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Director of Operations, Food and Beverage
Charleston, SC | $95,000 to $130,000 base plus performance bonus

A multi-location foodservice and hospitality organization in the Charleston market is hiring a Director of Operations to provide leadership and operational oversight across its portfolio of locations. The company has built a strong local reputation on consistent guest experiences and a positive team culture, and is now seeking an experienced operations leader to build the systems and accountability structures that support continued growth. This role reports directly to the ownership team.

Schedule
Full-time, exempt. This role requires availability during evenings, weekends, holidays, and peak business periods. Frequent travel between locations within the Charleston market is expected. Increased on-site presence is required during high-volume seasonal periods.

Compensation
$95,000 to $130,000 base salary, plus a performance-based bonus opportunity. Final offer is based on experience, qualifications, and scope of prior multi-unit leadership.

What You'll Do

As Director of Operations, you will provide day-to-day leadership and oversight across multiple operating locations, ensuring consistent execution of service, quality, cleanliness, and operational standards. You will conduct regular site visits, lead operational audits, and hold location managers accountable to defined performance benchmarks. When gaps are identified, you will develop and implement corrective action plans and track results against measurable outcomes.

On the financial side, you will own labor cost management, scheduling consistency, and workforce planning across the portfolio. You will monitor operating costs, analyze sales and labor data against KPIs, and develop action plans to improve margins and location-level profitability. The expectation is that locations consistently achieve their financial and operational targets, and you will be responsible for building the processes that make that repeatable.

Building leadership capacity is a central part of this role. You will recruit, develop, coach, and retain location managers and frontline supervisors, establish clear performance expectations, and build succession plans that reduce dependence on any single individual. You will conduct formal performance evaluations and create individual development plans for members of the management team.

You will also take ownership of the organization's SOP infrastructure, documenting, training, and auditing procedures across all locations to ensure they are followed consistently. This includes maintaining compliance with health, safety, employment, and operational regulations, and establishing standardized protocols for injury reporting, workers' compensation, and emergency response.

At the strategic level, you will partner with ownership on growth initiatives, vendor management, inventory control, and operational planning, providing regular reporting and operational insights that support longer-term decision-making.

Required Qualifications

• 5 or more years of multi-unit operational leadership experience, managing multiple locations simultaneously

• Demonstrated ability to improve operational performance, reduce costs, and drive management accountability

• Strong working knowledge of labor management, cost controls, and operational KPIs

• Experience developing and leading location-level management teams

• Experience managing seasonal staffing and fluctuating volume environments

• Proficiency with POS systems, labor management software, scheduling platforms, and operational reporting tools

• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Hospitality Management, Restaurant Management, Finance, or a related field

• Background specifically in restaurants, multi-unit food and beverage, or hospitality operations

• Experience in tourism-adjacent or high-seasonality service environments

• Prior experience transitioning an operation from reactive to proactive management structures

• Familiarity with building or overhauling SOP libraries and training frameworks

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary of $95,000 to $130,000, plus performance-based bonus

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k)

• Paid time off

• Direct reporting relationship to ownership with visibility into strategic business decisions

To apply, submit your resume through this posting. Qualified candidates will be contacted directly.