Restaurant Ops Leader: Elevate Guest Experience

K&Z Holdings Ltd; Waterlooville; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Quarterly bonus

Free chicken & chips

Staff discount 25%

Gym discounts

Perks & cashback

Well-being support

Job summary

KFC in Waterlooville is hiring an Assistant Restaurant General Manager to support the team, lead day‑to‑day operations, and ensure goals are met while creating a welcoming environment.

You will recruit, train and coach crew, own KPIs, handle rosters and stock, and deliver an exceptional guest experience, turning first‑time customers into regulars. This role requires strong leadership and the ability to keep the restaurant running smoothly during peak times.

Qualifications

• Previous management experience with proven leadership skills.
• Strong people skills: able to build strong teams, address difficult conversations, and value diverse team members.
• Ability to keep operations running smoothly, even during peak times.

Responsibilities

• Lead the restaurant, drive performance, and maintain a positive vibe.
• Recruit, train, coach and motivate the crew to meet and exceed standards.
• Own KPIs and ensure each shift delivers expected results.
• Handle administrative tasks: rosters, stock, compliance, and cleaning.
• Deliver exceptional guest experience and turn first‑time customers into regulars.

Job description

Assistant restaurant general manager

Welcome to KFC. Home of the real ones.

We sell the world’s best chicken. We’ve done it for a long old time — since 1939, when the idea of

finger lickin’ good chicken popped into our Colonel’s head. Now, we proudly serve 1000+ communities across the UK and Ireland, bringing the grit, pride and iconic reputation that started in Kentucky all those years ago.

People who are original. Individual. Fresh. We come to work to be ourselves, and to make something of ourselves. We bring the graft and the laughs every day — building our own community, as we serve our original recipe chicken to the ones we’re in.

In our place, ambition grows. Careers build. Potential goes further. Our doors are open, and they can take you anywhere.

If you join our team, we only ask one thing. That you be you.

Because that makes us, us.

Sounds good? Great. Here’s more about the job.

About The Role

Support the team, take charge of the day-to-day, and help hit those performance goals while ensuring your team doesn’t just meet expectations, but crushes them. Own the operations, the atmosphere, and the guest experience, helping everything run smoothly and creating a place where both guests and the team feel right at home.

What will you spend your time doing?

• Support like a leader. Assist in taking ownership of the restaurant — help drive performance, hit goals, and keep the vibe alive.
• Help build a dream team. Train, coach, and motivate your crew to not only meet standards but go beyond them.
• Hit those targets. Own your KPIs, support the team, and make sure every shift delivers what’s expected.
• Keep everything running smooth. Stay on top of the admin — from rosters to stock, you help ensure the behind-the-scenes work is solid.
• Make every guest feel special. Assist in turning first-timers into regulars with moments that keep them coming back.
  
  

What we'd love from you:

• You lead by example. You’ve helped manage teams before and know how to bring out the best in others.
• You understand people. You support building strong teams, handle tough convos, and make sure everyone feels valued.
• You keep things running. You help ensure smooth operations — efficient, clean, compliant — even when things get hectic.
  
  

Keeping it real

We don’t hire staff — we hire people. People with real lives and aspirations, building real careers. Each of us has something special to add to the mix we call work, and we’ll always encourage you to add your perspective.

See, at KFC, everyone’s welcome — whatever your background, and whatever future you’re creating. We’ll look out for you because you’re one of us, not because you work for us. We’ll invest in your potential, because it’s what we’ve always done. But most of all, we’ll give you the freedom to be you, wherever (and whoever) you happen to be.

What’s in it for you:

We offer benefits that make your life that little bit easier, because we know the juggle is real.

• Quarterly BONUS that rewards the hustle
• Free chicken & chips every shift
• 25% staff discount
• Gym discounts to keep you moving
• 200+ high street perks & cashback
• Wellbeing support that actually helps
  
  

KFC for everyone:

Whoever you are and wherever you’re from, KFC is a place where you can bring the real

you to work. We’re here to support you in being yourself, whether you work with us, or are

trying to.

Our promise is this: every person who applies

to a role at KFC, regardless of age, background, ethnicity, gender, ability, religion or sexual orientation, will have an equal opportunity

to work here. We don’t just welcome, we encourage applications from underrepresented groups in all industries.

If you’d like any additional support with

your application, have a disability or condition that may affect your performance during the recruitment process, or have any other requirements — just let us know. We’ll be

there to help you be the real you.

Ready?

We hope so. If you’re ready to be part of our community, now’s the time to apply.

Worried you aren’t ticking all the boxes? Don’t - we’d still love to hear from you.

• We do things a little differently here. Some of our restaurants are run by KFC directly (that’s our Equity team), while others are owned by our awesome Franchise partners. So, things like benefits might vary a bit depending on where you work – but the heart, the culture, and that finger lickin’ feeling? That’s the same wherever you join us.