Chief Operating Officer

Harvey Hohauser & Associates; Troy (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A mission-driven food service management company is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to oversee operations across the nation. The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of experience in food service, operational excellence, and financial leadership. This leadership role emphasizes collaboration, quality, and the enhancement of customer experiences across various locations. Strong problem-solving capabilities and an ability to manage multiple teams are essential, along with a commitment to the company's mission of health and wellness.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in food service or hospitality.
• Proven financial leadership with P&L accountability.
• Experience with process improvement methodologies, such as Lean or Six Sigma.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operations across multiple locations ensuring quality.
• Foster interdepartmental collaboration.
• Optimize resource allocation through budgeting and forecasting.

Skills

Operational Excellence

Financial Leadership

Team Leadership

Communication Skills

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

ERP systems

POS systems

Job description

Our client is a privately held, mission-driven food service management company. They provide tailored culinary services to healthcare facilities, senior living communities, corporate dining, independent schools, sports organizations, and other clients. They are committed to providing personalized, intentional service, using naturally sourced ingredients, and crafting nourishing, thoughtfully prepared real food from scratch. Their culture is based on their commitment to the health and well-being of their team and clients.

THE OPPORTUNITY

A newly created role, the Chief Operating Officer will oversee operations across a national footprint, ensuring consistency, quality, and exceptional experiences in every location through strong team and client relationships. Our client seeks someone with character and competence to help lead a thoughtful transformation. This is a strategic and tactical leadership role in a culture-driven organization. At its core, this is about nourishing people and communities. The COO has the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the health, wellness, and overall experience of clients, their employees, patients, and students. This position reports to the Chief Executive Officer and has six direct reports.

JOB DEFINITION

The COO is a company-wide executive charged with ensuring operational consistency, scalability, and strategic alignment across the entire organization. They will translate vision into comprehensive operational frameworks that align with the company’s mission, vision, and growth goals, ensuring alignment and accountability across all departments and functions. This role requires balancing premium customer experiences with strong financial performance while driving long-term value through innovation and new service models. It is essential for this position to establish and build credibility amongst a well-established, dedicated, and loyal team. The goal is to maintain customer retention above 98% through dependable service, proactive communication, and teams that deliver on promises. The right candidate will scale operations and embed processes that support increased operational consistency, expansion, and innovation while maintaining company culture.

SKILLS

Summary of Key Responsibilities:

• Operationalize the company’s food values across all markets, locations, and service lines.
• Serve as a partner to the CEO and executive team, contributing to strategic planning, growth initiatives, new market entries, and discussions on funding or investment.
• Establish foundational infrastructure, including scalable systems, tools, and processes that enable growth while protecting what makes our client unique.
• Maximize profitability through operational efficiencies and smart resource allocation while maintaining quality standards.
• Align supply chain strategy, food quality commitments, and operational practices to ensure procurement decisions support quality food that is operationally feasible and financially responsible.
• Support culinary and procurement leaders to ensure high standards are reflected in every order guide, dish, and location.
• Direct tactical execution across production/kitchen, logistics, supply chain, facilities, quality control, health & safety, and customer service.
• Optimize resource allocation through budgeting, forecasting, and cost control to improve margins without compromising quality.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements (food safety, labor laws, environmental, licensing, etc.).
• Establish performance measurement frameworks and KPIs, monitoring results to identify inefficiencies and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
• Foster seamless interdepartmental coordination, breaking down silos to ensure collaboration between the field and corporate teams, across marketing, finance, HR, and R&D.
• Champion client-centric operational excellence, ensuring that the guest/client is at the center of all operational decisions with transparency, effective communication, and goal alignment.
• Manage vendor and supplier relationships to ensure cost effectiveness, quality, reliability, and consistency.
• Optimize the operational technology stack (including ordering, inventory, scheduling, and service workflows) to ensure systems scale effectively as the business grows.

Leadership and Management:

The COO will build and nurture a world-class, mission-aligned operations leadership team, creating a culture of excellence, accountability, and personal growth.

• Lead with discipline and data.
• Clearly communicate with candor and respect.
• Mentor and coach operations teams while developing leadership pipeline and succession/continuity plans.
• Cultivate organizational excellence through a values-driven culture of trust, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement among the operations workforce.
• Support and challenge operational teams and ensure the right leaders are in the right seats.
• Drive talent acquisition, development, and retention strategies to build a strong workforce.
• Champion culture that prioritizes hospitality, wellness, and sustainability.
• Lead change management, particularly in areas such as process improvements, technology implementations, or scaling operations.

BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE

• A multi-unit / multi-state operations leader with 15+ years of experience in food service, hospitality, or contract services.
• Comfortable in the boardroom, the kitchen, and the field.
• A systems thinker who understands the balance between consistency and flexibility.
• Proven financial leadership with P&L accountability and a strong grasp of KPIs, budgeting, cost control, and forecasting.
• Deep understanding of supply chain/sourcing, vendor management, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience with process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement), technology deployment (inventory, scheduling, POS, or ERP systems).
• Exceptional talent, leadership, and communication capabilities; ability to build, motivate, and retain teams.
• Strong problem solver: able to make decisions under pressure and complexity while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Integrity, flexibility, adaptability, and willingness to roll up sleeves.
• A creative problem-solver who imagines solutions beyond what’s been done.
• 50%-75% travel
• A sense of humor.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, hospitality management, operations, or related field or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred.

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