Sr. Director Food Brands

Applegreen (US) Welcome Centers; Englewood (NJ); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance

Paid Time Off

401(k) with Company Match

Annual Bonus 25%

Job summary

Applegreen seeks a seasoned operations leader to drive brand standards across multi-unit, multi-state QSR operations. You will own relationships with franchisors, align executives, and push initiatives to improve performance.

This hybrid role based in Glen Rock, NJ requires a decade of leadership experience, strong communication, and a track record of delivering results in fast-paced environments.

Qualifications

• Ten years of operations leadership experience in brand-centric multi-unit, multi-state QSR.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop talent in a growing organization.
• Sound judgement and objective decision-making with a solutions-focused mindset.

Responsibilities

• Own relationships with key franchisors and restaurant brand partners.
• Executive liaison for all food brand stakeholders.
• Negotiate and manage performance commitments, standards and growth initiatives.
• Ensure brand standards, audits and regulatory compliance are consistently met.
• Lead discussions on new concepts, remodels, menu innovation, and promotional calendars.
• Partner with Operations leadership to improve restaurant performance.
• Develop systems to drive consistency across locations and establish benchmarks.
• Lead corrective action plans for underperforming brands and locations.
• Ensure food safety and regulatory compliance is met.
• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing brands team; build succession pipelines.
• Foster accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement across teams.
• Champion a guest-first culture; improve satisfaction, loyalty and digital engagement.
• Evaluate new technologies, ordering platforms and loyalty programs.

Skills

Operations leadership

Brand management

Multi-state QSR

Communication

Change adaptation

Analytical skills

Talent development

Decision making

Resilience under pressure

Systems/tech understanding

Job description

What We Do

At Applegreen, our mission is to delight customers in transit with passionate hospitality and brands they love.

Our Core Value

Our core values define who we are and guide how we work every day. They shape our decisions, inspire our actions, and influence how we engage with our customers, suppliers, business partners, and one another.

• Our customers and communities are at the heart of everything we do.
• We value and develop our people.
• We are driven by pace, passion and performance.
• We seek opportunities and embrace change.

Benefits You Receive

Applegreen offers a competitive benefits package designed to support the health and financial well-being of our associates and families. Available benefits include a variety of company-sponsored and voluntary options such as:

• Hybrid position with three days per week worked in our Glen Rock NJ office location and two days per week worked remotely.
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 401 (k) with Company Match
• 25% Annual Bonus
• Earned Wage Access – Pay on Demand
• Education Assistance
• Employee Referral Bonus
• Pet Insurance

What You’ll Do

This role is responsible for providing leadership to ensure brand specific standards are executed at the highest level to achieve superior traveler experiences. This individual assesses current operations, people and customer/brand metrics to identify opportunities to improve overall performance and works with cross functional teams and Franchisors to implement initiatives that drive and grow the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Own relationships with key franchisors and restaurant brand partners.
• Act as the executive liaison for all food brand stakeholders.
• Negotiate and manage performance commitments, operational standards, and growth initiatives.
• Ensure all brand standards, audits, and compliance requirements are consistently achieved.
• Lead discussions regarding new concepts, remodels, menu innovation, and promotional calendars.

Operational Excellence

• Partner closely with Operations leadership to improve restaurant performance.
• Develop and implement systems that drive consistency across all locations.
• Establish performance benchmarks and accountability measures.
• Lead corrective action plans for underperforming brands and locations.
• Ensure food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance requirements are met.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing food brands team.
• Build succession pipelines and leadership capability within the organization.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Customer Experience & Innovation

• Champion a guest-first culture throughout the foodservice organization.
• Improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and brand perception.
• Lead initiatives that enhance speed of service, quality, convenience, and digital engagement.
• Evaluate new technologies, ordering platforms, loyalty programs, and menu innovations.

Essential Skills, Experience, And Education Requirements

• A minimum of 10 years of operations leadership experience in brand-centric multi-unit, multi-state QSR organizations.
• Strong organization skills, ability to set priorities, multitask and deliver on tight deadlines to achieve business objectives.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage and influence individuals at all levels of the organization.
• A dynamic individual who adapts well to change and can thrive in a rapidly growing organization that continues to evolve.
• Strong business acumen and analytical skills with a solutions-focused mindset
• Thorough understanding of systems and technology
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate and develop talent
• Has sound judgement and objective logical decision-making skills.
• Proven ability to deliver results and effectively influencing decisions
• Is resilient and calm under pressure.

This job description is not an exhaustive list of all functions that the employee may be required to perform, and the employee may be required to perform additional functions. Additionally, the job responsibilities may change at any time as necessitated by business needs.