Director of Operations

SHR Talent; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SHR Talent is partnering with a growing multi-unit restaurant organization to recruit a Director of Operations. This leader will oversee several markets, work with market-level operators, and take full responsibility for operational and financial performance.

The ideal candidate has proven multi-unit restaurant leadership, can develop people, delegate effectively, and drive results through others while spending significant time in the field with operators and teams.

Qualifications

• Progressive leadership experience within multi-unit restaurant operations.
• Experience overseeing multiple markets or regions.
• Proven ownership of P&L and linking execution to financial results.
• Success developing leaders and delivering results through others.
• Strong communication and ability to travel 4–5 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Own P&L across multiple markets.
• Partner with market operators to set priorities and improve performance.
• Act as player-coach, guiding market leaders with practical support.
• Develop market partners and restaurant leaders through coaching.
• Evaluate financial and operational results to identify opportunities.
• Create market-specific improvement plans with goals and timelines.
• Establish consistent operating standards across dispersed markets.
• Travel frequently to work directly with market partners and teams.

Job description

SHR Talent is partnering with a growing multi-unit restaurant organization in its search for a Director of Operations. This individual will oversee several key markets, partner closely with market-level operators, and assume full responsibility for operational and financial performance.

The ideal candidate will be a proven restaurant operator who has developed into a true leader of leaders. This person must understand restaurant-level execution while also knowing how to delegate, develop people, establish accountability, and drive results through others.

The organization expects to hire at the Director of Operations whose background and expectations align with the opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

• Assume full P&L responsibility across multiple markets.
• Partner directly with market operators to identify pain points, establish priorities, and improve performance.
• Serve as a player-coach by providing market leaders with practical guidance, support, and accountability.
• Develop market partners and restaurant leaders through coaching, training, delegation, and performance management.
• Evaluate financial and operational results to identify opportunities involving revenue, profitability, labor, restaurant execution, and the guest experience.
• Create market-specific improvement plans with clear goals, timelines, and accountability.
• Establish consistent operating expectations and performance standards across geographically dispersed markets.
• Help market leaders build stronger teams and become more capable, independent operators.
• Communicate market performance, operating risks, and growth opportunities to senior leadership.
• Spend significant time in the field working directly with market partners and restaurant teams.

Ideal Candidate

• Progressive leadership experience within multi-unit restaurant operations.
• Experience overseeing multiple markets, regions, or a geographically dispersed restaurant portfolio.
• Demonstrated ownership of P&L performance and the ability to connect restaurant execution with financial results.
• Proven success developing leaders and producing results through others.
• Strong operational credibility gained through direct restaurant experience.
• Ability to delegate effectively rather than personally solving every operational problem.
• Comfortable working with entrepreneurial market partners and adapting leadership style to different operators.
• Stable employment history demonstrating commitment, sustained impact, and thoughtful career progression.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to balance partnership and support with direct accountability.
• Willing and able to travel approximately four to five days per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience partnering with owners, operating partners, or similarly structured market leaders.
• Experience improving underperforming restaurants or markets.
• Success building scalable processes within a growing restaurant organization.