Operations Director

Director of Operations

The Director of Operations is the senior operational leader responsible for driving operational excellence, developing strong leaders, and ensuring consistent business performance at Chick-fil-A Hwy 26 at Precinct Line. This role serves as the Operator's primary operational partnertranslating vision into daily execution while building the systems and leadership depth required for the restaurant to operate smoothly with or without the Operator present. The ideal candidate is both a strategic thinker and a hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, sets high standards, and builds accountable teams that consistently deliver exceptional guest and team experiences.

At Chick-fil-A Hwy 26 at Precinct Line, our vision is to be Hurst's most caring company by winning hearts every day. The Director of Operations is responsible for protecting and bringing this vision to life through daily leadership decisions, team development, and operational executionensuring it is consistently modeled and reinforced across all shifts and leadership levels.

This role is critical to the long-term health and growth of the business. The Director of Operations creates stability, develops future leaders, and ensures the restaurant consistently delivers on its commitments to guests and team members. For the right leader, this role offers meaningful impact, professional growth, and the opportunity to help shape the future of Chick-fil-A Hwy 26 at Precinct Line.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and hold accountable Directors, Shift Leaders, and Team Leaders
• Model and reinforce Chick-fil-A Hwy 26 at Precinct Line's core values and leadership expectations
• Build a high-trust, high-accountability culture rooted in ownership and excellence
• Develop bench strength through intentional leadership development and succession planning
• Conduct regular coaching conversations, performance feedback, and corrective action as needed
• Own day-to-day operational excellence across all dayparts
• Ensure consistent execution of Chick-fil-A systems, food safety, cleanliness, speed of service, and hospitality
• Establish and maintain clear operational routines, playbooks, and standards
• Identify operational gaps and implement solutions to improve efficiency and guest experience
• Ensure leaders are properly positioned and equipped to "run the shift" independently
• Partner with the Operator on staffing strategy and workforce planning
• Oversee recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and training systems
• Ensure training pathways are executed consistently and effectively
• Drive engagement, development, and retention of leaders and team members
• Drive strong operational and financial results
• Own labor productivity execution and daily labor decision-making
• Partner with the Operator on controllables, food cost, and waste management
• Set and execute against daily, weekly, and monthly performance targets
• Use data to diagnose issues, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement
• Track and manage key KPIs, including:
• Labor productivity
• Speed of service
• Food safety and quality
• Guest experience metrics
• Training completion and leadership readiness
• Create simple, effective reporting tools that drive clarity and accountability
• Provide regular operational updates and insights to the Operator
• Document, follow, and improve systems as the business grows
• Serve as a thought partner to the Operator in executing the long-term vision
• Translate big-picture goals into daily behaviors and priorities
• Support growth initiatives, new systems, and change management
• Act as a stabilizing leader during busy seasons, staffing changes, and periods of growth

Success Metrics (KPIs)

Success in this role is measured by:

Operational Excellence

• Sustain Top 20% chain-wide customer experience scores for four consecutive quarters
• Ensure consistent execution of Chick-fil-A standards across all shifts
• Improve speed of service and order accuracy while maintaining hospitality standards
• Create systems that allow the restaurant to operate smoothly without daily Operator involvement

Financial Performance & Margin Growth

• Improve labor performance by a minimum of 1% annually while maintaining service quality
• Improve food cost by at least 0.40% through waste reduction and inventory management systems
• Increase overall restaurant profitability by 1.5%+ year-over-year
• Identify and implement at least two operational or financial improvement initiatives annually

Leadership Development & Succession

• Develop ready-now successors for all key leadership roles
• Promote at least one internal leader annually
• Maintain structured development plans for all leaders
• Reduce leadership turnover and improve overall team retention by 10% year-over-year

Culture & Accountability

• Maintain high engagement and accountability standards across the leadership team
• Conduct consistent performance and development conversations
• Foster a culture of operational discipline, ownership, and hospitality

Requirements & Qualifications

• 5+ years of leadership or management experience (restaurant or hospitality preferred)
• Proven ability to lead teams, manage systems, and drive measurable results
• Strong operational judgment with the ability to prioritize effectively
• Data-driven mindset with the ability to turn insights into action
• Clear, confident communicator who balances encouragement with accountability
• Willingness to work varying schedules, including nights, weekends, and holidays (45+ hours/week)
• Ability to meet the physical demands of a restaurant environment (standing for long periods, lifting up to 50 lbs, working around hot equipment)

Preferred Experience

• Experience developing leaders and building business plans
• Familiarity with budgeting, labor management, and controllable
• Working knowledge of guest engagement and hospitality-driven marketing
• Comfort using Apple-based systems, Google Workspace, and email tools

Perks and benefits of working at Chick-fil-A:

Great place to work: We believe that our people are our most valuable investment. They're not just part of our business; they are its very foundation. That's why we choose to invest in them by providing a nurturing work environment where they feel personally cared for and where they can learn valuable business and people skills.

Flexible work schedules: We know that this job is not your only priority! You may also have commitments to your family, friends, school, or sports teams. With your help, we will always try to arrange your work schedule around them.

Free food: You will get free meals for yourself on your working days regardless of how long your shift is.

Opportunity for growth: The entrepreneurial nature of our business and your position guarantees that there is always room for growth financially. Outside of particular cases where wages can be reviewed more often, we review our leaders' wages annually.

Closed on Sundays: All Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sunday so that you can have a guaranteed day off to spend with family and friends.

Health benefits: We offer health, dental, and vision insurance.

Paid vacation: Our leadership team members are offered paid time off with a portion of the total amount available as a payout.

Leadership & personal development: We offer our leaders the opportunity to attend world-class leadership training from the most brilliant organizations and leaders working today to help our leaders increase their leadership capacity.

401k: We know that you want to plan for your future, so we offer a competitive 401k retirement plan that includes a generous company match to eligible employees.

About Chick-fil-A

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1964 by