Chick-fil-A Danville Leadership Development Program
Workstream
A complete application in a minute — tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.
Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Chick-fil-A Danville is seeking a highly motivated individual for a 12-month Leadership Program in Danville, Kentucky. This full-time, hourly role provides hands-on leadership development, coaching from leaders, exposure to restaurant operations, and increasing levels of responsibility as you progress through the program.
Starting pay is $22.00-$25.00 per hour, with performance reviews at the end of each quarter and a final leadership-readiness assessment.
Qualifications
- 12-month leadership development program with quarterly performance evaluations.
- Not a traditional entry-level restaurant position; focused on leadership, operations and business management.
- Final leadership-readiness assessment and potential advancement opportunities.
Responsibilities
- Lead shifts and operate with increasing independence.
- Coach team members and develop emerging leaders.
- Own defined areas of the business and drive measurable results.
- Contribute to leadership projects and organizational milestones.
- Demonstrate strong decision-making and communication with the leadership team.
Skills
Job description
Location: Danville, Kentucky
Employment Type: Full-Time
Starting Pay: $22.00-$25.00/hour
Evening Commitment- 2 Nights per week
Program Length: 12 Months (Performance evaluations at the end of each quarter)
Chick-fil-A Danville is seeking an exceptional individual to participate in our 12-Month Leadership Program, a highly selective development program designed to prepare high-potential professionals for future leadership opportunities within our organization.
This is not a traditional entry-level restaurant position.
The Leadership Program is designed for someone who wants to build a career in leadership, operations, people development, and business management. Throughout the 12-month program, you will receive hands‑on experience, coaching, leadership development, and increasing levels of responsibility while working alongside the leadership team at Chick-fil-A Danville.
You will be expected to learn quickly, lead others, solve problems, produce measurable results, and demonstrate the character and judgment necessary to lead a large organization.
At the end of the program, successful participants will be considered for a high level leadership position with Chick-fil-A Danville.
Completion of the program does not guarantee a leadership position. Performance will be evaluated and shared throughout the program. Leadership opportunities are earned through demonstrated performance, leadership ability, and organizational need.
Starting compensation: $22.00 - $25.00/hour
This is a full-time, hourly position with the opportunity to earn additional compensation based on performance and program completion.
During the 12-month program, participants will progressively assume greater responsibility and be evaluated against clearly defined leadership milestones.
You will receive:
- Hands‑on leadership development
- Regular coaching from Chick-fil-A Danville leaders
- Exposure to restaurant operations and business management
- Increasing responsibility and ownership
- Leadership projects with measurable outcomes
- Opportunities to coach and develop team members
- Formal quarterly performance reviews
- A final leadership-readiness assessment
Learn the business. Master the fundamentals.
During the first quarter, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of Chick-fil-A Danville’s operations, standards, culture, and business.
You will be expected to:
- Become proficient in the restaurant’s primary operational areas (Time split between FOH and BOH)
- Demonstrate consistent operational excellence
- Understand food safety and quality standards
- Learn basic labor and business management principles
- Demonstrate reliability and professionalism
- Build relationships with team members and leaders
- Begin coaching and influencing others
- Demonstrate a willingness to receive and apply feedback
Quarter 1 Leadership Project
You will identify opportunities within the restaurant and present your recommendations to the leadership team.
Quarter 1 Outcome: Demonstrate that you have the foundation necessary to begin leading others.
Stop observing. Start owning.
During the second quarter, you will take ownership of a defined area of the business and begin operating with greater independence.
You will be expected to:
- Independently lead shifts
- Make appropriate deployment decisions
- Coach team members
- Lead effective pre-shifts
- Understand and manage labor
- Identify operational opportunities
- Solve problems independently
- Take ownership of measurable business results
- Complete a leadership project
- Begin developing another team member
Quarter 2 Leadership Project
You will be assigned a measurable business opportunity and expected to develop and execute a plan to improve it.
Quarter 2 Outcome: Demonstrate that you can take ownership of a business area and produce results.
Make other people better.
The third quarter focuses heavily on people leadership and development.
