VP of Operations

Description

The Vice President of Operations leads operational performance across the entire Toppers Pizza system, including both company-owned and franchised restaurants. Reporting to the CEO and serving on the executive leadership team, this role sets the operational strategy, standards, and accountability systems that drive sales, profitability, guest experience, and long-term growth.

The VP of Operations leads the field operations organization, including the Director of Franchise Operations and Corporate Operations Director. This role is directly accountable for company restaurant results and for the systems and support that help franchisees succeed. It is a highly visible position that requires deep multi-unit restaurant experience, strong financial acumen, and the ability to influence franchise owners, executive peers, and field leaders.

The VP of Operations is a full-time, hybrid role reporting to the CEOs. The ideal candidate is located in South-Central/Southeastern Wisconsin or within 45 minutes of our Toppers Pizza Headquarters. This position is based in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and offers a flexible schedule with three days in the office and two days working remotely each week.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Operational Strategy & Executive Leadership

• Develop and execute the operational strategy for Toppers Pizza in alignment with company growth objectives.
• Set system-wide operational priorities, performance metrics, and goals, and report results to the CEO and executive team.
• Serve as a member of the executive leadership team, bringing operational perspective to company strategy, budgeting, and growth decisions.
• Evaluate operational initiatives based on measurable business impact, and adjust or discontinue programs that are not delivering results.

Company Restaurant Performance

• Hold full P&L accountability for company-owned restaurants, driving sales, profitability, labor productivity, food cost, and controllable expenses.
• Lead company restaurant field leadership, setting clear expectations and holding leaders accountable for results.
• Ensure company restaurants model Toppers brand standards for food quality, food safety, service, cleanliness, and guest experience.
• Partner with Finance on annual budgets, forecasts, and capital plans for company restaurants.

Franchise System Performance

• Oversee the franchise operations function and the strategy for supporting franchisee performance and brand-standard compliance.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with franchise owners, particularly multi-unit operators, while upholding brand standards and the franchise agreement.
• Establish consistent processes for evaluating franchise restaurant performance and addressing underperforming restaurants and markets.
• Serve as the escalation point for significant franchise compliance and performance issues, working with senior leadership and legal counsel as appropriate.
• Balance the needs of individual franchisees with the long-term interests of the Toppers Pizza brand.

Brand Standards & Operational Systems

• Own Toppers' operational standards, operations manuals, and field audit programs, and ensure they are clear, current, and consistently applied.
• Identify system-wide operational challenges and develop scalable solutions.
• Ensure new operational programs are tested, communicated, trained, and measured before and after system-wide rollout.

Leadership & Organization Development

• Lead, develop, and hold accountable the field operations team.
• Build an operations organization with the structure and talent to support continued company and franchise growth.
• Develop leadership pipelines and succession plans for key operational roles.
• Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, hospitality, and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Marketing, Finance, HR, Training, Development, and Technology to ensure initiatives are operationally sound and executable in restaurants.
• Lead the operational side of new restaurant development, remodels, technology implementations, menu changes, and marketing programs.
• Represent Operations with franchisee advisory councils and at franchise meetings and conferences.

Other duties as assigned.

If this describes you, we would love to meet you!!!

Want to stand out? Be sure that we can see your experience and skills by writing a short cover letter telling us how your background and passion relate to what we're doing. At Toppers, we value people for their rich histories and perspectives, not only for their certifications and degrees and former employer brands or for their buzzwords on their resumes (those are cool too!). This is why we'd love to hear from you on a more personal note also.

We love passionate candidates and believe that our only opportunity to win in the marketplace will come by hiring and keeping the best people in the industry. If that's also your view, please give us a look, and make your day great!

We offer an excellent team environment as well as provide excellent benefits such as:

• Competitive Salary
• 4 weeks of PTO the first year
• Holiday Pay
• Group Medical Insurance
• 401(K) Plan with up to a 4% Match
• Meal Discounts (70% While Working!)
• Flexible Schedule
• FUN Atmosphere & Casual Work Setting
• 100% Company Paid Life Insurance
• 100% Company Paid Short-term Disability and Long-term Disability Insurance
• Fitness Club Reimbursement
• Paid Training & Professional Development
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Dependent Care & Health)
• Health Savings Account
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Voluntary Group Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• Voluntary Group Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, and Accident Insurance
• Voluntary Group Pet Insurance

Requirements

Minimum qualifications include:

• Must be legally eligible to work in the United States.
• 10+ years of progressive restaurant operations leadership experience, including 5+ years in senior multi-unit leadership at the Director level or above.
• Strong QSR or fast-casual restaurant background.
• Experience working in or with a franchise system, including leading through influence with franchise owners.
• Demonstrated P&L accountability across multiple restaurants or markets.
• Proven record of turning around underperforming restaurants, markets, or teams.
• Experience building and leading multi-level operations teams.
• Strong analytical, financial, and business decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills, including with executive leadership and franchise owners.
• Ability to travel regularly, including overnight, across a multi-state region (up to 20% of the time).
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel independently.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and restaurant reporting systems.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Senior operations leadership experience with a restaurant franchisor.
• Experience overseeing both company-owned and franchised restaurants.
• Executive leadership team experience, including presenting to ownership, investors, or a board.
• Pizza or delivery-focused QSR experience.
• Experience leading an organization through growth, turnaround, or significant change.
• Experience with new restaurant development and franchise development.
• Experience implementing technology, operational systems, or process improvements across a multi-state system.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Hospitality, Restaurant Management, or a related field; MBA a plus.