General Manager - Operations (QSR)

About the Role

Our client, a prominent national food and beverage group with notable brand presence and strong growth ambitions, is introducing an exciting new restaurant concept in Australia. This offers a unique chance to join a team that combines startup energy with the backing of an established organisation.

The newly created General Manager of Operations position will be pivotal in establishing operational rhythms, building team capabilities, and instilling commercial discipline necessary to transform this promising concept into a scalable national brand.

Reporting directly to the CEO, this role involves oversight of operational performance and leading scalable expansion of a developing restaurant network. It is a hands-on leadership responsibility focused on constructing the operating model, embedding systems and processes, team development, and ensuring each outlet achieves strong commercial results, consistent quality standards, and excellent customer experiences.

Initially centring on company-owned restaurants, the General Manager will crucially validate and refine the business model before progressing to broader network growth. The role demands attention to operational details such as food costs, labor, service throughput, compliance, team talent, and store profitability, creating a repeatable and scalable model.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations across an expanding restaurant network.
• Develop and implement the operating model covering sales, labor, food costs, service, compliance, and profitability.
• Establish systems, processes, reporting routines, and standards to support growth at scale.
• Lead, mentor, and enhance competencies of restaurant managers and operational teams preparing for future openings.
• Manage new store launches ensuring readiness to perform from day one.
• Collaborate with internal departments including marketing, property, product, finance, and HR to drive growth and operational performance.
• Leverage data, customer insights, and financial reports to uncover opportunities and improve results.
• Ensure each restaurant operates efficiently, profitably, and complies with brand standards, regulations, and company policies.
• Promote superior customer experience and embed operational discipline to support sustainable expansion.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have senior-level experience in QSR, hospitality, or food retail operations—titles such as General Manager, Head of Operations, State Manager, National Operations Manager, or Director of Operations are typical. Demonstrated success managing multi-site operations with proven ability to deliver results across sales, labor, food cost, service, compliance, and customer satisfaction is essential.

Experience in high-growth scenarios, launch of new concepts, new markets, or scale-up businesses is highly valued. The role requires a versatile operator who can bridge strategy and hands-on execution, develop operational playbooks, set clear standards, coach teams, address problems promptly, and remain closely connected to ground-level realities.

Strong commercial insight, operational rigor, and proven track record of enhancing multi-location performance will be key. The candidate must effectively use data, reporting, and structured rhythms to create accountability while prioritising positive customer and team experiences.

Adaptability, resilience, and comfort in evolving and partly formed environments are important, as this is an opportunity to help shape an emerging restaurant business. The successful professional will possess high energy, curiosity, ownership mentality, and the ability to impose necessary structure, make sound decisions, and maintain momentum in a fast-paced setting.

Crucially, the person will be a visible, credible leader who builds trust rapidly across teams, executives, and partners. They will balance diplomacy with straightforward communication, knowing when to support, challenge, and bring stakeholders along.

What the Role Offers

• Leadership of operations for a fast-growing restaurant concept entering the Australian market.
• Opportunity to work within a well-established national multi-brand food and beverage group with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• A prominent leadership position with substantial influence over operations, customer experience, and commercial success.

Diversity and Inclusion

The hiring organisation recognises the Traditional Custodians of the lands it operates on and is committed to fostering diversity, inclusion, belonging, flexibility, and accessibility. Candidates requiring assistance during recruitment are encouraged to request accommodations.