NY Area Director

Proper Food; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k

Flexible vacation time

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Shift meals

Company laptop

Holiday closures

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Proper Food is seeking an Area Director to lead all NY stores and launch new locations as we scale. This role blends hands-on operations with market-building strategy, initially managing hourly staff and store operations while building a leadership bench for growth.

You will work closely with the CEO and Executive Chef, driving revenue, controlling labor and supply costs, and ensuring top-tier customer experience across a rapidly expanding concept.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of multi-unit restaurant/retail management experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Excel.
• Valid Food Handlers Card required before start date.
• BA/BS in Business or related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop high-performing teams across NY stores.
• Direct hourly staff and promote internal leadership.
• Oversee staffing, scheduling and payroll processes.
• Ensure legal compliance and store standards.
• Drive revenue and manage labor & supply costs.
• Collaborate with leadership to scale operations including JFK expansion.

Skills

Leadership

Multi-unit management

Team coaching

Store operations

Strategic planning

Education

BA/BS in Business or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office (Excel)

POS systems

Dropbox

Slack

Online ordering platforms

Job description

Company Background

At Proper Food, we make it a cinch to eat well on the run. We craft our fare by hand fresh every morning the only way we know how– with whole, local ingredients sliced, chopped and seasoned with care. Nothing phony or factory-made. Just good, proper fare that’s packed and ready to go.

Proper Food launched in San Francisco in 2014 and has rapidly grown to twenty locations with a passionate customer following. We currently have 3 locations in New York City as well as catering and wholesale operations, with ambitious growth plans ahead, including a flagship location at JFK airport. Our mission is to change the way people eat on the go.

We cook all our meals from scratch each morning and deliver them to our stores and clients pre-packed and ready to go. At the end of each day, all unsold meals are donated to local food banks. Since inception, Proper Food has donated 1 million meals to nourish those in need.

The Role

As Area Director, you’ll provide leadership for all existing NY stores and launch new stores as we expand. This role reports directly to the CEO and works closely with our Executive Chef and leadership team. Because NY is an early‑stage and rapidly growing market for Proper Food, this role blends hands‑on operational leadership with market‑building strategy. You’ll initially directly manage hourly team members and store operations while building the structure, leadership bench and systems needed to scale sustainably. As the market grows, you will hire multi‑unit managers to provide leverage and support. If you are an exceptional leader who is passionate about people and food, energized by the idea of being part of a rapidly expanding concept, and experienced in multi‑unit management, this may be the position for you.

Your Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Talent Development: Build, coach and retain high performing teams that embody Proper Food’s culture and values. Address performance issues swiftly. Initially, you will directly manage hourly staff members. As the market grows, you’ll hire (or ideally promote) and develop managers.

• Staffing, Scheduling & Personnel Management: Manage employee scheduling and payroll. Coordinate staffing on a weekly and daily basis.

• Leadership: Lead by example. Demonstrate hands‑on management, willing to roll up your sleeves and jump in wherever needed. Be a role model for delivering an exceptional customer experience. Train, coach and mentor managers to be strong leaders. Develop a deep bench at all levels of store operations and a pipeline of future leaders by continually identifying potential leaders and preparing them for promotion.

• Operations: Develop and manage systems to ensure all stores achieve consistently high operating standards and maintain legal compliance with local, state and federal laws. Partner with SF Area Director to enable national consistency. Oversee and set daily & weekly inventory pars. Supervise supply ordering. Collaborate with Director of Business Development to support and grow the catering and wholesale programs.

• Customer Experience: Take pride in delivering an exceptional customer experience including a spotless store environment, flawless product quality and the kind of customer service that puts a smile on everyone’s face. Closely monitor and quickly respond to customer feedback via multiple channels (e.g., in‑store, email, loyalty program, etc.).

• Kitchen Collaboration: Partner closely with the Executive Chef and commissary kitchen team with daily communication and a ‘one‑team’ approach. Communicate customer feedback and sales trends to influence menu. Support launch of seasonal menu updates and product/marketing roll‑outs.

• Financial and Qualitative results: Ensure all NY stores meet financial and qualitative goals. Drive revenue, manage labor & supply costs, and set daily pars optimally to impact profitability.

What Success Looks Like

• Sustain and strengthen high‑performing teams, aligned with Proper’s culture, across all NY locations
• Successfully launch and scale new store openings, including JFK airport
• Achieve key operational, customer experience and financial performance goals
• Partner effectively with our leadership team to drive profitable growth in the NY market

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation plus bonus program and opportunity to participate in company upside
• 401k
• Flexible vacation time
• Company contribution towards medical, dental and vision insurance
• Delicious shift meals
• Company‑provided laptop and reimbursement for cell phone service
• Most locations closed on major holidays
• The opportunity to play a key role in growing a rapidly expanding concept and the tremendous personal growth that comes with that.

What Makes You Great

• An exceptional leader – strong ability to inspire, coach people to full potential, and hold team members accountable.
• Able to handle a fast‑paced, demanding environment with grace. You thrive on the adrenaline of handling whatever gets thrown your way and prioritize competing demands effectively.
• Proactive, resourceful and scrappy – you always find a way.
• Operationally minded – you’ve got a system, process and checklist for everything. You excel at finding the root causes of operational issues and moving quickly to resolve them.
• Service oriented with a commitment to quality and consistency – on top of every detail.
• Enthusiastic about joining an early‑stage, rapidly growing concept. You’re excited to start on the ground floor - rolling up your sleeves to be hands‑on initially - and ready to step up your leadership as we grow.
• Contagious positive energy and warmth.
• Unwavering honesty, authenticity and integrity.

Specifically, you must have

• 5+ years of multi‑unit restaurant/ retail management experience, managing a team of 20+ people.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Excel. Adept at using technology (e.g., POS, online ordering & delivery, Dropbox, Slack, etc.)
• Valid Food Handlers Card required before start date
• BA/BS in Business or related field preferred

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
• Ability to push, pull, carry up to 50 pounds
• Ability to stand, walk, and bend for up to 8 hours
• Exposure to various environmental conditions such as cold due to refrigeration or heat due to hot surfaces or espresso machines and to cleaning chemicals

Proper Food provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Proper Food celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.