Vice President, Operations

The National Restaurant Association is proud to be part of a highly respected industry that delivers hospitality, opportunity, and quality of life across communities nationwide. Much like the industry we represent, we are a dynamic, diverse, and inclusive organization grounded in trust, collaboration, service, and innovation. We are seeking an experienced Vice President, Operations to help lead operational excellence and organizational evolution.

As Vice President, Operations, you will serve as a key strategic and execution partner to the Chief Operating Officer, translating enterprise strategy into disciplined, day-to-day execution across the organization. You will strengthen operational performance, build scalable infrastructure and systems, and enable teams to deliver high-quality programs, services, and experiences for members, partners, and colleagues.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will lead core operational functions and enterprise initiatives while operating effectively in a complex, evolving environment. You will identify priorities, align teams, and convert organizational goals into focused, actionable work. Through this leadership, you will promote efficiency, alignment, accountability, and continuous improvement across the Association.

The ideal candidate brings strong operational judgment, proven people leadership, and a data‑informed mindset, and thrives at the intersection of strategy in a mission‑driven, member‑focused organization.

This is a dynamic role designed to grow with the organization. While this description reflects the core responsibilities of the position, the Vice President, Operations will take on evolving priorities as the Association advances its mission and organizational goals.

Position must operate out of our DC office, with a required three days onsite, Monday – Wednesday, with flexibility to work remote on Thursday and Friday.

The work you will do as Vice President, Operations will play an integral role in our mission to be an indispensable resource and champion to the industry. We look forward to hearing from you!

We are proud to offer our team members comprehensive benefits, designed to support their financial, professional, and personal well‑being. In addition to outstanding healthcare coverage (medical, dental and vision), competitive salaries, generous vacation and leave time, we offer a matching 401(k) plan, a unique collection of corporate discounts and memberships, as well as programs to support career and skills development, including learning and tuition assistance, and so much more.

• Serve as a strategic and execution partner to the COO to operationalize enterprise strategy, annual priorities, and transformation initiatives.
• Lead major operational programs and cross‑functional initiatives, tracking progress against defined goals and KPIs.
• Oversee day‑to‑day operational performance across assigned functions, identifying risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and maintain operational dashboards, scorecards, and reporting mechanisms to support executive decision‑making.
• Partner with and support the COO in overseeing enterprise functions such as HR, Technology, State Restaurant Association partnerships, and Facilities, as assigned.

• Evaluate operational processes and workflows to improve efficiency, scalability, and cost‑effectiveness.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts across people, process, and technology.
• Develop and standardize operational practices, tools, and documentation to promote clarity and consistency.
• Support implementation of new systems, tools, and capabilities in partnership with functional leaders.

• Serve as a connective leader across departments to promote alignment and coordinated execution.
• Build strong working relationships with senior leaders, functional heads, and external partners.
• Represent Operations in leadership forums and enterprise initiatives as delegated by the COO.

• Provide executive leadership and oversight for facilities and…