Director, Strategic Initiatives - Arby's

Arby's; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Arby’s, part of Inspire Brands, seeks a Director of Strategic Initiatives & Performance to partner with the COO and senior leadership. You will translate the Operations Strategy and brand priorities into a focused portfolio of initiatives with clear accountabilities and outcomes.

You will own the operations performance base, integrating restaurant operations, guest, sales, and financial data to identify performance gaps, opportunities, trends, and root causes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent in business, finance, or strategy.
• MBA or advanced degree preferred for senior leadership track.
• 10+ years of experience in strategy, operations, or transformation.
• Proven ability to translate data into priorities, recommendations, and action.

Responsibilities

• Translate strategy and brand priorities into a focused portfolio of initiatives with milestones.
• Establish KPIs, scorecards, and dashboards tied to restaurant performance and guest experience.
• Lead strategic planning, governance, and operating cadences for high-value opportunities.
• Develop business cases and economic assessments informing prioritization and investment decisions.
• Measure initiative performance and drive cross-functional execution and change across the franchise system.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Financial acumen

KPIs & dashboards

Executive communication

Cross-functional leadership

Influence without authority

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business/finance/strategy

MBA or advanced degree

Job description

The Director, Strategic Initiatives & Performance serves as a strategic partner to Arby’s Chief Operating Officer and Arby’s Senior Leadership Team, setting the operations agenda, translating performance into action, and connecting the organization to deliver measurable business results. This role is responsible for converting the Operations Strategy and brand priorities into a focused portfolio of work with clear accountabilities, milestones, and outcomes.The Director owns the operations performance fact base, integrating restaurant operations, guest, sales, and financial data to identify performance gaps, opportunities, trends, and root causes. The role advances restaurant economics, establishes performance measures and operating cadences, governs the operations portfolio, and coordinates cross-functional execution and change across Franchise Operations, Restaurant Experience, Development, Finance, Data & Analytics, Technology, Marketing, Supply Chain, and other shared-service partners.The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking, strong business and financial acumen, analytical rigor, operational understanding, cross-functional leadership, and executive communication skills to improve restaurant economics, accelerate decision-making, and ensure Arby's Operations priorities deliver their intended business outcomes.Operations Strategy & Performance ManagementTranslate Arby's Operations Strategy and brand priorities into a focused portfolio of initiatives, clear accountabilities, milestones, and measurable outcomesEstablish and monitor KPIs, scorecards, targets, and success measures that connect restaurant execution, guest experience, and business performanceLead Operations strategic planning, annual planning, leadership reviews, and operating cadences that focus the organization on the highest-value opportunitiesIdentify performance gaps, emerging opportunities, and root causes using operational, guest, sales, and financial insightsTranslate performance insights and strategic priorities into actionable plans and clear recommendations for Operations leadershipDrive accountability against commitments, outcomes, and the business case for strategic prioritiesSupport emerging business priorities and strategic decisions as directed by the COORestaurant Economics & Performance AnalyticsOwn the Operations performance fact base by integrating restaurant operations, guest, sales, and financial data into a clear view of business performanceDevelop actionable insights into sales, traffic, labor productivity, COGS, controllables, capital investment, four-wall profitability, and franchisee returnsPartner with Finance and Data & Analytics to develop reliable scorecards, dashboards, analyses, and decision-support toolsIdentify performance trends, outliers, and root causes and translate findings into targeted actions for Franchise Operations and Restaurant ExperienceDevelop business cases and economic assessments that inform prioritization, investment decisions, and strategic initiativesMeasure initiative performance and determine whether intended operational and financial outcomes are being achievedContinuously improve the quality, accessibility, and actionability of Operations performance insightsPortfolio Governance & Change ManagementOwn governance for the Operations portfolio, including prioritization, StageGate, key milestones, decisions, risks, dependencies, and outcomesEstablish clear operating rhythms that provide leadership visibility to strategic priorities, performance, and required decisionsEnsure resources and organizational capacity are focused on the highest-impact work and recommend tradeoffs when priorities competeCoordinate cross-functional execution of major Operations initiatives from concept through implementation and measurementLead change planning with field and support teams to drive effective implementation, adoption, and sustained executionMeasure post-launch results and use learnings to improve future priorities and implementation approachesExecutive Decision Support & Organizational AlignmentServe as a strategic advisor and business-performance thought partner to the COO and Operations leadership teamProvide concise insights, recommendations, business cases, executive presentations, and visibility to progress against strategic prioritiesConnect performance data and field insights to leadership decisions, resource allocation, and Operations prioritiesCreate mechanisms for tracking key commitments, risks, decisions, and business outcomesEnsure alignment across Franchise Operations, Restaurant Experience, and critical shared-service partnersDevelopment Integration & Franchisee ServicesLead the Operations integration with Development to connect restaurant performance, franchisee health, asset strategy, and growth decisionsCoordinate Operations input into new restaurant development, remodels, portfolio optimization, ownership transitions, and other development prioritiesProvide centralized coordination for franchisee services and recurring system-level issues that require cross-functional resolutionCapture franchisee and field learnings and translate them into broader Operations priorities, solutions, and process improvementsChange Management & Continuous ImprovementBuild change management and adoption plans into strategic initiatives from the beginning rather than treating implementation as a final stepPartner with Franchise Operations and Restaurant Experience to ensure solutions are effectively translated into field executionEstablish feedback loops that measure adoption, effectiveness, business impact, and opportunities for improvementUse performance results and field feedback to continuously refine the Operations portfolio and inform the next priorityHelp foster a culture of accountability, fact-based decision-making, continuous improvement, and operational excellenceCross-Functional PartnershipCollaborate closely with Franchise Operations, Restaurant Experience, Finance, Data & Analytics, Development, Technology, Marketing, Supply Chain, Communications, People, Training, and other shared-service teamsBuild strong relationships across Arby’s, Inspire shared services, and the franchise systemInfluence decisions and drive measurable outcomes across functions without direct authorityServe as the connector between strategy, restaurant performance, solution development, and field executionFacilitate alignment across stakeholders to accelerate decisions, resolve barriers, and deliver successful implementationEducation QualificationsMinimum: Bachelor’s degree in business, Operations, Finance, Management, Strategy, or related field requiredPreferred: MBA or advanced DegreeExperience Qualifications10+ years of experience in strategy, operations, business transformation, consulting, project management, or related fieldsRequired Knowledge, Skills, or AbilitiesProven ability to translate strategy and complex performance data into clear priorities, recommendations, and actionStrong business and financial acumen, including experience with restaurant or unit-level economics, profitability, and investment decisionsDemonstrated experience developing KPIs, scorecards, dashboards, business cases, and executive-level performance insightsProven success leading complex cross-functional initiatives, governance processes, and organizational changeAbility to influence senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders and drive results without direct authorityExceptional analytical thinking, executive communication, prioritization, and problem-solving skills; experience in a franchise or multi-unit operating environment preferredDirect ReportsThis role will have the opportunity to establish and develop a team as needed to support strategic initiatives, accelerate execution, and achieve business goals.Travel RequiredYes. This role requires balancing office-based work and field visits to various restaurant locations. Travel may be required to ensure consistent implementation of programs and initiatives across Abry’s restaurants.Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,300 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide. We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company. We’re a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a staple—it’s an experience. At Inspire, that’s our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.