Northeast Regional Operations Manager (Kitchens)

Yay Lunch, LLC; Pennsylvania; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Impact on kids' meals

Leadership team values accountability

Career growth as we expand

Job summary

The Yay Company is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to own financial performance and operational excellence across our Northeast markets, including MD, DE, PA, NJ, NY, CT. You will supervise Kitchen Managers and Lunch Coordinators, oversee food production, labor, and distribution logistics, and stand up new kitchen locations.

Based in Pennsylvania with the ability to travel, you will lead remote teams with high trust, measure direct margin, manage labor budgets, and drive school

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in multi-unit operations management in fast-paced environments
• Experience managing kitchen or food production operations with understanding of food cost and labor scheduling
• Proven ability to manage remote teams effectively
• Strong people manager with track record of developing talent
• Financially fluent: able to read P&L and connect daily decisions to margins
• Self-directed and highly organized across a large geography
• Comfortable with ambiguity and growth as the company scales
• ServSafe Manager certification or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire
• Must be based in Philadelphia or within commuting distance
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation

Responsibilities

• Direct Margin & Financial Performance: manage inputs to optimize margins for every market
• Labor & Scheduling: own regional labor budget and schedules based on production volume
• Sales & School Experience: own sales numbers and address barriers with schools
• Inventory & Waste: oversee weekly/monthly counts and investigate variances
• Remote Market Management: guide NY/CT teams with daily Slack and weekly calls
• New Location Launches: lead end-to-end launch with Kitchen Managers
• Team Management & Development: manage Kitchen Managers and field staff
• Field Presence: maintain Philadelphia as home base and stay reachable in all markets

Skills

Multi-unit ops management

Remote team leadership

P&L financial literacy

People management

Organizational skills

Travel readiness

ServSafe Manager certification

Job description

The Yay Company is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to own financial performance and operational excellence across our Northeast markets, including MD, DE, PA, NJ, NY, CT. You will supervise Kitchen Managers and Lunch Coordinators, oversee food production, labor, and distribution logistics, and stand up new kitchen locations.

Based in Pennsylvania with the ability to travel, you will lead remote teams with high trust, measure direct margin, manage labor budgets, and drive school