Vice President of Operations - Restaurants

Leap Brands; Fort Wayne (IN); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Leap Brands is seeking an experienced Vice President of Operations to lead operational performance across a growing restaurant franchising system in the United States. This executive will drive franchisee success, improve unit economics, and ensure brand consistency while building the infrastructure to support continued expansion.

The ideal candidate brings a deep background in restaurant franchising, multi-unit operations, and the ability to influence franchise partners while maintaining high

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or related field preferred.
• 10+ years progressive leadership experience in the restaurant industry, including multi-unit operational responsibility.
• 5+ years leading franchise operations, franchise support, or a comparable function within a restaurant franchisor.
• Proven experience leading operations across geographically dispersed, multi-unit restaurant systems.
• Strong understanding of restaurant-level P&Ls, franchise economics, and profitability drivers.
• Demonstrated success in improving sales performance, operating margins, guest satisfaction, and franchisee engagement.
• Experience leading and developing field operations teams, including franchise business consultants and regional leadership.
• Ability to influence independent franchise owners without direct operational control.
• Experience supporting new restaurant openings, franchise system expansion, and operational transformation.
• Willingness to travel regularly to franchise locations and corporate meetings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall operational strategy and execution across the franchised system.
• Drive improvements in restaurant-level sales, profitability, guests satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators—same-store sales, labor costs, food costs, throughput, guest experience, and profitability.
• Partner directly with franchise owners and multi-unit operators to identify opportunities and implement improvement plans.
• Develop operational standards and accountability systems to ensure consistent execution across locations.
• Identify underperforming restaurants and work with franchisees to implement turnaround strategies.
• Ensure franchises have tools, resources, and operational support to operate successfully.

Skills

Leadership

Franchise operations

Strategic thinking

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or Hospitality Management

Job description

PositionOverview

Weareseekinganexperienced,results-drivenVicePresidentofOperationstoleadoperationalperformanceacrossagrowingrestaurantfranchisesystem.Thisexecutivewillberesponsiblefordrivingfranchiseesuccess,improvingunit-leveleconomics,ensuringbrandconsistency,andbuildingtheoperationalinfrastructurenecessarytosupportcontinuedexpansion.

Theidealcandidatebringsastrongbackgroundinrestaurantfranchising,adeepunderstandingofmulti-unitoperations,andaprovenabilitytoinfluencefranchisepartnerswhilemaintaininghighoperationalstandards.

Thisindividualmustbeequallycomfortabledevelopinglong-termoperationalstrategiesandworkingdirectlywithfranchiseesinthefieldtoimproverestaurantperformance.

KeyResponsibilities

FranchiseOperations&Performance

• Leadtheoveralloperationalstrategyandexecutionacrossthefranchisesystem.
• Driveimprovementsinrestaurant-levelsales,profitability,guestsatisfaction,andoperationalefficiency.
• Establishandmonitorkeyperformanceindicators,includingsame-storesales,laborcosts,foodcosts,throughput,guestexperience,andfranchiseeprofitability.
• Partnerdirectlywithfranchiseownersandmulti-unitoperatorstoidentifyperformanceopportunitiesandimplementactionableimprovementplans.
• Developoperationalstandardsandaccountabilitysystemstoensureconsistentexecutionacrossalllocations.
• Identifyunderperformingrestaurantsandworkcollaborativelywithfranchiseestodevelopandexecuteturnaroundstrategies.
• Ensurefranchiseeshavethetools,resources,andoperationalsupportnecessarytooperatesuccessfulrestaurants.

FranchiseeRelations&Leadership

• Buildstrong,crediblerelationshipswithfranchiseownersandoperatorsthroughoutthesystem.
• Serveasatrustedoperationaladvisortofranchiseeswhilebalancingfranchiseeneedswithbrandstandardsandbusinessobjectives.
• Leadanddevelopthefranchiseoperationssupportteam,includingDirectorsofOperations,FranchiseBusinessConsultants,andfieldsupportpersonnel.
• Establishclearperformanceexpectations,communicationprocesses,andaccountabilitythroughouttheoperationsorganization.
• Facilitatefranchiseemeetings,operationalreviews,andbest-practicesharingacrossthesystem.
• Partnerwithexecutiveleadershiptoaddressfranchiseeconcernsandstrengthenoverallfranchiseeengagement.

