Senior Operations Manager, QSR

COREcruitment; London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospitality brand seeks a Senior Operations Manager for their London and Home Counties locations. This field-based role involves overseeing both equity and franchised units, ensuring operational excellence and alignment with brand standards while fostering strong relationships with site managers and franchisees.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years in a senior multi-site operational role.
• Experience in branded hospitality, ideally in restaurants or food retail.
• Understanding of franchised and equity-owned operational differences.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational support to equity teams and franchise partners.
• Act as the bridge between head office and the field.
• Oversee new openings and business transitions within the region.

Skills

Leadership

Operational Excellence

Data-Driven Decision Making

Relationship Building

Commercial Acumen

Job description

Location: South of the UK – London & Home Counties (Field-Based)

We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Senior Operations Manager to join a leading hospitality brand during a key period of transformation and growth.This field-based role will oversee a mix of equity and franchised locations, acting as a critical link between the central business and its operator network across the South of the UK.

This is a high-impact role suited to someone who thrives in a fast-paced, performance-led environment and brings a deep understanding of operational excellence across multi-site, branded hospitality.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide hands-on leadership and operational support to both equity teams and franchise partners, ensuring delivery of best-in-class standards, customer experience, and financial performance.
• Act as the operational bridge between head office and the field, ensuring franchisees are fully aligned with brand standards, priorities, and commercial targets.
• Use data and insight to drive store-level improvements, supporting operators in achieving sales, service, quality, and profitability goals.
• Oversee the successful delivery of new openings, refurbishments, and business transitions within your region.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with central teams across Supply Chain, Marketing, People, and Finance to support efficient execution at site level.
• Build strong, trusting relationships with site managers and franchisees, providing support, challenge, and accountability where needed.

About You:

• A minimum of 5 years' experience in a senior, multi-site operational role, with direct responsibility for 15+ locations.
• Background in branded hospitality – ideally within restaurants, coffee, QSR, or food retail.
• Experience working across franchised and equity-owned models, with an understanding of the operational differences and commercial drivers in each.
• Highly organised, commercially astute, and confident managing large teams remotely and on-site.
• A natural communicator and relationship builder, able to influence at all levels.
• Comfortable working across a large geographic area, with frequent travel across London and the Home Counties.