VP, Construction & Design

Workstream; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 260,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

Sarku Japan is seeking an accomplished Vice President, Construction & Design to lead its capital development program and oversee both construction execution and design governance. The role covers new openings, remodels, relocations, and franchise development, with a focus on safety, schedule, budget, and standards.

You will guide the organization, drive fleet modernization, and partner with Real Estate, Design, Operations and Finance to optimize capital efficiency and vendor performance while

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of progressive construction leadership experience within restaurant, retail, hospitality, or commercial development.
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-unit construction organizations.
• Proven success delivering new restaurant openings, remodels, and large-scale capital programs.
• Experience with mall, street-side, inline, and non-traditional development preferred.
• Experience directly overseeing architecture, interior design, or prototype development within a multi-unit restaurant, retail, or hospitality environment strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of restaurant construction, MEP systems, permitting, utilities, commercial kitchen equipment, and landlord delivery requirements.
• Executive leadership experience managing geographically dispersed teams.
• Strong financial and business acumen.
• Excellent executive communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute Sarku's construction strategy and operating model, including organizational structure, staffing plans, and annual operating plans aligned to company growth objectives.
• Build a scalable construction organization capable of supporting accelerated corporate and franchise growth.
• Establish departmental KPIs, priorities, and performance standards; monitor performance and improve visibility through standardized reporting and dashboards.
• Mentor and develop construction leadership, including succession planning for key positions and evaluation of future organizational needs.
• Foster a culture focused on accountability, execution, collaboration, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Lead execution of all corporate construction projects — new restaurant openings, remodels, relocations, and acquisition conversions — across mall, street-side, non-traditional, and international formats.
• Oversee the complete project lifecycle from lease execution/site approval through restaurant turnover, coordinating pre-construction planning with Real Estate, Design, Operations, and Finance and ensuring construction readiness prior to permit submission.
• Ensure all projects meet approved schedules, budgets, and quality expectations; monitor milestones and proactively identify execution risks.
• Develop annual construction schedules supporting remodel execution and fleet modernization, sequencing work to minimize operational disruption.
• Develop strategies to reduce development cycle time from lease execution to opening, and conduct post-project reviews to incorporate lessons learned.
• Own architectural and design governance across all restaurant formats, ensuring consistency with approved brand and prototype standards.
• Lead continuous evolution of the restaurant prototype (2G/3G), partnering with Brand and Commercial teams on design intent while owning technical feasibility and constructability standards.
• Directly manage the Sr. Director, Architecture & Design (Consultant) and Sr. Manager, Design, and oversee engagement of external architects, engineers, and specialty design consultants.
• Approve design variances and ensure remodel, new-build, and conversion projects comply with approved design standards.
• Partner with Real Estate and Commercial teams to translate brand and menu initiatives into buildable design and equipment specifications, supporting value engineering to balance brand experience with cost and schedule.
• Own annual construction budgets; develop long-range capital forecasts, cost benchmarks, and historical cost databases.
• Lead project bidding and contractor procurement processes, including pre-construction budgeting; approve budgets and monitor capital deployment across initiatives.
• Review project estimates, monitor change orders and cost variances, and recommend cost optimization and value engineering opportunities.
• Improve return on invested capital through disciplined project execution and support long-term capital planning.
• Develop and maintain a national network of qualified general contractors; negotiate master service agreements and build relationships with vendors, architects, engineers.
• Establish construction standards, manuals, and training for franchise development; support franchisees through design implementation and construction.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives throughout the construction organization, standardizing closeout procedures and incorporating lessons learned into future projects.

Job description

The Vice President, Construction & Design leads Sarku Japan's capital development program, overseeing construction execution together with design governance, prototype evolution and fleet modernization across all restaurant formats, including new restaurant openings, remodels, relocations, acquisition conversions, franchise development, and non-traditional venues. The role is construction-led (approximately 80%) with executive oversight of design (approximately 20%), ensuring projects are delivered safely, on schedule, on budget and in accordance with company standards.

This executive leadership role is accountable for delivering every construction project safely, consistently, on schedule, on budget, and in accordance with approved design standards while continuously improving construction processes, vendor performance, and capital efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Construction Strategy & Organizational Leadership

• Develop and execute Sarku's construction strategy and operating model, including organizational structure, staffing plans, and annual operating plans aligned to company growth objectives.
• Build a scalable construction organization capable of supporting accelerated corporate and franchise growth.
• Establish departmental KPIs, priorities, and performance standards; monitor performance and improve visibility through standardized reporting and dashboards.
• Mentor and develop construction leadership, including succession planning for key positions and evaluation of future organizational needs.
• Foster a culture focused on accountability, execution, collaboration, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

Capital Project Delivery – New Builds, Remodels & Conversions

• Lead execution of all corporate construction projects — new restaurant openings, remodels, relocations, and acquisition conversions — across mall, street-side, non-traditional, and international formats.
• Oversee the complete project lifecycle from lease execution/site approval through restaurant turnover, coordinating pre-construction planning with Real Estate, Design, Operations, and Finance and ensuring construction readiness prior to permit submission.
• Ensure all projects meet approved schedules, budgets, and quality expectations; monitor milestones and proactively identify execution risks.
• Evaluate constructability and building conditions during acquisition due diligence, and coordinate permitting, contractor selection, demolition, and reconstruction for conversions and remodels in accordance with approved design standards.
• Develop annual construction schedules supporting remodel execution and fleet modernization, sequencing work to minimize operational disruption.
• Develop strategies to reduce development cycle time from lease execution to opening, and conduct post-project reviews to incorporate lessons learned.

