Central Operations Director – Hospitality/Retail

We are seeking an experienced central operations leader who is passionate about people, delivering outstanding service to guests and colleagues, driving change, and achieving performance through high standards.

This role is accountable for internal communication, labour productivity, guest services, delivery operations, and operational project support. You will challenge and govern labour productivity, scheduling, compliance, and rota management across our estate.

You will optimise performance through accurate sales forecasting, compliance scheduling, and cost management, ensuring our targets are consistently met.

What You’ll Do

• Effectively support our outlets through accurate planning, forecasting, and resource management
• Oversee internal communications, ensuring consistency and alignment with strategic goals
• Identify and implement process improvements to reduce costs, meet SLAs, and enhance workforce flexibility
• Manage and report work in progress (WIP) to senior leadership, providing accurate forecasts for each period
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement across teams
• Regularly review guest issue resolution processes to ensure timely and high-quality handling
• Champion the guest perspective, identifying opportunities to improve their experience

What You’ll Need

• Minimum of 4 - 5 years’ Director level experience in central Operations within a large hospitality / food or retail brand - or similar
• Proven track record of leading a culture of continuous improvement
• Experience influencing guest service strategy at a senior level
• Strong understanding of guest needs and a commitment to putting the guest first
• Comfortable driving change and managing projects in a dynamic environment
• Demonstrated success in improving guest satisfaction and reducing costs in line with business KPIs
• Expertise in guest complaints management
• Experience in resource management and labour productivity, including use of workforce management systems (ideally Fourth)

Who You’ll Be Working With

• Executive Director – Operations
• People & Culture Director
• Director of Change
• Marketing Director