Portfolio Assistant Director of Operations
Compass Group USA
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Bon Appetit Management Company seeks an experienced Portfolio Assistant Director of Operations to provide senior leadership across the NAMER hospitality portfolio, acting as the right hand to the National Director of Operations. The role embeds at sites during gaps to stabilize performance and ensures consistent hospitality standards.
The position partners with site teams, suppliers, and stakeholders to drive change, manage complex projects, and lead initiatives across HQ and regional sites with
Qualifications
- 8+ years of experience in hospitality operations and multi-site program management.
- Experience managing P&L and budgets across multiple sites.
- Proven ability to lead complex programs without direct people management.
- Strong background in change management, operational recovery, and stakeholder influence.
- Autonomous in fast-moving, ambiguous environments.
- Exceptional communication and executive presence.
- Willingness to travel frequently across NAMER sites.
- Strategic operator with hands-on execution.
- Calm and decisive leader during transitions.
- Influencer able to gain buy-in without formal authority.
- Process-driven with a continuous improvement mindset.
- Trusted advisor to senior leadership and site teams.
Responsibilities
- Act as the National Director of Operations' right hand, representing program leadership in day-to-day operations, strategic initiatives, and escalations.
- Provide senior level operational leadership to NAMER hospitality sites to ensure strong program health, consistency, and compliance with standards.
- Serve as an onsite leader during vacancies, launches, recoveries, or high-risk operational periods requiring hands-on oversight.
- Lead cross-functional and multi-site initiatives that improve operational performance, guest experience, and program scalability.
- Plan and execute complex projects at HQ and regional sites, including new initiatives, program enhancements, pilots, and corrective action plans.
- Own delivery of mission-critical initiatives from concept through execution, ensuring timelines, quality, and stakeholder alignment.
- Identify operational risks and proactively implement mitigation strategies.
- Act as a subject matter expert on hospitality program standards, ensuring consistent understanding and execution across all sites.
- Identify gaps in existing standards, processes, and tools, and partner with leadership to improve, document, and scale best practices.
- Support audit readiness, operational reviews, and performance assessments to drive continuous improvement.
- Lead and support change management initiatives across programmatic, operational, and staffing scopes.
- Partner with site leaders and suppliers to support transitions, staffing changes, and operational restructuring.
- Provide coaching, guidance, and direction to site leadership teams without direct line authority.
- Support the health of site-level and enterprise client relationships through strong communication, issue resolution, and executive presence.
- Serve as a trusted partner to internal stakeholders and external partners during sensitive or high-visibility situations.
- Elevate concerns, insights, and recommendations to the National Director of Operations with clarity and context.
- Partner in P&L management and financial performance across NAMER sites, including budget development, forecasting, and cost controls for food and labor.
- Support client business reviews, presenting performance data, initiatives, and roadmap updates to senior client stakeholders.
- Contribute to retention and growth strategy for the account, identifying opportunities to expand services and strengthen the client relationship.
- Support recruiting, development, and succession planning for site management and culinary leadership across the portfolio.
- Ensure sites maintain compliance with food safety, sanitation, and regulatory standards, partnering with EHS resources as needed.
- Support labor planning and staffing models across sites to balance service levels with cost targets.
- Oversee large-scale catering, events, and hospitality programs at flagship or high-profile sites.
- Support capital planning and equipment or facility needs across the portfolio.
Skills
Education
Job description
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Position Title:Portfolio Assistant Director of Operations
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Our Passion is Food!
At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people!
The Assistant Director of Operations, National Account serves as a strategic and operational extension of the National Director of Operations, providing senior level leadership, execution, and oversight across the NAMER hospitality portfolio. Acting as the number two to the National Director of Operations, this role carries high visibility across operations, strategy, and project work, and is responsible for leading complex, mission critical initiatives at both headquarters and regional sites while strengthening program health and ensuring consistent execution of hospitality standards.