OperationalExcellence&BrandStandards

• Develop,implement,andcontinuouslyimproveoperationalsystems,processes,andstandardoperatingprocedures.
• Ensureconsistentexecutionoffoodquality,servicestandards,cleanliness,safety,andtheoverallguestexperience.
• Overseeoperationalassessments,fieldvisits,andbrandcomplianceinitiatives.
• Identifyopportunitiestosimplifyrestaurantoperations,improveproductivity,andreducecontrollableexpenses.
• PartnerwithTraining,Marketing,Technology,SupplyChain,andDevelopmentteamstoensureoperationalalignment.
• Leadthesuccessfulimplementationofnewoperationalinitiatives,technologyplatforms,menuintroductions,andserviceimprovements.

FranchiseGrowth&NewRestaurantOpenings

• PartnerwithFranchiseDevelopmentandRealEstateteamstosupportthesuccessfulexpansionoftherestaurantsystem.
• Ensureoperationalreadinessfornewrestaurantopenings,includingtraining,staffing,systems,andfranchiseesupport.
• Developscalableprocessesthatallowtheorganizationtogrowwithoutcompromisingrestaurantperformanceorguestexperience.
• Supportfranchiseeonboarding,operationaltraining,andnew-marketdevelopment.
• Evaluateoperationalcapacityandidentifyorganizationalneedsasthefranchisesystemexpands.

FinancialPerformance&StrategicPlanning

• Driveimprovementsinrestaurant-levelprofitabilitythroughdisciplinedmanagementoflabor,foodcosts,productivity,andcontrollableexpenses.
• Analyzesystemwideperformancetrendsandtranslatefinancialandoperationaldataintoactionablestrategies.
• Partnerwithexecutiveleadershiptoestablishannualoperationalgoals,budgets,andperformancetargets.
• Developstrategiestoimprovefranchiseereturnoninvestmentandlong-termfinancialhealth.
• Provideregularoperationalperformanceupdatesandrecommendationstoexecutiveleadership.
• Identifyopportunitiestoincreaseaverageunitvolume,improvemargins,andstrengthentheoverallfranchisebusinessmodel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor'sdegreeinBusinessAdministration,HospitalityManagement,orarelatedfieldpreferred.
• 10+yearsofprogressiveleadershipexperienceintherestaurantindustry,includingsignificantmulti-unitoperationalresponsibility.
• 5+yearsofexperienceleadingfranchiseoperations,franchisesupport,oracomparablefunctionwithinarestaurantfranchisor.
• Provenexperienceleadingoperationsacrossageographicallydispersed,multi-unitrestaurantsystem.
• Strongunderstandingofrestaurant-levelP&Ls,franchiseeconomics,andtheoperationaldriversofprofitability.
• Demonstratedsuccessimprovingsalesperformance,operatingmargins,guestsatisfaction,andfranchiseeengagement.
• Experienceleadinganddevelopingfieldoperationsteams,includingfranchisebusinessconsultantsandregionalleadership.
• Abilitytoinfluenceindependentfranchiseownerswithoutdirectoperationalcontrol.
• Experiencesupportingnewrestaurantopenings,franchisesystemexpansion,andoperationaltransformation.
• Stronganalytical,communication,relationship-building,andexecutiveleadershipskills.
• Willingnesstotravelregularlytofranchiselocationsandcorporatemeetings.

IdealCandidateProfile

Thesuccessfulcandidateisahands-onrestaurantoperationsexecutivewhounderstandsthatafranchisor'ssuccessdependsonthesuccessofitsfranchisees.

Thisleaderknowshowtobuildrelationships,earncredibilitywithexperiencedoperators,anddriveaccountabilitywithoutrelyingsolelyonpositionalauthority.

Theyhavedemonstratedtheabilitytoimproverestaurant-leveleconomics,develophigh-performingfieldteams,andimplementoperationalsystemsthatsupportsustainablegrowth.

Mostimportantly,thisindividualcombinesstrategicthinkingwithawillingnesstogetintorestaurants,understandthechallengesfranchiseesface,andworkcollaborativelytodelivermeasurableresults.

KeyMeasuresofSuccess

• Positivesame-storesalesandaverageunitvolumegrowth.
• Improvedfranchiseeprofitabilityandrestaurant-levelmargins.
• Increasedoperationalcomplianceandbrandconsistency.
• Improvedguestsatisfactionandoverallrestaurantperformance.
• Successfulnewrestaurantopeningsandoperationalreadiness.
• Strongfranchiseerelationships,engagement,andsatisfaction.
• Developmentofahigh-performingfranchiseoperationssupportorganization.
• Scalableoperationalsystemsthatsupportcontinuedfranchiseexpansion.