regional operations director north region

Licensed sponsor North England Full-time Posted 1 day ago

north england📍 | competitive + car allowance + 40% bonus

at wagamama, food is life 🥢 and we’re here to make every bite count. with over 165 restaurants across the UK (and growing fast) we’ve been dishing up vibrant, fresh asian inspired flavours since ‘92. it’s all about good food, good vibes, and good company 🍜🔥

were looking for a regional operations director to cover our north region 🌱

ready to dive in and stir things up?

purpose |

the operations director leads one of wagamama's two operating regions and owns its commercial
performance, operational standards, guest experience, people and culture. they set the tone for the region
and create the conditions for teams to thrive, retain talent and deliver sustainable growth
this role leads through area managers and moves beyond delivering plans to shaping future
strategy, solutions and business priorities, then translating them into consistent execution across
every restaurant
what you'll own |

leading through others

lead through area managers, setting clear outcomes, coaching judgement and capability, and creating accountability and ownership at every level rather than stepping into day-today restaurant operations

commercial performance

deliver sales, EBIT and sustainable growth, acting early on trends and opportunities, managing labour responsibly and partnering with finance on budgets

great hospitality

driving the landing and embedding the make it real framework across your region, being truly famed for hospitality across the region + the external market

safety and compliance

protect the wagamama brand and ensure high food, kitchen and guest standards, with clear accountability for food safety, health and safety, legal compliance and audit

performance. create personalised guest experiences and personally lead the response to serious guest issues

people and talent

build a strong, caring culture, improve team stability, hold honest performance conversations and create a robust leadership pipeline and succession plan

strategy and change

shape future plans and solutions, translate strategy into consistent regional action and lead business-wide change and projects with clarity and pace

one wagamama

work with the other operations director and business partners to make decisions for the whole business, ensuring restaurant priorities inform company plans
growth and market | use competitor and local market insight to shape sales activity, support brand
awareness and ensure operational priorities are built into new restaurant design and openings

what you'll need |

senior leadership experience in a large multi-site consumer business, ideally hospitality, restaurants or retail
ownership of a significant P&L with a strong record of profitable growth and operational delivery
experience leading experienced multi-site leaders across a large geography
evidence of shaping strategy, influencing executive decisions and leading business-wide change
a strong understanding of customer, competitor and market trends
a track record of building capability, succession and sustainable performance through others
experience of restaurant openings, local market activity or operational input into property and design decisions
strong commercial understanding of labour, budgeting and the operational levers that protect both performance and guest experience

what’s in it for you |

come as you are culture, with modern offices, fresh fruit and soft drinks
£200 monthly wagamama food allowance — enjoy all your favourite dishes on us!
private healthcare cover for family
6% pension contribution
25 days holiday plus bank holidays
+ further discounts across retail, hospitality & leisure — perks that make life sweeter
supporting you every step of the way! family-friendly pay: 26 weeks full pay + 13 weeks half pay for expectant or adopting parents

nothing brings people together like great food. no matter where you’re from or who you are, you’ve got a seat at our table | because food is the ultimate connector, and here everyone belong