This position operates as a deployed operational leader, embedded at sites during leadership gaps, periods of transition, or when in person oversight is required to stabilize or elevate performance. The role partners closely with site teams, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to drive change, maintain strong client relationships, and continuously improve the hospitality experience.
- Act as the National Director of Operations' right hand, representing program leadership in day to day operations, strategic initiatives, and escalations.
- Provide senior level operational leadership to NAMER hospitality sites to ensure strong program health, consistency, and compliance with standards.
- Serve as an onsite leader during vacancies, launches, recoveries, or high risk operational periods requiring hands on oversight.
- Lead cross functional and multi site initiatives that improve operational performance, guest experience, and program scalability.
- Plan and execute complex projects at HQ and regional sites, including new initiatives, program enhancements, pilots, and corrective action plans.
- Own delivery of mission critical initiatives from concept through execution, ensuring timelines, quality, and stakeholder alignment.
- Identify operational risks and proactively implement mitigation strategies.
- Act as a subject matter expert on hospitality program standards, ensuring consistent understanding and execution across all sites.
- Identify gaps in existing standards, processes, and tools, and partner with leadership to improve, document, and scale best practices.
- Support audit readiness, operational reviews, and performance assessments to drive continuous improvement.
- Lead and support change management initiatives across programmatic, operational, and staffing scopes.
- Partner with site leaders and suppliers to support transitions, staffing changes, and operational restructuring.
- Provide coaching, guidance, and direction to site leadership teams without direct line authority.
- Support the health of site level and enterprise client relationships through strong communication, issue resolution, and executive presence.
- Serve as a trusted partner to internal stakeholders and external partners during sensitive or high visibility situations.
- Elevate concerns, insights, and recommendations to the National Director of Operations with clarity and context.
- Partner in P&L management and financial performance across NAMER sites, including budget development, forecasting, and cost controls for food and labor.
- Support client business reviews, presenting performance data, initiatives, and roadmap updates to senior client stakeholders.
- Contribute to retention and growth strategy for the account, identifying opportunities to expand services and strengthen the client relationship.
- Support recruiting, development, and succession planning for site management and culinary leadership across the portfolio.
- Ensure sites maintain compliance with food safety, sanitation, and regulatory standards, partnering with EHS resources as needed.
- Support labor planning and staffing models across sites to balance service levels with cost targets.
- Oversee large scale catering, events, and hospitality programs at flagship or high profile sites.
- Support capital planning and equipment or facility needs across the portfolio.
- 8+ years of experience in hospitality operations, program management, food service operations, or workplace services within a multi site environment.
- Experience managing P&L performance and budget across multiple sites or a large, complex account, with strong command of food and labor cost drivers.
- Demonstrated success leading complex operational programs without direct people management responsibility.
- Strong background in change management, operational recovery, and stakeholder influence.
- Proven ability to operate autonomously in fast moving, ambiguous environments.
- Exceptional communication, executive presence, and relationship building skills.
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently across NAMER sites as business needs require.
- Strategic operator with hands on execution capability.
- Calm and decisive leader during transitions and high pressure situations.
- Strong influencer, able to drive results and gain buy in without formal authority.
- Process driven approach with a continuous improvement mindset.
- Trusted advisor to senior leadership and site teams.
Bon Appetit is a member of Compass Group USA.
Associates at Bon Appetit are offered many fantastic benefits.
- Medical
- Vision
- Life Insurance/ AD
- Disability Insurance
- Retirement Plan
- Paid Time Off
- Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
- Associate Shopping Program
- Health and Wellness Programs
- Discount Marketplace
- Identity Theft Protection
- Pet Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
- Personal Leave
https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023_WageTransparency_BAMCO.pdf
Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.
Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Bon Appetit maintains a drug‑free workplace.
Bon Appetit
BRYAN GONI
Nearest Major Market: San Jose
Nearest Secondary Market: Palo Alto
Job Segment: Food Service, Chef, Culinary, Hospitality
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