing forward.

You lead with empathy, respect, and emotional intelligence. You collaborate effectively, fostering a culture of trust and constructive feedback. You understand the importance of teamwork and ensure that your actions build others up rather than break them down.

You push yourself and others to be better. You embrace healthy conflict, knowing that great ideas and strong teams emerge from honest, constructive conversations. You believe that leaders create leaders and are committed to fostering a culture of growth, challenge, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

United Kingdom

• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• Life insurance
• Income Protection

Additional Benefits

• EAP
• Business Travel Medical

Wingstop provides equal opportunities for everyone that works for us and everyone that applies to join our team, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service, past, present, or future, in the uniformed services of the United States (military or veteran status), or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.