Vice President of Operations

Job Title: Vice President of Operations  
Reports to: Chief Operations Officer
Location: Chicago, IL or Dallas, TX 

We are Mendocino Farms, a unique, fast-casual restaurant concept breaking all the old paradigms of the restaurant business. At Mendocino Farms, we exist to sell more than just sandwiches, we sell happy. We are where the neighborhood comes together over inspired sandwiches and soulful salads made from thoughtfully sourced ingredients. Our name comes from legendary Mendocino County, a town known for pioneering the slow food movement and sustainable farming. At Mendo, we make daily decisions that reinforce our values of being trailblazers, learning and growing, building a ‘we’ culture, winning the day for our guests and our team members to ultimately, selling happy! 

SUMMARY
As a Vice President, Operations for Mendocino Farms, you will lead a team of restaurant operators focused on operational excellence. You will be responsible for leading, managing and developing operators throughout the assigned geographical region. You’ll be an active member of the Operations Leadership Team and will help to shape operations strategy as well as ensure that the company’s strategic initiatives come to light in your market.

The right candidate is a proven leader and operator, familiar with high growth environments, skilled at managing a P&L, is an excellent communicator, sets a high bar for him/herself, and is adept at developing talent by leading leaders. If you are someone who thrives in a critical leadership position and gains personal satisfaction when sharing knowledge and driving operational excellence, then this is a great role for you.

This role will require travel to all locations in region and will be based in the Dallas/Plano or Chicago markets.

RESPONSIBILITIES
•    Manage field operations teams (Directors of Operations) to deliver on our mission of Selling Happy
•    Monitor and drive flawless execution in day-to-day operations; visit our restaurants often to ensure that all aspects of the business meet established guidelines, standards, company goals and KPI’s.
•    Hire, train, develop, retain, and evaluate operational leadership talent to create and maintain high performing teams that reduce turnover, maximize engagement, and create succession & growth pathways to ensure that our top talent is ready to take on additional responsibilities.
•    Assist with the development of strategic and tactical plans to drive sales and deliver on profitability targets for the markets within the region.
•    Monitor all aspects of the business through frequent store visits and by using the various methods and reporting tools available (daily sales reports, score cards, guest insights, labor and food cost tools) and then use the data and personal observations to coach and re-establish goals.
•    Champion our strong operating culture by inspiring and leading teams to a high level of system-wide operations excellence that exceeds guest expectations in each restaurant, every shift, every time, while building a culture of accountability to financial and operational standards. 
•    Ensure flawless openings, execution and results of new restaurant openings by playing an active role during pre- and post-opening, especially in this rapidly expanding growth brand.
•    Lead by example through effective coaching, motivating and reinforcing the company's operating principles, core values and expected leadership behaviors while maintaining a high level of visibility.
•    Ensure their operational teams focus are compliant with all local laws and regulations as well as company policies in the running of the region, especially as it relates to food safety and labor laws.

LEADERSHIP PROFILE:
•    Leadership: Thinks and acts globally to prioritize the strongest impacts to the Mendocino Farms brand and company, sometimes over the needs of their department. Leads their team and the company with expertise and knowledge of operations and the industry. Inspires those around them to grow and achieve incredible results, both personally and professionally.
•    Team Building: Shapes and enhances team dynamics across the entire organization. Champions the importance of team building in achieving long-term strategic goals. Encourages collaboration to foster innovation and success.
•    Ownership & Accountability: Accountable for their entire team and all results, behaviors and outcomes impacted by each of them. Sets clear expectations, ensures role clarity and that team leaders are equipped to do the same. Supports talent development programs and functions to ensure a pipeline of capable leaders to drive Mendo’s success.
•    Communication: Orchestrates and supports effective communication efforts across the brand. Sets a standard of communication excellence, ensuring all messaging is consistent and aligned with Mendo’s core values and strategic vision.
•    Drive for Results: Makes critical decisions that shape Mendo’s future and impacts overall brand performance. Develops, implements, and works within a comprehensive decision-making framework, aligning all decisions to Mendo’s core values and strategic vision.
•    Business Acumen: Demonstrates the ability to articulate and navigate business situations in a way that leads to positive outcomes aligned with financial and operational goals. Possesses exceptional knowledge of all data inputs and outputs at Mendo and places a high priority on using that data to drive decision-making.
•    Continuous Improvement: Adept at moving both their team and the larger company through the change management process. Influences change management through both formal and informal channels to increase adoption and company success. Consistently asks the question, “How could we do this even better?”
•    Constructive Conflict Resolution: Engages in open, honest, and respectful debate within the brand and encourages other leaders to do the same. Actively seeks out healthy conflict to ensure all aspects of a challenge have been addressed and all stakeholders have been heard.
•    Executive Presence: Serves as a trusted member of the leadership team at Mendocino Farms. Effectively presents and communicates both to their team, department and to the Mendo executive team with confidence and finesse.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
•    7-10+ years of successful restaurant management/leadership operations experience required.
•    Previous senior leadership experience leading large restaurant teams in a geographically dispersed multi-unit store operations environment.
•    Proficiency with Microsoft Office, BI Reporting, Axial, Concur, and demonstrated proficiency in Excel.
•    Maintain and build upon a strong industry network and local market knowledge to build the brand.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
•    Must be able to lift 50 pounds.
•    Sitting / standing 8-14 hours.
•    Hand use: single grasping, fine manipulation, pushing and pulling
•    Work requires the following motions: bending, twisting, squatting, and reaching