Head of Central Operations

Bite Talent is partnering with a leading international restaurant brand to appoint a Head of Central Operations to support the continued growth and development of its European business.

This is a pivotal leadership role, working closely with senior leadership to strengthen the operational foundations of a growing multi-site restaurant estate.

You will lead the central functions that underpin restaurant performance, including operational training, regional support, facilities and strategic project delivery.

This is an opportunity for a commercially minded operator who can combine strategic thinking with practical execution, driving operational excellence, developing high-performing teams and ensuring the business is equipped to scale successfully.

Key Responsibilities

· Lead central operational functions, ensuring effective support for restaurant teams and consistent standards across the estate.

· Partner with senior leadership to shape and deliver the operational strategy, supporting business performance and future growth.

· Drive operational excellence initiatives focused on efficiency, customer experience, cost control and profitability.

· Own the operational training strategy, developing scalable programmes and clear learning pathways from Crew through to General Manager.

· Lead cross-functional projects alongside Operations, Culinary, Supply Chain and People, ensuring initiatives are implemented effectively.

· Analyse operational KPIs to identify performance gaps, uncover commercial opportunities and deliver measurable improvements.

· Oversee regional support and facilities, ensuring restaurants have the resources and infrastructure required to operate effectively.

· Develop and maintain operational standards, processes and procedures that support consistency across all locations.

· Build and develop a high-performing central operations team, fostering accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

About You

You'll be an experienced, commercially minded operations leader who understands what it takes to run successful restaurants at scale.

Ideally, you'll bring:

· 10+ years' experience in multi-site restaurant, hospitality, retail or a comparable operational environment.

· A strong understanding of restaurant operations, commercial performance and the drivers of profitability.

· Experience leading central operations, operational support functions or business-wide improvement initiatives.

· A track record of improving operational standards, efficiency and performance across multiple locations.

· Experience developing operational training and building capability within restaurant teams.

· Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage complex, cross-functional initiatives.

· Confidence using operational data and KPIs to identify opportunities and measure results.

· Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to influence at all levels of the business.

· A proactive, solutions-focused approach and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.

Experience within an international or multi-country restaurant business would be advantageous.

Why Join?

This is a fantastic opportunity to join an established international restaurant brand with ambitious plans for its European business.

You'll have the opportunity to work closely with senior leadership, influence operational strategy and shape the central functions that support restaurant performance and future expansion.

For the right person, this is a role with genuine scope to make an impact, improve commercial results and help build the operational infrastructure needed to support continued growth.

The Package

Salary of up to £120,000 + benefits.

Interested?

If you're an experienced operations leader looking for a senior role where you can influence strategy, drive performance and make a tangible difference across a growing restaurant business, we'd love to hear from you.

Contact Bite Talent for a confidential discussion.

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