Director of Restaurant Operations

Pay

$100,000 – $120,000 Base Salary plus performance bonus and comprehensive benefits.

About the role

Lead a high‑impact airport food & beverage operation for SSP America at Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, CT. This position focuses on operational leadership—not maintenance—and requires building high‑performing teams, improving performance, and delivering sustainable financial results.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a multi‑unit airport restaurant portfolio with $20M+ annual managed sales.
• Manage multiple General Managers and restaurant leadership teams.
• Lead a unionized workforce and maintain productive labor‑management relationships.
• Partner with the Airport Authority, brand partners, labor representatives, and cross‑functional Support Center teams.
• Drive measurable improvements in financial performance, guest experience, and operational execution.
• Maintain brand standards, food safety, inventory controls, and financial performance across multiple concepts.
• Develop high‑performing General Managers through coaching, accountability, and succession planning.
• Collaborate with executive leadership and cross‑functional partners to achieve operational and financial goals.

Success Indicators

• Demonstrated success leading complex airport food & beverage operations through periods of change and growth.
• Building high‑performing General Managers via coaching, accountability, and succession planning.
• Productive labor‑management relationships within a collective bargaining environment.
• Measurable improvements in financial performance, guest experience, and operational execution.
• Culture of accountability, professionalism, and operational excellence.
• Effective management of multiple concepts while balancing brand standards, labor, food safety, inventory controls, and financial performance.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive operational leadership with increasing responsibility across multi‑unit restaurant or food & beverage operations.
• Current or recent leadership of multiple restaurant locations, including direct leadership and development of multiple General Managers.
• Full P&L accountability for a multi‑unit portfolio generating at least $20 million in annual managed sales.
• Demonstrated success leading complex airport food & beverage operations or similarly regulated, high‑volume, multi‑unit environments.
• Proven experience leading unionized operations, including labor relations, contract compliance, issue resolution, and partnership with union representatives.
• Ability to develop senior operational leaders through coaching, succession planning, performance management, and accountability.
• Success improving operational performance via financial analysis, labor optimization, inventory controls, operational discipline, and strategic business planning.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership and cross‑functional business partners to drive operational and financial results.

Preferred Qualifications

• Director of Operations or Regional Operations leadership experience within airport food & beverage operations.
• Experience leading large, geographically dispersed, multi‑brand restaurant portfolios.
• Demonstrated success leading operational turnarounds or improving underperforming multi‑unit businesses.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Basic life & AD&D insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Voluntary benefits: life AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, pet insurance.
• SSP 401(k) plan with employer matching.
• PTO, paid holidays, paid sick leave.
• Bonus eligibility.