Director of Operations Excellence

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Colorado.

📋 Description

• Establish the long-term vision and roadmap for Operations Excellence, ensuring alignment with enterprise strategy and the needs of Field Operations.

• Develop and prioritize a portfolio of process engineering and continuous improvement projects throughout the bakery system.

• Represent Operations Excellence at senior leadership meetings and in strategic planning discussions.

• Supervise the assessment of bakery processes, workflows, and systems to streamline operations, optimize labor investments, minimize waste, and enhance performance.

• Direct the application of Lean, Six Sigma, process mapping, and root-cause analysis across multiple initiatives.

• Be responsible for establishing the standard for future-state process design.

• Ensure that process maps, standard work, and tools effectively convert solutions into scalable, repeatable bakery practices.

• Set criteria for the design and management of operational pilots.

• Evaluate pilot outcomes and make recommendations regarding scaling, refining, or discontinuing initiatives.

• Advocate for root-cause analysis on significant recurring issues.

• Manage optimization of labor and inventory systems.

• Generate and maintain regular reports for Operations teams.

• Lead cross-functional operational excellence initiatives from problem identification through to sustainment.

• Define the approach to structured change management.

• Maintain oversight of portfolio progress, risks, and business impact.

• Build, lead, and nurture a team of Operations Excellence managers and professionals.

• Mentor the team in problem solving, project management, and change leadership.

• Maintain a consistent presence in bakeries to test and validate solutions.

• Identify, standardize, and expand successful practices.

• Collaborate with Training, Technology, Marketing, Culinary/R&D, Supply Chain, Finance, and Development teams.

• Be accountable for the measurement framework for operational enhancements.

• Provide data-driven recommendations and updates on the portfolio to senior Operations leadership.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of experience in restaurant operations, operations excellence, continuous improvement, or a related field.

• More than 3 years of experience in directly leading and developing a team.

• Proven history of managing enterprise-scale, cross-functional projects that yield measurable business results.

• Strong strategic, analytical, and structured problem-solving capabilities.

• Excellent portfolio and project management skills, with the ability to engage with senior stakeholders and manage budgets.

• Demonstrated capacity to influence and drive change at the senior leadership level without direct authority.

• Exceptional executive presentation skills.

• Willingness to travel frequently to bakery locations.

• Preferred experience in direct restaurant or multi-unit operations leadership.

• Advanced proficiency in Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, DMAIC, or similar methodologies is preferred.

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, PMP, Prosci Change Management, or comparable certification is preferred.

• Experience in QSR, fast casual, retail, or another high-volume, multi-unit consumer environment is preferred.

• Bachelor’s degree is required.

• A Master’s degree (MBA or related) is preferred, or equivalent experience.

🏝️ Benefits

• Annual Bonus: 20%

• Long Term Incentive Plan: $30,000

• Equal employment opportunity and fair treatment in employment.

• Reasonable accommodations for physical requirements.