You will be expected to:
- Lead teams effectively
- Conduct meaningful coaching conversations
- Hold team members accountable
- Handle difficult conversations professionally
- Navigate conflict
- Develop emerging leaders
- Communicate effectively with leadership
- Make sound decisions independently
- Maintain high operational standards while leading people
- Demonstrate emotional intelligence and sound judgment
Quarter 3 Leadership Project
You will identify a team member with leadership potential and create and execute a development plan designed to help that individual grow.
Quarter 3 Outcome: Demonstrate that you can develop people, not simply manage tasks.
Demonstrate that you’re ready to lead.
The final quarter is designed to determine whether you are ready to assume a formal leadership role.
You will be expected to demonstrate:
- Manager-level operational proficiency
- Strong business judgment
- Consistent execution
- Ability to develop other leaders
- Understanding of restaurant financial drivers
- Ability to analyze business performance
- Effective communication
- Conflict-management skills
- Accountability
- Strong decision-making
- Ability to build and protect culture
- Professional representation of Chick-fil-A Danville
Final Leadership Project
You will present a comprehensive business‑improvement proposal to the Chick-fil-A Danville leadership team.
Your presentation will address:
- Opportunities you see within the business
- The problems you would prioritize
- Your recommended solutions
- The resources required
- The expected business impact
- Your implementation strategy
- How you would gain team support
Quarter 4 Outcome: Demonstrate that you are ready to assume meaningful leadership responsibility.
The Leadership Program is a performance-based development program.
At the end of each quarter, participants will receive a formal performance evaluation.
Participants must successfully demonstrate the competencies and requirements established for that stage of the program to continue.
Performance will be evaluated across five areas:
- Operational Excellence
- Leadership
- People Development
- Business Acumen
- Character & Professionalism
Failure to successfully complete a required program milestone may result in removal from the Leadership Program and, depending on the circumstances, termination of employment.
- Highly motivated
- Intelligent and curious
- Coachable
- Humble
- Hardworking
- Comfortable receiving difficult feedback
- Comfortable giving difficult feedback
- A strong communicator
- Organized and dependable
- Comfortable taking ownership
- Driven by measurable results
- Passionate about developing people
- Interested in building a long‑term leadership career
- Hands on, dedicated heart for the business
- Restaurant experience is not required.
- We are more interested in your ability to lead people, learn quickly, solve problems, and produce results than whether you already know how to run a restaurant.
We welcome candidates with leadership experience from a variety of backgrounds, including:
- Business
- Sales
- Hospitality
- Military
- Education
- Athletics
- Healthcare
- Operations
- Retail
- Professional services
- Entrepreneurship
- Recent college graduates with significant leadership experience
The strongest candidates will be able to demonstrate examples of taking ownership, overcoming challenges, developing others, and achieving meaningful results.
At the end of 12 months, you should be able to:
- Lead people.
- Run operations.
- Solve problems.
- Understand the business.
- Develop leaders.
- Produce results.
Most importantly, you should be someone we would trust with significant responsibility within Chick-fil-A Danville.
Participants who successfully complete the Leadership Program will be evaluated for available leadership opportunities within Chick-fil-A Danville.
Potential opportunities may include positions with responsibility for:
- Restaurant operations
- Team development
- Training
- Hospitality
- Catering
- Sales and brand growth
- Food safety and quality
- Other areas of organizational leadership
Successful completion of the program does not guarantee promotion or placement into a specific position. Final placement decisions will be based on demonstrated performance, leadership readiness, available opportunities, and organizational needs.
Chick-fil-A Danville is committed to developing leaders from within.
We believe great restaurants are built by great people, and great leaders are developed through intentional investment, meaningful responsibility, coaching, and accountability.
If you are looking for a job, this probably isn’t the opportunity for you.
If you are looking for an opportunity to build something, lead people, grow professionally, and earn your way into leadership, we want to meet you.
Working at Chick-fil-A Danville is more than a job – it’s an opportunity for teamwork and leadership development in a positive, people-focused environment. Come join our team as we excellently serve our community daily!
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
