Director of Operations

Boka Restaurant Group is currently seeking a Director of Operations.

The Director of Operations will oversee the food and beverage (F&B) operations within a multi-outlet hotel, including banquet services, in-room dining, and the restaurants. This role requires strong leadership and financial management skills to ensure seamless integration of brand standards between the hotel and Boka Restaurant Group (BRG). The Director will lead a team focused on delivering exceptional service and culinary experiences while managing operational and financial performance.

Benefits & Perks: Health, Dental, and Voluntary Benefits Package (available after 90 days), employer-sponsored mental health and resource program, free membership to Chicago Athletic Clubs, 401(k) program, life insurance, wellness benefits, paid parental leave, paid vacation, career mentorship and growth potential, and dining incentives across our 20+ establishments!

About Boka Restaurant Group: Boka Restaurant Group is a James Beard Award-winning group, anchored by partnerships with some of America's greatest chefs. With a firm belief that genuine hospitality makes the world a more human place, we strive beyond convention to believe in and support each other, care for our communities, and work together to build the world we want to live in.

Director of Operations' Responsibilities:

Leadership – A strong leader in this role will effectively oversee multi-outlet hotel operations, foster collaboration across teams, and drive successful project completions while upholding the highest standards of food, service and financial performance.

• Drive day-to-day operational excellence, while overseeing progress towards F&B sales and profitability goals.
• Foster employee engagement and cultivate a happy and productive work environment, including developing a culture to hire and retain strong talent, and grow and promote from within.
• Lead hiring and training of food and service focused general managers, ensuring each outlet is staffed with high-quality leadership to continue training and education for all managers.
• Strive to be the best-in-class for guest satisfaction, ensuring that guest inquiries and feedback are promptly addressed, and overseeing staff training programs.
• Manage compliance and management of the facilities, including overseeing R&M needs across your assigned locations.
• Lead employee relations management within your operations, ranging from taking initial complaints and/or deescalating situations, to partnering with the VP of Operations and HR to resolve major escalations, as required.
• Lead management teams in strategic planning for key revenue opportunities, including major holidays, peak hotel seasons, weddings, and corporate or major in-town conferences, while providing insightful analyses to optimize operational hours, improve turn times and reservation pacing, and maximize banquet bookings.
• Oversee all F&B outlets and manage day-to-day operations across multiple dining venues, including restaurants, bars, banquet facilities, and in-room dining.
• Lead communications for BRG with hotel GM and management team to achieve all financial, culinary and service standards, as well as team member and guest satisfaction expectations.

Financial – accountability to delivering results to budget, and working with restaurant, in room dining and banquet leadership teams to produce deliverables according to the rhythm of the business.

• Partner with the GMs, culinary teams, sales teams, and banquet managers to anticipate P&L results, through regular tracking of revenue and costs, and as needed, drive corrective actions to meet profitability goals.
• Manage multi-outlet hotel, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost control for large banquets, in-room dining, 3-meal service restaurants, and a significant beverage program.
• Manage business review preparation, for executive P&L reviews and where applicable, meetings with external stakeholders and hotel leadership.
• Oversee maintenance of organized systems at each entity and deliver/ensure that reporting deliverables are timely and complete.
• Deep understanding of hotel banquets and private dining operations, with a focus on maximizing event revenue, proper staffing levels, and guest satisfaction.

Collaboration – As a leader in BRG Operations, you will partner day-to-day with cross-team organizations, including but not limited to:

• Executive team: coordinate and implement cross-company initiatives at restaurant locations, and identify cross-team needs and requirements for operational excellence (accounting, HR, marketing, etc.).
• Accounting: oversee annual planning cycle in partnership with the VP of operations and restaurant management teams.
• Chef Partner: ensure clear communication with chef and culinary management to achieve all standards and concept visions.
• Events: manage collaboration between events and operations teams to drive sales, profitability, and positive guest satisfaction.
• HR: ensure teams are following all HR procedures, including payroll, labor compliance, employee lifecycle, and health & safety systems.
• Marketing: identify and plan restaurant marketing initiatives, in alignment with group-wide marketing strategy.
• Recruiting: manage open requisitions, including managing recruitment processes and maintain open and regular communication on current/anticipated needs.
• Safety & Facilities: drive alignment and compliance with systems to mitigate risk, and set the tone for a culture of safety and compliance at the restaurants.
• Training & Development: identify training and development needs, participate in developing training protocols, and implementation of training programs.
• Development Team: Manage the Critical Path to Open for new projects and outlet refreshes, ensuring all milestones are met and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time and within scope.
• Banquet Sales Team: understanding sales processes, banquet sales, and client requirements to drive performance and maximize bookings.
• Hotel Brand Partners: ensure seamless communication and alignment with brand standards and hotel partner expectations.

This is an ideal position for someone who is dedicated to providing great service and is seeking to become a member of a hard-working and fun team!

Physical Requirements:

• Lift and move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Safely and effectively use all necessary tools, equipment, & cleaning chemicals.
• Stand and walk for an entire shift, including moving safely through all areas of the restaurant, which may include stairs, uneven and slick surfaces.
• Ability to bear exposure to hot and cold environments.

If you feel you meet the requirements, are a team player, experienced, passionate, and dedicated to your craft, we want to hear from you! Please reply with a copy of your resume AND a cover letter detailing why you'd be a great addition to our team!