Director of Operations Ontario

About Blue Shock Executive Search

Blue Shock Executive Search, established in 2003, is a renowned executive search firm excelling in recruiting top‑tier candidates across restaurant, hospitality, and food service-related sectors. As industry leaders, we specialize in forging connections between exceptional talent and leading employers in Canada and the US.

Our client is a family‑owned company with a passion for people and purpose. Founded in the UK and now thriving in Canada, we operate over 400 restaurants under four global brands. Our team of 10,000+ drives growth across new and existing markets with a focus on sustainability, opportunity, and community impact. We’re proud of our experienced leadership and the culture we’ve built—where pride and care lead to great guest experiences.

Giving back is part of who we are, with our restaurants supporting causes locally and globally.

The Director of Operations provides operational leadership across a defined portfolio of restaurants, ensuring consistent execution of brand standards, financial performance, and people development. The role’s purpose is to build capability, strengthen culture, and create a pipeline of future leaders while delivering an exceptional guest experience and driving sustainable business growth. This leader will oversee 40‑45 restaurants and a team of 5 direct reports.

The Director of Operations oversees a portfolio of restaurants in Toronto east to Ottawa, leading Area Restaurant Leaders to deliver operational excellence, guest satisfaction, and strong financial results. This role carries full accountability for people capability, culture, and performance across hundreds of employees, while shaping strategy and driving continuous improvement in partnership with senior leadership.

Responsibilities are distributed across four 25% focus areas:

• People Capability:
  • Lead a people‑first culture that drives engagement across the employee lifecycle.
  • Build a strong talent pipeline, ensuring bench strength for all management roles to support core operations and future growth.
  • Embed a culture of continuous learning and development, unlocking individuals’ access to career growth and life skills learning experiences and fostering a culture of pride in their team’s growth and business performance.
• Operational Excellence:
  • Coach and support Operations teams to deliver consistently with company brand standards.
  • Strengthen operational capability through effective systems, processes, and follow‑up.
  • Instill a high‑performance, continuous improvement mindset across the brand.
• Guest Satisfaction:
  • Ensure teams deliver a memorable guest experience across all channels: delivery, drive‑thru, dine‑in, and takeout.
  • Act on guest satisfaction KPIs with clear follow‑up.
  • Implement programs and incentives that foster a guest‑first mindset and deliver outstanding results.
• Financial Performance:
  • Deliver financial performance by meeting or exceeding planned targets.
  • Identify and act on opportunities to grow sales and profitability.
  • Provide business leadership to drive sound, financially responsible decision‑making.
  • Lead and coach teams to develop strong financial acumen to deliver profitable growth in their regions.
  • Analyze data, identify opportunities, and create action plans to deliver KPI improvements.

• A post‑secondary degree in business, hospitality, or a related field is preferred.
• Proven experience leading leaders in a multi‑site restaurant or retail environment.
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Advanced financial knowledge and business acumen.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• A track record of coaching and developing leaders at multiple levels.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities.
• A valid driver’s license and access to a personal vehicle.
• Flexibility to spend 75% of the time in restaurants.
• Relocation assistance will be considered for the successful candidate.
• Eligibility to work in Canada (citizen or permanent resident).

To make a difference in people’s lives, their opportunities and their communities through great tasting food and coffee. To build a global food and coffee business, rewarding an engaged and diverse workforce with career and life development opportunities, connecting with communities through great tasting food and coffee and making a difference by giving back in abundance.