Director of Operations

An established New York hospitality group is seeking an experienced Director of Operations to oversee a portfolio of distinctive restaurant and hospitality concepts.

Our operations span high-volume, full-service dining, cocktail bars, private events, and seasonal hospitality. Each concept has its own identity, service style, and operating requirements, but all share a commitment to exceptional hospitality, strong food and beverage programming, and disciplined execution.

We are looking for a seasoned hospitality executive who combines strong operational leadership, financial acumen, and a genuine understanding of the restaurant floor.

This is a senior leadership position for someone who can take ownership of complex operations, develop strong management teams, establish accountability, and translate ownership's vision into consistent execution.

The right candidate will be equally comfortable analyzing financial performance, holding a General Manager accountable, developing operating systems, and stepping onto a busy restaurant floor to lead service.

The Director of Operations will have direct oversight of daily operations, management performance, financial controls, and operating standards across the group.

Working closely with ownership, General Managers, executive chefs, and department leadership, this individual will be responsible for building a more disciplined, efficient, and independently functioning organization.

This is not simply a supervisory or administrative position. We are seeking a hands-on executive who takes initiative, makes informed decisions, anticipates problems, and drives results without requiring constant direction.

The position is based primarily in New York City, with periodic oversight of seasonal operations in the Hamptons.

Operational Leadership & Accountability

• Provide direct leadership and oversight to General Managers and department heads across multiple concepts.

• Establish clear responsibilities, reporting structures, performance expectations, and accountability at every management level.

• Ensure consistent execution of operating standards, service procedures, and daily management routines.

• Identify operational weaknesses and implement practical, sustainable improvements.

• Maintain a visible presence in the restaurants, particularly during critical service periods.

• Ensure management teams are capable of operating effectively and independently.

Financial Performance & Cost Controls

• Take ownership of operating performance, including labor, COGS, controllable expenses, and profitability.

• Establish and enforce budgets, labor models, purchasing controls, and financial performance targets.

• Conduct weekly financial and operational reviews with management.

• Oversee inventory management, purchasing accountability, payroll controls, and cost reporting.

• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, operating margins, and resource allocation.

• Work closely with ownership and finance to translate financial reporting into corrective action.

Management Development & Organizational Leadership

• Recruit, develop, evaluate, and hold accountable General Managers and senior department leaders.

• Build a strong management culture centered on ownership, communication, execution, and follow-through.

• Establish structured management training, performance evaluations, and development plans.

• Address underperformance directly and decisively.

• Improve coordination between front-of-house, culinary, beverage, events, and administrative teams.

• Develop a management structure that supports growth without creating unnecessary layers of supervision.

Service Standards & Guest Experience

• Ensure each concept consistently delivers the hospitality experience appropriate to its positioning.

• Oversee service training, floor leadership, guest recovery, and management engagement.

• Establish measurable service standards while preserving the personality and individuality of each venue.

• Work with culinary and beverage leadership to ensure strong execution, product consistency, and operational coordination.

• Develop a culture in which managers actively lead the guest experience rather than simply supervise shifts.

Systems, Processes & Execution

• Evaluate, implement, and enforce operating procedures across all properties.

• Oversee scheduling, inventory, purchasing, reporting, reservation management, and labor controls.

• Establish clear daily, weekly, and monthly management reporting.

• Improve cross-department communication, task ownership, and operational follow-through.

• Ensure effective use of restaurant technology platforms, including Toast, 7shifts, MarginEdge, OpenTable, Resy, and related systems.

• Support seasonal planning, openings, major events, and other cross-property initiatives.

• General Managers and department heads operate with clear authority, ownership, and accountability.

• Financial performance is actively managed, with labor, purchasing, and operating costs consistently controlled.

• Operating systems are established, understood, and followed across the organization.

• Service standards are consistently executed without requiring daily intervention from ownership.

• Problems are identified early, addressed decisively, and followed through to resolution.

• Management teams are stronger, more capable, and increasingly independent.

• Ownership has clear visibility into performance and confidence that the operation is being effectively led.

• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive restaurant leadership experience, including significant experience in a senior multi-unit operational role.

• Demonstrated success overseeing complex, high-volume, full-service restaurant operations.

• Experience managing multiple General Managers and senior department leaders.

• Strong command of restaurant financials, P&L management, labor optimization, COGS, budgeting, and profitability.

• Proven ability to establish operating systems, improve execution, and develop accountable management teams.

• Deep understanding of elevated hospitality, service standards, food and beverage operations, and guest relations.

• Experience with private dining, events, and seasonal operations is advantageous.

• Strong working knowledge of restaurant POS, inventory, scheduling, reservation, and reporting platforms.

• Excellent judgment, communication skills, organizational discipline, and decision-making ability.

• Experience in the New York City restaurant market strongly preferred.

We are particularly interested in candidates who have progressed through restaurant operations into genuine executive leadership.

You understand the demands of running a busy, sophisticated restaurant because you have done it yourself. But you have also demonstrated the ability to lead through others, build organizational structure, manage financial performance, and oversee multiple operations simultaneously.

You are decisive without being reactive, demanding without being unnecessarily rigid, and comfortable holding people accountable while earning their respect.

You recognize that great hospitality requires both personality and discipline, and that strong financial performance and an exceptional guest experience should reinforce one another.

Above all, you are an operator who takes ownership, follows through, and gets things done.

• Competitive executive compensation commensurate with experience

• Performance-based bonus opportunity

• Health insurance benefits

• Paid time off

• Dining privileges

• Opportunity to play a significant leadership role in an established and evolving hospitality group

All applications will be treated confidentially. 

Candidates must submit a current resume and a thoughtful, position-specific cover letter outlining their relevant senior leadership experience, multi-unit operational background, and qualifications for this role.

Only complete applications demonstrating relevant experience and accompanied by a substantive cover letter will be considered. Generic submissions and applications that do not meet these requirements will not receive consideration.