Area Operations Manager

Saxbys; City of Albany (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The Area Operations Manager (AOM) leads three Saxbys cafes in New York: Marist University in Poughkeepsie, and Siena and UAlbany in the Albany area. The AOM ensures each cafe excels in team development, community leadership, and financial management, supporting the Student Cafe Executive Officers (SCEOs) who run each campus.

This role requires travel up to 80% between campuses. You will coach, interview, hire, and train on SOPs, monitor performance, lead openings, and drive guest experience

Qualifications

• 2+ years of proven experience leading and developing talent in a customer-facing environment or 6+ months as a Saxbys Student Leader.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to travel up to 80% between Albany-area campuses and Poughkeepsie.

Responsibilities

• Coach and develop the Student Chief Officers at Marist, Siena, and UAlbany to lead operations each semester.
• Interview and hire across all three cafes to maintain staffing for operational demands.
• Train on cafe operations and SOPs; ensure adherence and progressive discipline where needed.
• Maintain guest hospitality standards and conduct regular quality assurance across campuses.
• Review and defend cafe P&L, optimize labor models, and keep labor within budget.
• Oversee PARS, inventory counts, and ordering for three cafes.
• Represent Saxbys with campus partners and keep Campus Resource Guides current.
• Lead cafe openings and coordinate with departments for successful launches.
• Stay informed on local market trends to proactively manage operations.

Skills

Leadership

Talent development

Communication skills

Travel readiness

Job description

Area Operations Manager – Marist University, Siena & UAlbany

Reports to: Head of Area Operations
Location: New York (regular travel between Albany, Loudonville, and Poughkeepsie)
Classification: Full-Time, permanent
FLSA Status: Exempt
Pay Type: Salaried
Scope: 3 cafes (Marist University, Siena, and UAlbany)

Who We Are

Saxbys® is a hospitality company fueled by our rave-worthy menu, driven by its mission to Make Life Better®, and fiercely dedicated to social impact in the communities it serves. But Saxbys’ greatest resource of all? Our people. We’re not looking for employees: we’re looking for teammates. We’re not hoping to hire you for a job: we’re hoping to help build your career.

Saxbys is a national education company that operates “For Students, By Students” cafes on college campuses. We build individualized academic partnerships with universities to provide exceptional, paid, experiential learning opportunities for their students. The Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform (E.L.P.)® is founded on the belief that young people should be empowered and prepared to mold the business movement of the future.

Job Summary

The Area Operations Manager (AOM) leads three Saxbys cafes in New York: Marist University in Poughkeepsie, and Siena and UAlbany in the Albany area. The AOM makes sure each cafe succeeds in all Three Pillars (team development, community leadership, and financial management). Success in this role comes from a passion for developing, coaching, and supporting the Student Cafe Executive Officers (SCEOs) who run each cafe every semester. The AOM is the operations leader all three campus partners rely on, and the role calls for a proactive person with a whatever-it-takes attitude who is ready for the varied day-to-day opportunities and challenges of leading multiple campuses.

• Coaching & Development: Train and develop the Student Chief Officers at Marist, Siena, and UAlbany to lead operations at their respective campus cafes each semester.
• Talent Pipeline: Interview and hire across all three cafes to keep each team fully staffed for operational demands, and identify and develop exceptional talent for leadership roles.
• Cafe Standards: Stay up to date on all cafe operations so you can train and coach on every cafe role. Make SOPs easy for team members to access and maintain operational integrity by making sure every step is followed. Make sure SCEOs follow progressive discipline policies and issue Coaching & Counseling forms when necessary, and advise and assist with involuntary terminations. Hold SCEOs accountable for consistent communication with their teams.
• Guest Experience: Conduct regular quality assurance checks at each cafe, audit performance to find and correct inconsistencies in execution, and keep a culture of hospitality strong across all three campuses.
• Financial Management: Review, give feedback on, and approve weekly schedules so labor hours match demand and stay within budget. Coach SCEOs on how to read and act on Profit & Loss statements, and present and defend each cafe’s P&L during reviews. Produce and assign Labor Models for all three cafes.
• PARS & Inventory: Ensure accurate inventory counts, and review and approve Orders & PARS Inventory Worksheets for Marist, Siena, and UAlbany.
• Partner Management: Represent Saxbys as the main point of contact for each campus’s partners, including Dining Service Partner leads, Auxiliary Services, and Residential Life, so day-to-day operations run smoothly. Keep each Campus Resource Guide up to date.
• Cafe Openings: Lead cafe setup and grand openings as the Operations lead, working closely with all departments to ensure a successful start.
• Local and Competitive Marketplace: Stay current on industry trends, local competitors, and community news around each campus that could affect the business, so you can manage cafe operations proactively.

Who You Will Support

• Marketing: Share intel on campus opportunities through research and conversations with partners. Help each SCEO refine their Campus Marketing Plan so efforts go to the highest-ROI opportunities, and make sure key dates and deliverables are executed.
• Head of Area Operations: Assist with academic partners, requested reports, and special projects.
• Recruiting: Nominate, vet, and support internal student candidates in the SCEO pipeline at all three campuses, conduct final interviews, and communicate hiring needs clearly to Campus Recruiters. Take part in initiatives that grow the candidate pool.

Who You Will Supervise

This position oversees 3 direct reports: the Student Cafe Executive Officers at Marist University, Siena, and UAlbany.

What Success Looks Like

• Marist, Siena, and UAlbany each operate at or above budgeted revenue
• Each cafe operates at or above budgeted NOI
• 30%+ of each cafe’s team members are Team Leads
• 100% of SCEOs are hired by March 31 for the fall semester and by October 31 for the spring semester

What Else Is Required

• Support, exhibit, and promote Saxbys Mission and Core Values in all daily activities
• 2+ years of proven experience leading and developing talent in a customer-facing environment, OR at least 6 months as a Saxbys Student Leader
  • Food & Beverage or Retail experience is a plus (not required)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Outstanding passion for hospitality and servant leadership
• Experience managing teams and processes effectively
• Ability to travel up to 80% of the time, including regular trips between the Albany-area campuses and Poughkeepsie (about 75 miles apart)
  • Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
• Physical requirements:
  • Able to stand, walk, and smile for extended periods of time
  • Able to stoop and kneel
  • Able to push, pull, lift, or carry up to 35 lbs
  • Able to climb up and down ladders, stairs, and ramps