Manager, Field Operations Excellence

CAVA; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus

Unlimited PTO

401k match

Some benefits for salaried roles

Job summary

CAVA is hiring a Manager, Field Operations Excellence to strengthen field execution and build high‑performing restaurant teams. You’ll translate operational strategies into practical, restaurant‑level solutions and partner across Operations, Training, Talent Acquisition, People + Culture, and other teams.

You will coach Area Leaders and General Managers, translate data into actionable plans, and support openings while scaling best practices. Travel to support restaurants is required.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in HR, L&D, Operations, or related field.
• Experience leading talent initiatives in a multi-unit environment preferred.
• Coaching and influencing field leaders including Multi‑Unit Managers and General Managers.
• Strong full-cycle recruiting, interviewing, candidate assessment, and pipeline development.
• Experience delivering practical training, tools, and resources for field adoption.
• Ability to analyze recruiting and turnover data and translate insights into actions.
• Strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Willingness to travel frequently to support restaurants and field teams.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Restaurant Leadership and cross‑functional teams to strengthen leadership and staffing.
• Provide hands‑on field coaching to Area Leaders, GMs, and restaurant teams.
• Identify opportunities from field observations and data, and translate into action plans.
• Support staffing for new restaurant openings and build strong pipelines.
• Strengthen Operator capability across the Team Member lifecycle.
• Drive adoption of tools, training, playbooks, systems, and resources.
• Identify barriers and develop practical, scalable solutions.
• Use data and insights to prioritize opportunities and course‑correct as needed.
• Support scaling of best practices to improve execution and guest experience.
• Build Operator ownership and accountability for high‑performing teams.
• Serve as field partner linking needs with cross‑functional strategies.

Skills

Coaching & leadership

Field operations

Talent acquisition

Data-driven decisions

Project management

Communication

Travel readiness

Job description

At CAVA, we make it deliciously simple to eat well and feel good every day. We are guided by a Mediterranean heritage that’s been perfecting how to eat and live for four thousand years. We prioritize authenticity, curiosity and the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. We are working towards something big, together.

We foster a culture built on five core values:

• Generosity First, Always: We lead with kindness. Our best work happens when we act in service of others.
• Constant Curiosity: We are eager to learn, grow, and explore beyond the obvious.
• Act with Agility: We welcome change; it’s the only constant. We embrace, adjust, adapt.
• Passion for Positivity: We greet each day with warmth and possibility.
• Collective Ambition: We have high aspirations that are achieved when we work together with a shared purpose.

Manager, Field Operations Excellence

The Manager, Field Operations Excellence plays a critical role in strengthening field execution, building high-performing restaurant teams, and developing confident Operators and leaders. This role provides hands‑on field partnership to reinforce operational standards, tools, training, and best practices that drive consistency, strengthen leadership capability, and support sustainable business performance.

Working closely with Operations, Training + Learning & Development, Talent Acquisition, People + Culture, and other cross‑functional partners, this leader translates operational and strategies into practical, restaurant‑focused solutions. Through field partnership, coaching, operational observation, and data‑driven insights, the Manager, Field Operations Excellence identifies opportunities, removes barriers to execution, and helps scale effective practices across CAVA.

Ultimately, this role serves as a field‑facing partner and capability builder, helping Operators strengthen ownership, elevate performance, and build strong, engaged teams. Success in this role contributes to consistent operational excellence, exceptional hospitality, meaningful Team Member and guest experiences, and sustainable business results as CAVA continues to grow.

What You’ll Do:

• Partner closely with Restaurant Leadership, Operations, Ops Services, Training + Learning & Development, Talent Acquisition, People + Culture, Facilities, Food Safety, and FP&A to strengthen leadership capability, staffing, and restaurant performance.
• Provide hands‑on field support and coaching to Area Leaders, General Managers, and restaurant teams to reinforce operational standards, tools, training, and best practices.
• Identify operational and talent opportunities through field observation, performance data, and Operator feedback, translating insights into practical action plans that improve execution and business results.
• Support NRO staffing before and through restaurant opening by partnering with field leaders to build strong pipelines and hire Team Members, Team Leads, AGMs, and GMs. Coach leaders on hiring best practices, evaluate current recruiting and hiring processes, and identify opportunities to improve staffing effectiveness and readiness for future openings.
• Strengthen Operator capability across the Team Member lifecycle, including recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, development, engagement, and retention.
• Partner with Training + Learning & Development and other functional teams to drive the adoption and effective use of operational tools, training, playbooks, systems, and resources that improve consistency and execution.
• Identify barriers to execution and partner with Operators and cross‑functional teams to develop practical, restaurant‑focused solutions that address performance gaps and enable sustainable improvement.
• Leverage data and field insights to identify trends, anticipate risks, and prioritize opportunities, partnering with Operations to develop targeted solutions and course‑correct as needed.
• Support the implementation and scaling of restaurant best practices that strengthen operational execution, leadership effectiveness, Team Member experience, and exceptional hospitality.
• Build greater Operator ownership and accountability by equipping restaurant leaders with the capabilities, tools, and resources to independently lead high‑performing teams and consistently deliver operational excellence.
• Serve as a field‑facing partner and capability builder, connecting field needs with cross‑functional strategies and ensuring solutions are practical, scalable, and effective as CAVA continues to grow.

The Qualifications:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources, Learning + Development, Operations, or a related field.
• Experience leading talent or recruiting initiatives within a high‑growth, multi‑unit restaurant, retail, or similarly distributed environment preferred.
• Demonstrated experience coaching and influencing field leaders, including Multi‑Unit Managers and General Managers
• Strong understanding of full‑cycle recruiting, interviewing, candidate assessment, hiring, onboarding, and talent pipeline development.
• Experience developing and delivering practical training, tools, and resources that drive behavior change and field adoption.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze recruiting and turnover data and translate insights into actionable solutions.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives and manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Excellent communication, relationship‑building, facilitation, and influence skills.
• Highly organized, solutions‑oriented, and comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently to support restaurants and field teams.
• Engage with guests in a warm and approachable manner, reflecting a genuine desire to make them feel welcomed and valued.
• Maintains emotional stability and effective leadership during challenging and stressful circumstances.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to maintain stationary position to be able to operate a computer and other office equipment
• Must be able to identify, analyze and assess details
• For certain positions, must be able to occasionally move or transport items up to 50 pounds
• Ability to communicate with others and exchange information accurately and effectively
• Constantly positions self and move about to support ordinary restaurant or food production support or office operations, as applicable
• Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner

What we offer:

• Competitive salary, plus bonus and long-term incentives*
• Early Wage Access!
• Unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, plus paid opportunities to give back to the community
• 401k enrollment with CAVA contribution
• Company‑paid STD, LTD, Life and AD&D coverage for salaried positions*
• Free CAVA food
• Casual work environment
• The opportunity to be on the ground floor of a rapidly growing brand
• All exempt and non‑exempt employees are eligible for benefits. Benefits are effective the 1st of the month following 30 days of service and you have until the day before the effective date to enroll. A new hire can enroll in our benefit program by selecting a link that is emailed directly to the new hire at their personal email address once hired.
• Please note that visa sponsorship is not available.
• The posting range is an all cash range.

This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all the duties and responsibilities of the position, and such duties and responsibilities may change without notice.

*Indicates qualifying eligible positions only

CAVA – Joining “A culture, not a concept”

As an equal opportunity employer, CAVA considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, sex,