Executive Vice President of Operations

Confidential Executive Search | Multi-State Restaurant Organization Field-Based Executive Leadership Position The Opportunity

A large, privately held, multi-state restaurant organization is conducting a confidential search for an accomplished Executive Vice President of Operations to lead a significant restaurant portfolio and help shape the company's next stage of growth.

This is an opportunity for a proven restaurant executive who knows how to lead at scale, transform performance, build exceptional leadership teams, and create sustainable operating discipline across a complex organization.

The EVP of Operations will partner directly with ownership and senior executive leadership with broad responsibility for operational performance, profitability, organizational effectiveness, leadership development, and scalable growth.

This position is also an important part of the organization's long-term succession strategy. The successful executive will have the opportunity to be considered for advancement to Chief Operating Officer based on performance, leadership impact, organizational growth, and the future needs of the business.

Due to the confidential nature of the search, specific information regarding the organization, brands, geographic footprint, and ownership structure will be shared with qualified candidates as they progress through the selection process.

The EVP of Operations will provide enterprise leadership across a large, geographically dispersed restaurant portfolio while remaining closely connected to field execution.

This executive will lead through multiple layers of operational leadership and will be responsible for strengthening performance, accountability, leadership capability, and consistency across the organization.

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with operational discipline and understands that sustainable business performance is driven through strong leaders, clear expectations, effective systems, and consistent execution.

• Provide executive leadership across a large, multi-market restaurant portfolio.
• Translate enterprise strategy into clear priorities and disciplined field execution.
• Lead, coach, and develop senior and multi-unit operational leaders.
• Establish clear performance expectations, operating routines, and accountability throughout the field organization.
• Drive excellence across guest experience, food quality, speed of service, labor, safety, compliance, and restaurant profitability.
• Identify performance gaps and ensure sustainable improvement plans are implemented across markets.
• Maintain a meaningful field presence and firsthand understanding of restaurant and market performance.

• Drive top-line sales growth, profitability, EBITDA performance, and operational efficiency.
• Maintain strong ownership of P&L performance and strengthen financial accountability throughout the operations organization.
• Leverage business analytics, KPIs, labor data, and operational reporting to identify opportunities and drive action.
• Improve restaurant-level profitability through disciplined execution, productivity, cost management, and sales-building strategies.
• Partner with executive leadership on annual planning, forecasting, investment priorities, and long-term business strategy.

• Build a high-performing operations organization rooted in accountability, leadership development, and results.
• Coach and develop senior field leaders while strengthening the organization's leadership pipeline and succession strategy.
• Assess organizational capability and identify talent, structure, and development needs.
• Recruit, develop, and retain exceptional operational leaders.
• Partner with Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, and Learning & Development to strengthen leadership development, performance management, and succession planning.
• Create an environment where leaders own their businesses, develop their people, and continuously improve performance.

• Lead meaningful operational transformation and change-management initiatives.
• Strengthen field accountability and build scalable operating and leadership systems.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve organizational effectiveness, and increase scalability.
• Partner with executive leadership on organizational design and long-term growth strategy.
• Support market expansion, new restaurant development, acquisitions, and other strategic growth opportunities.
• Partner cross-functionally with Finance, Human Resources, Learning & Development, Marketing, Facilities, and Real Estate/Development to ensure enterprise alignment.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to ownership and executive leadership.
• Bring a strong operational perspective to enterprise-level decisions.
• Clearly communicate business performance, opportunities, risks, and recommendations.
• Build credibility across all levels of the organization, from restaurant teams to…