Vice President of Operations

Position Summary

The Vice President (VP) of Operations supports the CEO in thought leadership, strategic planning, annual budget development, and the establishment of KPIs. This role oversees a high-performing team of multi-unit leaders, ensuring they have the resources to uphold Miguel’s JR standards, policies, and operating procedures. The VP of Operations is instrumental in building a strong foundation for QSR operations while driving long-term business growth. The VP of Operations will have oversight for R & M.

Primary Duties

1. Representing and Maintaining High Standards for Operations Execution

• Setting Standards & KPIs: Establish clear standards and KPIs for multi-unit and single-unit managers while ensuring teams have the tools and resources to meet them.
• Menu Optimization: Collaborate with Marketing, Commissary, and other departments to ensure the menu meets the highest culinary and safety standards, reflects the brand, and exceeds guest expectations.
• Service Excellence: Continuously elevate the customer experience through systems, programs, and team training, focusing on customer service, CRM, brand ambassadors, and loyalty initiatives.
• Cleanliness & Safety: Ensure robust systems, processes, and training for cleanliness and safety. Conduct regular audits and walkthroughs to evaluate compliance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Financial Management: Develop annual operating budgets and set financial goals. Ensure clear understanding and accountability for achieving top-line revenue and bottom-line controls across all restaurants.
• Marketing Collaboration: Partner with Operations and Marketing teams to enhance campaigns and capitalize on local market opportunities to drive sales and brand awareness.

2. Developing and Coaching a Strong Team

• Team Development: Mentor direct reports and lead the extended operations team to support cultural, performance, and retention initiatives.
• Recruitment: Partner with HR and Training to ensure a steady pipeline of qualified candidates that reflects the communities served and meets operational needs.
• Onboarding & Training: Collaborate with HR and Training teams to deliver comprehensive orientations and training for all Operations leadership, MITs, and hourly team members.
• Communication: Serve as a key communications link between the Miguel’s Support Center (MSC), restaurants, and leadership, ensuring smooth execution of initiatives and effective issue resolution.
• Performance Management: Maintain a disciplined focus on operational performance through continuous evaluation and feedback, enabling teams to maximize people, sales, and profits.

3. Planning & Growing the Business

• Proactive Analysis: Evaluate restaurant performance to identify opportunities for improvement and growth, considering factors like facilities, market trends, and team capabilities.
• Staffing Plans: Collaborate with HR and Training to ensure effective recruitment, retention, and succession planning across all levels of operations.
• Local Market Expertise: Provide well-informed input to Real Estate/Development, Marketing, HR, and Training initiatives to align with local needs.
• New Prototypes & Concept Design: Leverage analytics, LEAN principles, and project management to identify and test improvements in concepts and efficiencies.

4. Regulatory Compliance

• Partner with strategic support departments to ensure compliance with industry regulations, including HACCP, OSHA, immigration laws, wage and hour regulations, and state-specific mandates.

Desired Experience and Skills

·        Education: Bachelor’s degree in hospitality and/or General Business field preferred or the business experience equivalent.

·        Operational: Current compliance with Food Handler, Food Safety, and all local/state/federal certifications for hospitality/restaurant operations management requirements and actively role models the same.

• Experience: Minimum of 10 years in restaurant management and strategic support leadership, including at least 5 years in multi-unit oversight.
• Leadership: Proven ability to build and sustain strong, effective teams at all levels.
• Guest Focus: Track record of delivering exceptional guest service and fostering a positive internal culture.
• Business Acumen: Demonstrated success in protecting and growing a business while adapting to diverse environments.
• Business Technology:  Proficient using business systems, technology and tools, including advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), and other relevant software. Demonstrated ability to leverage data analytics platforms and reporting tools to drive decision-making and operational efficiency.

Desired Competencies

1. Leadership and Coaching

• Serve as a role model and positive collaborator, ensuring standards are clear, achievable, and supported with resources.

2. Strategic and Business Thinking

• Combine financial acumen with entrepreneurial insight to drive both short-term results and long-term growth.

3. Relationship Building

• Cultivate strong relationships within the organization and across functional areas, demonstrating excellent listening, coaching, and negotiation skills.

4. Communication Skills

• Clearly and concisely present ideas in verbal and written forms, ensuring impactful messaging and effective follow-up.

5. Personal Integrity

• Exhibit trustworthiness, balance, and commitment to follow through, fostering confidence and respect from all stakeholders.

Physical Demands and Work Environment: 

·        The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

·        Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, and feel objects, reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl; talk and hear; taste and smell.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

·        Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to customary conditions of both Field and Miguel’s Support Center (MSC) locations prevalent at the time. The noise level and physical requirements (ex: temperature) are customary to restaurants’ usual work environment. In addition, this position will primarily be in the field and will include time in the Commissary and at the MSC, as needed.

Other work requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is expected to be in the field most of their day, which requires adequate transportation to and from locations, extended hours including nights and weekends as needed. The employee is expected to be in the field with their managers on a frequent basis, visiting restaurant locations as needed. In-office and other offsite meetings are a requirement of the job.