Design Leadership, Prototype & Standards

• Own architectural and design governance across all restaurant formats, ensuring consistency with approved brand and prototype standards.
• Lead continuous evolution of the restaurant prototype (2G/3G), partnering with Brand and Commercial teams on design intent while owning technical feasibility and constructability standards.
• Directly manage the Sr. Director, Architecture & Design (Consultant) and Sr. Manager, Design, and oversee engagement of external architects, engineers, and specialty design consultants.
• Approve design variances and ensure remodel, new-build, and conversion projects comply with approved design standards.
• Partner with Real Estate and Commercial teams to translate brand and menu initiatives into buildable design and equipment specifications, supporting value engineering to balance brand experience with cost and schedule.

Capital Planning & Financial Stewardship

• Own annual construction capital and operating budgets; develop long-range capital forecasts, construction cost benchmarks, and historical cost databases.
• Lead project bidding and contractor procurement processes, including pre-construction budgeting; approve project budgets and monitor capital deployment across all development initiatives.
• Review project estimates, monitor change orders and cost variances, and recommend cost optimization and value engineering opportunities.
• Improve return on invested capital through disciplined project execution and support long-term capital planning.

Contractor, Vendor & Franchise Partner Management

• Develop and maintain a national network of qualified general contractors and preferred vendors; negotiate master service agreements and build strategic relationships with equipment vendors, millwork suppliers, architects, engineers, and specialty consultants.
• Evaluate contractor performance through periodic scorecards, ensure adequate contractor capacity to support growth plans, and promote competitive bidding while maintaining quality expectations.
• Establish construction standards, manuals, and training for franchise development; support franchisees through design implementation and construction, and review franchise construction schedules and budgets.

Quality, Technology & Continuous Improvement

• Establish construction quality standards and project inspection procedures; conduct periodic field audits, oversee punch list completion, and monitor warranty performance and contractor accountability.
• Lead implementation of construction technology platforms (e.g., Leasecake, SiteRise, Procore) to standardize documentation, improve project reporting and communication across construction, design, real estate, and operations, and reduce project cycle times.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives throughout the construction organization, standardizing closeout procedures and incorporating lessons learned into future projects.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing Construction & Design organization; build talent and succession plans and establish performance expectations and accountability.
• Foster collaboration across Construction, Design, Real Estate, Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, and Franchise Development, promoting innovation and operational excellence.
• Represent Construction & Design during executive meetings and Board presentations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Engineering, or related field.
• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive construction leadership experience within the restaurant, retail, hospitality, or commercial development industry.
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-unit construction organizations.
• Proven success delivering new restaurant openings, remodels, and large-scale capital programs.
• Experience with mall, street-side, inline, and non-traditional development preferred.
• Experience directly overseeing architecture, interior design, or prototype development within a multi-unit restaurant, retail, or hospitality environment strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of restaurant construction, MEP systems, permitting, utilities, commercial kitchen equipment, and landlord delivery requirements.
• Executive leadership experience managing geographically dispersed teams.
• Strong financial and business acumen.
• Excellent executive communication and presentation skills.

It is the policy of Sarku Japan to provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and team members without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status or civil partnership, national or ethnic origin, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, uniformed service (as defined by 10 U.S.C. §101 (a)(5)), protected disability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender reassignment, or gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by statute or law.

Founded in 1987, Sarku Japan began with four entrepreneurs who saw an opportunity to introduce Japanese teppanyaki cooking to the United States. Starting with a single location in the Liberty Tree Mall in Boston, Massachusetts, they built the company through hard work, shared responsibility, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
From the beginning, the vision was simple: serve fresh, made-to-order meals cooked directly in front of customers while delivering an experience that stood apart from traditional food court dining. Through energy, showmanship, and quality, Sarku Japan quickly built a loyal customer following.
The early years required determination, long hours, and an unwavering belief in the brand. As the company grew throughout the Northeast, Florida, Texas, and eventually across the country, the founders stayed committed to the philosophy of Kaizen — continuous improvement. That mindset continues to shape how we operate today, from refining recipes and operations to investing in our people and guest experience.
Today, Sarku Japan has grown into a nationally recognized brand with locations across the United States, including shopping centers, street-front restaurants, and military bases. While we have grown significantly since 1987, our commitment to quality, teamwork, innovation, and growth remains at the center of everything we do.