Assistant Patrao

David Ulrich & Associates; Ashburn (VA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Nando’s is seeking an Assistant Patrão to join our restaurant leadership team. You will be second-in-command, drive weekly shifts, coach Nandocas, and uphold our hospitality standards across dine-in, takeaway, and delivery.

You will lead deployment, training cadence, and KPI-driven performance, while ensuring food safety, brand integrity, and community values are embedded in daily operations.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of restaurant experience with shift leadership responsibilities.
• Ability to run peak shifts with pace and accuracy.
• Experience supporting hiring, onboarding, and training of Nandocas.
• Knowledge of food safety, prep, and line checks.

Responsibilities

• Lead weekly shifts and coach Nandocas to meet KPIs.
• Support Patrão in hiring, onboarding, and development.
• Maintain food safety, prep, and line checks.
• Deliver brand standards across dine-in, takeaway, and delivery.

Skills

Shift leadership

People management

ER process executives

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Serv Safe Manager

Allergen Awareness certification

Alcohol Safety certification

Job description

Job Description:

Assistant Patrão

Function: Operations (OS)

Role Purpose

Being an Assistant Patrão at Nando’s means stepping into the restaurant each day with Pride,

Passion, Courage, Integrity, and Family at your core. You bring energy, fun, and focus to every

shift—firing up Nandocas, supporting your Patrão, and helping deliver brilliant shifts that

make our restaurants feel alive. You lead shoulder-to-shoulder, shaping the atmosphere,

coaching in real time, and inspiring belief and confidence across your team. You are a culture

carrier, a coach, and a catalyst for growth—helping Nandocas become their best selves, both

inside and outside of Nando’s.

Your Purpose

As Assistant Patrão, you are the second-in-command—the operational engine that keeps the

rhythm of the restaurant strong week after week. You bring the vision of the restaurant to life,

running brilliant shifts, developing Nandocas, improving KPIs, and protecting Nando’s

experience. You support your Patrão in all aspects of people, brand, commercial performance,

and Changing Lives—ensuring the restaurant delivers 14 Brilliant Shifts consistently.

Key Focus Areas & Responsibilities

Scope & Span of Accountability

You operate with a weekly horizon while supporting elements of the annual plan. You

oversee deployment, rotate ownership, training cadence, coaching rhythms, and the

day-to-day people processes that set the team up for success. You lead shift excellence

across all channels, elevate brand execution, and help convert weekly goals into real

results.

People — Grow, Inspire, and Lead the Restaurant Family

You bring Nando’s values to life across every shift. You coach, motivate, and ignite

Nandocas—connecting them to the restaurant vision and KPIs. You support your Patrão in

hiring, onboarding, and developing capable Nandocas; spotting potential early; and

growing individuals into future Shift Leaders and managers. You foster belonging, fairness,

psychological safety, and team wellbeing—ensuring everyone feels welcome, supported,

and empowered to shine.

Brand — Deliver a Fired-Up Nando’s Experience

You role-model hospitality excellence and coach Nandocas to create memorable customer

experiences. You ensure the full customer journey is delivered brilliantly—whether

in-restaurant, takeaway, or delivery—protecting the primacy of the eat-in experience. You

maintain consistency of standards, complete quality checks, support customer recovery,

and bring local and national marketing plans to life.

Private

Commercial — Fuel Weekly Performance

You bring commercial KPIs to life on shift—managing labor to forecast, reducing waste,

adjusting levers to protect speed and quality, and supporting your Patrão to drive

sustainable sales. You make smart, informed decisions that balance cost control and

customer experience, helping grow the restaurant in a way that delights guests, uplifts

Nandocas, and improves the bottom line.

Changing Lives — Make a Difference Every Day

You help create daily moments that change lives—building confidence, nurturing

belonging, and giving opportunities to individuals others might overlook. You support

scheduling fairness, support wellbeing conversations, champion community partnerships,

and help the restaurant deliver on sustainability goals such as reducing waste, recycling,

and energy usage.

Decision Authority

You lead multiple shifts each week and make operational decisions around deployment,

cross-training, customer recovery, and stock adjustments. You escalation complex ER, safety,

or financial issues to your Patrão and support the execution of corrective actions and

weekly plans.

Risk & Compliance

You uphold daily food safety; H&S, and audit routines—ensuring logs, checks, and

compliance activities are consistently completed. You support people compliance: Right to

Work, contracts, training completions, and safe operations—helping protect the Nando’s

brand and legal posture.

Core Outcomes & Measures

• Happy Nandocas: engaged, confident teams; development progress; stability and retention.
• Happy Customers: consistent touchpoints; speed, quality, hospitality; reduced detractors; strong shopper metrics.
• Happy Leadership: labor to forecast accuracy; reduced waste control; channel execution; improved weekly KPIs.
• Changing Lives: Inclusive hiring support; community participation; sustainability actions.

Key Interfaces

Patrão; Shift Leaders; Nandocas; People Partner/HR; Local Suppliers; delivery partners;

Area/Managing Director when required.

What You Bring

• 3-5 years of restaurant experience with shift leadership responsibilities; strong ER process executives
• Demonstrated ability to run peak shifts with pace and accuracy
• Experience supporting hiring, onboarding, and training of Nandocas
• Proven ability to maintain food safety, prep, and line checks
• Experience managing deployment, breaks, and shift routines
• Documented examples of supporting inventory, ordering, or scheduling
• Experience handling guest recovery and basic conflict resolution
• Education/ Certifications: High school diploma or equivalent; Serv Safe Manager required; Allergen Awareness and Alcohol Safety certifications where applicable.

Level Differentiators — What Makes an Assistant Patrão Distinct

You own the weekly rhythm, elevate shift performance, build capability through training and

sign-offs, and improve KPIs through root-cause analysis. You turn weekly plans into

consistent execution—and create the conditions for Nandocas to thrive and become future

leaders.

Leading in the Nando’s Way

You bring the spirit of Ubuntu into action—leading collaboratively, challenging with heart,

and uplifting those around you. You blend having fun, making money, and changing lives;

communicate brilliantly; support change with positivity; and role-model Pride, Passion,

Courage, Integrity, and Family.