Manager of Operations Excellence and Growth

Department: Training Reports to: Director of Ops Excellence

Position Overview

The Manager of Operations Excellence is responsible for driving operational consistency, supporting restaurant performance, and executing initiatives that strengthen the guest and team member experience across Naked Farmer. This role focuses on translating company standards into practical tools, training programs, and processes that help restaurant teams operate efficiently and consistently.

Working closely with Operations, Culinary, People, and Finance, this role supports new restaurant openings (NROs), field training, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and the implementation of operational initiatives across new and existing restaurants.

The Manager of Operations Excellence serves as a key connection between field operations and the support center, helping identify opportunities for improvement, develop scalable solutions, and ensure restaurant teams have the resources, training, and guidance needed to succeed.

As Naked Farmer continues to grow, this role will help strengthen the operational systems, training resources, and processes that support expansion while maintaining the quality, culture, and guest experience that define the brand.

Key Responsibilities

New Restaurant Openings (NROs)

• Support the planning and execution of operational readiness and training for all new restaurant openings.

• Coordinate NRO training agendas, schedules, and execution timelines in partnership with Operations and cross-functional teams.

• Organize and support NRO training teams, deployment plans, and on-site training activities.

• Partner with Operations, Culinary, People, and Finance to ensure restaurants are prepared for opening.

• Maintain and improve NRO playbooks, checklists, training materials, and operational tools.

• Support pre-opening preparation, opening week execution, and post-opening stabilization.

• Track opening readiness, identify gaps, and communicate opportunities for improvement to leadership.

• Support consistent opening standards across markets as the company expands.

Training & Development

• Execute and support scalable training programs for hourly team members and restaurant leaders.

• Develop and maintain onboarding materials, training guides, and operational learning resources.

• Support leadership development and skill-building initiatives in partnership with Operations and People.

• Ensure training materials reflect Naked Farmer's brand standards, operational expectations, food quality, and guest experience.

• Partner with field leaders to identify training gaps and implement targeted solutions.

• Evaluate training effectiveness through field observations, feedback, and performance metrics.

• Support the rollout of new menu items, systems, technologies, and operational procedures through effective training and communication.

Operational Excellence

• Support the execution of the Operations Excellence strategy across new and existing restaurants.

• Identify operational gaps and opportunities to improve consistency, productivity, accountability, and restaurant performance.

• Develop, document, and maintain SOPs, operational playbooks, checklists, and other restaurant resources.

• Partner with Operations leadership to support restaurant execution and reinforce brand standards.

• Coordinate the implementation of operational initiatives and process improvements across the restaurant portfolio.

• Collaborate with Operations Services and other support center teams to resolve operational challenges and improve restaurant support.

• Gather feedback from field teams to identify recurring challenges and recommend practical solutions.

• Monitor implementation progress and communicate results, risks, and opportunities to relevant stakeholders.

• Help ensure operational tools and processes remain current, accessible, and easy for restaurant teams to use.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Field Support

• Serve as a resource for restaurant leaders and field operations teams on operational standards, processes, and training.

• Build strong relationships with restaurant teams to understand challenges and support consistent execution.

• Communicate operational updates, process changes, and new initiatives clearly and effectively.

• Coordinate with cross-functional partners to ensure initiatives are implemented consistently and on schedule.

• Travel to restaurants to support training, operational assessments, new openings, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Share field insights and recommendations with leadership to strengthen operational effectiveness.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of restaurant or hospitality operations, training, or field leadership experience.

• Experience supporting restaurant openings, field training, operational initiatives, or multi-unit restaurant operations.

• Strong understanding of restaurant operations, food quality, service standards, and guest experience.

• Experience developing and maintaining SOPs, training materials, checklists, and operational tools.

• Proven ability to organize projects, manage timelines, and execute initiatives across multiple locations.

• Strong communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.

• Ability to work cross-functionally with Operations, Culinary, People, Finance, and other support center teams.

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, growing restaurant organization.

• Ability to travel approximately 50–70%, with additional travel as needed to support new restaurant openings and field priorities.

What Success Looks Like

• New restaurants are operationally prepared, trained, and positioned for a successful opening.

• NRO training and opening processes are consistent, organized, and repeatable across markets.

• Restaurant teams have access to clear, current SOPs and practical training resources.

• Operational initiatives are implemented consistently and effectively across new and existing restaurants.

• Field leaders feel supported and equipped to execute brand standards and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

• Training gaps and operational challenges are identified and addressed proactively.

• Processes become more efficient, repeatable, and scalable as Naked Farmer grows.

• Cross-functional communication improves alignment between restaurant teams and the support center.

What This Role Builds

As Naked Farmer continues to expand, the Manager of Operations Excellence will help build and maintain the training resources, operational playbooks, and systems that support consistent restaurant execution. Through strong field partnerships, effective implementation, and continuous improvement, this role will help ensure that growth does not come at the expense of food quality, team culture, or the guest experience.

ABOUT NAKED FARMER

Naked Farmer is built on a mission to build a better food system for all by connecting farmers to the community. We build seasonal recipes based on what’s growing in our region and know farmers on a first-name basis.

We were born in the global pandemic, pivoting the entire company to get fresh food from farm to door at a time when real food was flying off the shelves at the grocery store. Since then, we’ve built a culture of resilience and transparency through our open book management, profit-sharing plans, and dedication to telling the story behind the farmers who grow our local food supply.

Our mission is to build a better food system for everyone by becoming 100% locally sourced. We’re entering a period of expansion, opening in new cities and using the platform we’ve built to create more transparency around sourcing, cooking, and investing in regional food systems that support farmers, communities, and chefs.

We currently operate restaurants in Florida and North Carolina and are entering a period of rapid growth and expansion across multiple states.

And did we mention free Naked Farmer for all employees? We recommend the sweet potatoes.

Come build the future of food with us.