Executive Vice President of Operations

Confidential Jobs; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Executive Search is conducting a search for an Executive Vice President of Operations to guide a large, multi-state restaurant portfolio. The EVP will partner with ownership to shape growth, improve performance, and build leadership depth across markets.

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with operational discipline, delivers sustainable results, and can lead through multiple layers of leadership while maintaining field connection and accountability.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive multi-unit restaurant operations leadership experience with significant senior or executive responsibility.
• Significant P&L ownership with demonstrated financial and business acumen.
• Experience leading large, multi-market portfolios and complex organizations.
• Bachelor's degree preferred; MBA or advanced degree a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide enterprise leadership across a large, geographically dispersed restaurant portfolio.
• Translate enterprise strategy into clear priorities and disciplined field execution.
• Lead, coach, and develop senior field leaders and multi-unit operators.
• Drive profitability, operating discipline, and scalable growth through analytics and strong governance.
• Partner with ownership and executive leadership on strategic planning and investments.

Skills

Executive leadership

P&L ownership

Strategic thinking

Leadership development

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or advanced degree a plus

Tools

ERP systems

BI / analytics tools

Job description

Confidential Executive Search | Multi-State Restaurant Organization

Field-Based Executive Leadership Position

The Opportunity

A large, privately held, multi-state restaurant organization is conducting a confidential search for an accomplished Executive Vice President of Operations to lead a significant restaurant portfolio and help shape the company's next stage of growth.

This is an opportunity for a proven restaurant executive who knows how to lead at scale, transform performance, build exceptional leadership teams, and create sustainable operating discipline across a complex organization.

The EVP of Operations will partner directly with ownership and senior executive leadership with broad responsibility for operational performance, profitability, organizational effectiveness, leadership development, and scalable growth.

This position is also an important part of the organization's long-term succession strategy. The successful executive will have the opportunity to be considered for advancement to Chief Operating Officer based on performance, leadership impact, organizational growth, and the future needs of the business.

Due to the confidential nature of the search, specific information regarding the organization, brands, geographic footprint, and ownership structure will be shared with qualified candidates as they progress through the selection process.

The Role

The EVP of Operations will provide enterprise leadership across a large, geographically dispersed restaurant portfolio while remaining closely connected to field execution.

This executive will lead through multiple layers of operational leadership and will be responsible for strengthening performance, accountability, leadership capability, and consistency across the organization.

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with operational discipline and understands that sustainable business performance is driven through strong leaders, clear expectations, effective systems, and consistent execution.

What You'll Own

Operational Excellence

• Provide executive leadership across a large, multi-market restaurant portfolio.
• Translate enterprise strategy into clear priorities and disciplined field execution.
• Lead, coach, and develop senior and multi-unit operational leaders.
• Establish clear performance expectations, operating routines, and accountability throughout the field organization.
• Drive excellence across guest experience, food quality, speed of service, labor, safety, compliance, and restaurant profitability.
• Identify performance gaps and ensure sustainable improvement plans are implemented across markets.
• Maintain a meaningful field presence and firsthand understanding of restaurant and market performance.

Financial & Business Performance

• Drive top-line sales growth, profitability, EBITDA performance, and operational efficiency.
• Maintain strong ownership of P&L performance and strengthen financial accountability throughout the operations organization.
• Leverage business analytics, KPIs, labor data, and operational reporting to identify opportunities and drive action.
• Improve restaurant-level profitability through disciplined execution, productivity, cost management, and sales-building strategies.
• Partner with executive leadership on annual planning, forecasting, investment priorities, and long-term business strategy.

Leadership & Organizational Development

• Build a high-performing operations organization rooted in accountability, leadership development, and results.
• Coach and develop senior field leaders while strengthening the organization's leadership pipeline and succession strategy.
• Assess organizational capability and identify talent, structure, and development needs.
• Recruit, develop, and retain exceptional operational leaders.
• Partner with Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, and Learning & Development to strengthen leadership development, performance management, and succession planning.
• Create an environment where leaders own their businesses, develop their people, and continuously improve performance.

Transformation & Growth

• Lead meaningful operational transformation and change-management initiatives.
• Strengthen field accountability and build scalable operating and leadership systems.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve organizational effectiveness, and increase scalability.
• Partner with executive leadership on organizational design and long-term growth strategy.
• Support market expansion, new restaurant development, acquisitions, and other strategic growth opportunities.
• Partner cross-functionally with Finance, Human Resources, Learning & Development, Marketing, Facilities, and Real Estate/Development to ensure enterprise alignment.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to ownership and executive leadership.
• Bring a strong operational perspective to enterprise-level decisions.
• Clearly communicate business performance, opportunities, risks, and recommendations.
• Build credibility across all levels of the organization, from restaurant teams to ownership.
• Help establish the leadership standards, operating discipline, and organizational capabilities required for the company's next stage of growth.

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years of progressive multi-unit restaurant operations leadership experience with significant senior or executive-level responsibility.
• Proven success leading a large, complex, multi-market restaurant portfolio or comparable operational scale and financial responsibility.
• Deep experience within Quick Service Restaurant, fast casual, or another high-volume multi-unit restaurant environment.
• Significant P&L ownership with demonstrated financial and business acumen.
• Demonstrated success transforming operational performance, strengthening field accountability, and building scalable leadership systems.
• Strong track record of improving underperforming markets and sustaining results.
• Proven ability to lead through multiple layers of field leadership.
• Demonstrated success developing senior leaders and building leadership pipelines.
• Strong understanding of sales growth, labor management, guest experience, operational execution, and restaurant profitability.
• Experience leading significant organizational change and operational improvement initiatives.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, and influencing capabilities.
• Experience partnering across Finance, Human Resources, Learning & Development, Marketing, Facilities, and Real Estate/Development.
• Bachelor's degree preferred; MBA or advanced degree a plus.
• Ability to travel extensively throughout the organization's markets.
• Valid driver's license required.

The Leader We're Looking For

We are looking for an executive who can see the entire business while staying connected to what is happening inside the restaurants.

This leader should:

• Think strategically while maintaining a strong bias toward execution.
• Create clarity and accountability without unnecessarily complicating the business.
• Use data to identify opportunities while understanding that sustainable improvement happens through people.
• Develop leaders rather than simply manage results.
• Set high standards and consistently validate execution.
• Know when to coach, when to challenge, and when to make difficult decisions.
• Be comfortable challenging the status quo and leading meaningful change.
• Build trust with ownership, executive leadership, field leaders, and restaurant teams.
• Bring urgency, discipline, curiosity, and sound judgment to the organization.
• Have the executive maturity and leadership capability to take on broader enterprise responsibility over time.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is more than an opportunity to lead a large restaurant operation.

It is an opportunity to help shape the future of a significant privately held restaurant organization.

The successful executive will have the ability to influence operational strategy, organizational structure, leadership development, business performance, and long-term growth while partnering directly with ownership and senior leadership.

For an accomplished restaurant executive looking for meaningful scale, influence, and the opportunity to build something lasting, this role provides a compelling next step.

Most importantly, this position provides a potential pathway to Chief Operating Officer for an executive who demonstrates the ability to lead the organization forward.

Confidentiality

This search is being conducted confidentially. We will provide specific information about the organization, restaurant brands, geographic footprint, ownership structure, and reporting relationships to qualified candidates as they advance through the selection process.

Candidates currently employed within the restaurant industry can expect their interest and participation in the process to be handled with appropriate discretion.

The employer is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity.