PM Director of Operations - Front of House

PM Director of Operations - Front of House | Trabuco...

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• Trabuco Hills Center
• PM Director of Operations - Front of House

PM Director of Operations - Front of House

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Full-time

High school degree

Starting at $28.00 per hour

At Chick-fil-A Trabuco Hills Center, our vision is To Be the Heart of Our Community, and our mission is simple: We make moments magical.

We are a high-growth restaurant looking for an experienced food service leader to own and elevate our PM Front of House operation. This role is for someone who understands restaurant leadership, thrives in high-volume environments, and wants the responsibility of leading people, building systems, and driving results.

Position Overview

The PM Director of Operations - Front of House is responsible for leading all Front of House operations during afternoon, dinner, late night, and closing dayparts.

This role owns the guest experience, team execution, throughput, leadership development, and closing quality of the restaurant each night. The PM Director is responsible not only for running strong shifts, but for building the people, systems, and standards that allow the PM operation to consistently improve.

This person will lead through others, including Team Members, Trainers, Shift Leads, Managers, and developing leaders. The goal is not just to have one strong shift when the Director is present. The goal is to build a PM operation that is clear, consistent, accountable, and strong every night.

What You'll Be Stepping Into

Chick-fil-A Trabuco Hills Center is in a season of growth. We have a strong internal leadership pipeline, but many of our developing leaders are still growing through the Trainer, Shift Lead, and Manager pathways.

We are looking for an experienced food service leader who can bring proven leadership ability into our restaurant while also learning our culture, systems, and standards.

You will not be expected to know Chick-fil-A immediately. You will be expected to bring real restaurant leadership experience, strong operational instincts, humility, adaptability, and the ability to lead leaders.

An experienced leader who joins our team must be willing to learn our systems before trying to change them. We value your experience, but we also expect you to become a student of our culture, our standards, and our way of leading.

Primary Ownership Areas

The PM Director of Operations owns the strength and consistency of the PM Front of House operation, including:

• Afternoon transition into dinner
• Dinner rush execution
• Late night operations
• Closing quality and consistency
• PM team morale and leadership presence
• Guest experience and hospitality standards
• Speed of service and throughput
• Front of House cleanliness, organization, and reset
• PM labor awareness and productivity
• Development of Shift Leads, Managers, Trainers, and Team Members
• Accountability to restaurant standards, systems, and expectations

Shift Expectations

The typical schedule for this role is Tuesday-Saturday, 3:30 PM-11:30 PM, with flexibility based on business needs.

This role is expected to:

• Lead the dinner rush, typically from 5:00 PM-8:00 PM
• Manage late night operations from 8:00 PM-10:00 PM
• Own the closing process after doors close
• Ensure the restaurant is fully cleaned, stocked, organized, and reset for the next day
• Maintain strong communication with senior leadership about wins, gaps, concerns, and needed improvements

The PM Director does not simply "close the restaurant." The PM Director sets the next day up to win.

FOH Operations Leadership

The PM Director owns execution from 3:30 PM through close across all Front of House areas.

This includes:

• Keeping positions properly staffed
• Maintaining urgency and flow
• Giving clear direction to the team
• Supporting leaders during high-volume moments
• Identifying operational slowdowns and solving them in real time
• Ensuring the shift runs smoothly even during pressure
• Holding the team accountable to standards without losing care for people

This role requires a leader who can see the whole floor, anticipate problems before they become bigger issues, and keep the team moving with clarity and confidence.

Hospitality Ownership

The PM Director sets the standard for how every guest is treated during the PM operation.

This includes ensuring Team Members and leaders:

• Make eye contact, smile, and speak in a friendly, respectful tone
• Stay engaged and aware of guests, not just focused on tasks
• Use names and create personal connection when possible
• Go beyond the basics through small touches, refills, check-ins, and genuine care
• Respond quickly and professionally when a guest needs help

The PM Director coaches in real time on:

• Tone of voice
• Body language
• Guest awareness
• Hospitality habits
• Recovery language
• Leadership presence

The goal is a consistent guest experience where every guest feels seen, valued, and taken care of.

Throughput and Speed of Service

The PM Director owns speed, flow, and execution during some of the busiest parts of the day.

This includes ownership of:

• Drive-thru flow
• Order taking efficiency
• Window speed
• Front counter flow
• Guest wait times
• Communication between positions
• Urgency without sacrificing accuracy or hospitality

The PM Director must be able to identify bottlenecks quickly, redirect the team clearly, and maintain calm control during high-volume moments.

Guest Experience and Recovery

The PM Director takes ownership of guest issues and complaints during the PM operation.

This includes training and leading the team to:

• Listen fully to the guest
• Show empathy and understanding
• Apologize when needed
• Fix the issue quickly and confidently
• Leave the guest feeling better than when they came in

The expectation is not just that problems are solved. The expectation is that guest recovery becomes a moment of trust-building.

Closing Excellence

The PM Director owns the quality and consistency of the close every night.

This includes ensuring the team:

• Is supported throughout the shift
• Stays on track with closing responsibilities
• Understands expectations clearly
• Completes responsibilities with urgency and quality
• Gets out on time

The restaurant should be:

• Fully cleaned
• Fully stocked
• Organized
• Reset for the next day
• Ready for the opening team to succeed

The standard is simple: We don't just close. We set up tomorrow to win.

Team Leadership, Development, and Accountability

The PM Director is expected to lead and develop people at multiple levels of the restaurant.

This includes:

• Team Members
• Trainees
• Trainers
• Shift Leads
• Managers
• Developing leaders

The PM Director is responsible for coaching leaders on:

• Giving clear direction
• Prioritizing tasks
• Communicating consistently
• Avoiding mixed messaging
• Holding standards with care
• Leading under pressure
• Developing team members during the shift

This role should create a PM environment where:

• People feel supported during busy shifts
• Workload is distributed fairly
• Expectations are clear
• Leaders are growing
• Accountability is consistent
• Team morale is protected
• Standards are not optional

Systems, Standards, and Continuous Improvement

This is a Director-level role, which means success is not only measured by personal performance on the floor.

The PM Director is expected to identify gaps, build solutions, update systems, and implement improvements that make the restaurant stronger.

This may include improving systems related to:

• Closing checklists
• Position deployment
• Shift communication
• Training execution
• Cleanliness routines
• PM leadership development
• Guest experience
• Speed of service
• Labor and productivity
• Accountability rhythms

The right candidate will not only notice what is broken. They will help build what is needed next.

Money and End-of-Day Procedures

The PM Director owns end-of-day money processes and ensures they are completed accurately and consistently.

This includes:

• Counting drawers
• Verifying cash totals
• Completing required documentation
• Following all money-handling procedures
• Ensuring nightly accuracy
• Preventing repeated errors through coaching, accountability, and system improvement

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means:

• PM shifts run smoothly from transition through close
• Dinner rush is fast, organized, and guest-focused
• Guests consistently feel cared for and valued
• Shift Leads and Managers are growing under your leadership
• Team Members feel supported while still being held accountable
• Labor and productivity are managed responsibly
• Training execution is consistent
• Closing quality is strong every night
• The restaurant is clean, stocked, organized, and reset for the next day
• Gaps are identified and turned into better systems
• The PM operation becomes stronger, not just dependent on one person

Who We're Looking For

The strongest candidates will have:

• Minimum 3 years of food service leadership experience
• 5+ years of total food service experience preferred
• Proven Front of House leadership experience
• High-volume QSR or fast-casual leadership experience strongly preferred
• Sit-down restaurant leadership experience considered
• Experience leading leaders, not just entry-level team members
• Experience owning full shifts, dayparts, or restaurant results
• Strong operational awareness
• Strong hospitality instincts
• Ability to lead under pressure and stay composed
• Ability to coach, correct, and encourage in real time
• Strong communication and follow-through
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to identify gaps and build systems that improve execution
• Humility, adaptability, and a desire to keep growing

General leadership experience outside of food service may be helpful, but this role is best suited for someone with real restaurant leadership experience. We are looking for someone who understands the pace, pressure, guest expectations, and people dynamics of food service.

Our Leadership Culture

At Chick-fil-A Trabuco Hills Center, leadership is not about status. Leadership is service.

We are building leaders who model Character, Hustle, Excellence, and Growth, and who understand that influence must be earned through trust, consistency, humility, and care for others.

We believe leaders should SERVE: they should take responsibility, develop others, stay coachable, and create an environment where people can grow.

That means this role requires humility. Growth is not optional here. We expect leaders to learn from failure, receive feedback well, adapt quickly, and keep getting better.

Expectations

The PM Director is expected to:

• Work dinner and closing shifts consistently
• Be highly visible and engaged on the floor
• Lead by example in both performance and attitude
• Take full ownership of results, not just effort
• Develop leaders, not just direct tasks
• Build systems, not just identify problems
• Communicate clearly with senior leadership
• Hold standards with consistency and care
• Protect both the guest experience and the team experience
• Help build a stronger PM operation over time

What's In It For You

• Competitive pay
• 401(k) matching
• Enhanced employee meal benefits
• Closed on Sundays
• Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
• Real ownership over how the business runs each night
• Opportunity to lead and develop others while making a real impact every day
• A clear path for continued growth and development
• The ability to build and improve systems that drive results
• The chance to help shape the future of a growing restaurant

This Role May Be a Great Fit If You…

• Have already led in a restaurant environment
• Know how to stay calm under pressure
• Can lead leaders, not just complete tasks
• Care about both results and relationships
• Want ownership, not just authority
• Are willing to learn Chick-fil-A systems before trying to change them
• Believe leadership means service, ownership, and responsibility
• Are energized by fast-paced, high-volume operations
• Can build systems and develop people
• Want to help create something stronger than yourself

If you are an experienced food service leader who is ready to own a major part of the restaurant, develop leaders, build systems, and serve at a high level, we would love to meet you.

Work schedule

• 8 hour shift

Supplemental pay

• Other

Benefits

• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off
• Employee discount
• Other

Chick-fil-A - Trabuco Hills Center

27845 Santa Margarita Pkwy, Mission Viejo, CA, 92691

Apply

This job posting is for an opportunity at a Chick-fil-A Restaurant business independently owned and operated by a local franchised Operator. If you choose to apply for this position, you understand and acknowledge that your application and any information included with it will only be submitted to the Operator. Chick-fil-A, Inc. will not receive a copy of your employment application and will not be involved in any decisions regarding whether to hire you. If you are hired for this position, you also understand and acknowledge that the Operator's restaurant business will be your employer, not Chick-fil-A, Inc., and that the Operator is solely responsible for all decisions related to your employment, including hiring, firing, discipline, compensation, scheduling and supervision.

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