Chief Operating Officer

Harvey Hohauser & Associates - Retained Executive Search; Illinois; On-site; USD 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvey Hohauser & Associates - Retained Executive Search seeks a Chief Operating Officer for a Midwest food service leader. This role reports to the CEO, oversees six direct reports, and drives operational excellence, financial performance, and guest experience across multiple markets.

The ideal candidate has 20+ years in contract food service or related fields, full P&L accountability, and a track record of scaling organizations while maintaining culinary quality and strong customer

Qualifications

• 20+ years of progressive leadership experience in contract food service, hospitality, dining services, or closely related business.
• Full P&L accountability with strong budgeting, forecasting, and margin improvement.
• Experience leading complex organizations through growth, standardization, or transformation.
• Experience with food service technology including POS, ERP, scheduling, and BI platforms.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the CEO and executive team to turn enterprise strategy into operational results.
• Lead all multi-site operations and ensure a consistent, high-quality guest experience.
• Build a scalable operating model that strengthens accountability and standardizes best practices.
• Drive P&L performance, labor and food cost management, and enterprise-wide metrics.
• Champion customer retention and executive-level relationship management.
• Partner with culinary, procurement, and supply chain leadership on quality and compliance.
• Lead the evaluation, mobilization, and integration of new business.
• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing operations leadership team.

Skills

Leadership

P&L Management

Strategic Growth

Food Service Tech

Multi-site Ops

Stakeholder Mgmt

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Advanced Degree

Certifications

Tools

POS Systems

ERP

Scheduling Tools

BI Platforms

Job description

Chief Operating Officer | Food Service Management | Midwest

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of a high-performing, relationship-driven organization as it enters its next phase of growth. Our client needs an accomplished food service executive who can build a more scalable, disciplined enterprise while preserving the entrepreneurial culture and exceptional customer relationships that have fueled the company's success.

About the Role

Reporting directly to the CEO with six direct reports, the COO will own operational excellence, financial performance, customer retention, and leadership development across all markets and locations. This leader will translate strategy into action, build scalable systems and processes, and raise the bar on accountability, all without sacrificing the agility and culinary quality that set this organization apart.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the CEO and executive team to turn enterprise strategy into operational results
• Lead all multi-site operations and ensure a consistent, high-quality customer and guest experience
• Build a scalable operating model that strengthens accountability and standardizes best practices
• Drive P&L performance, labor and food cost management, and enterprise-wide metrics
• Champion customer retention and executive-level relationship management
• Partner with culinary, procurement, and supply chain leadership on quality and compliance
• Lead the evaluation, mobilization, and integration of new business
• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing operations leadership team

What You Bring

• 20+ years of progressive leadership experience in contract food service, hospitality, dining services, or a closely related business
• Full P&L accountability with strong command of budgeting, forecasting, and margin improvement
• A track record of leading complex organizations through growth, standardization, or transformation
• Experience with food service technology including POS, ERP, scheduling, and BI platforms
• Experience in K-12, higher education, corporate dining, or institutional food service strongly preferred
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred
• Willingness to travel regularly to locations and customer sites