Senior Director of Catering Operations

Lead through managers and functional leaders, building leadership capability, succession plans, and a culture of accountability across Culinary, Sales, Events, Finance, HR, and restaurant operations. This leader owns the performance, scalability, and continuous improvement of a complex, multi-channel operation spanning culinary production, facilities, logistics, fleet, warehouse, purchasing, beverage, safety, and event execution.

The Senior Director of Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for our client. This leader owns the performance, scalability, and continuous improvement of a complex, multi-channel operation spanning culinary production, facilities, logistics, fleet, warehouse, purchasing, beverage, safety, and event execution. This role translates company priorities into operating plans, financial targets, performance standards, and accountable team structures balancing long-range planning with disciplined execution to ensure people, processes, systems, and resources support growth, service excellence, safety, and profitability.

Key Responsibilities Strategy & Financial Performance 

• Set the multiyear operational vision and annual priorities for catering and commissary operations; own budgets, forecasts, capital priorities, and productivity targets.
• Establish KPIs across service, quality, safety, labor, cost, and event execution; drive corrective action and present results, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Organizational Leadership & Workforce Planning
• Lead through managers and functional leaders, building leadership capability, succession plans, and a culture of accountability across Culinary, Sales, Events, Finance, HR, and restaurant operations
• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex operational issues and business continuity risks; assess staffing needs and develop team structure across driver, warehouse, and receiving teams. Commissary Programming & Event Operations 
• Set operating strategy and governance for all events and programming; coordinate production, sales, warehouse, and event teams to align logistics across simultaneous events.
• Partner with culinary leadership on pack out execution, improving workflows to reduce errors and maximize use of facility space. Logistics, Fleet & Facilities
• Direct routing, dispatch, scheduling, and delivery performance as well as oversee fleet utilization, maintenance, and compliance.
• Own facilities strategy, capital roadmap, and vendor management for the property, ensuring it remains safe, functional, and code-compliant. Purchasing, Inventory & Beverage Program
• Set sourcing and purchasing strategy for non-food operational categories; manage vendor performance, contracts, par levels, and cost control.
• Oversee catering beverage operations, inventory, and ABC licensing compliance across Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland. Safety, Compliance & Systems
• Maintain OSHA and safety compliance across facility and fleet operations; lead audits, incident reporting, and corrective action plans
• Oversee operational platforms ensuring data integrity, and identify gaps to implement tools, integrations, and SOPs that improve efficiency.
• Perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications and Capabilities
• Ten or more years of progressively responsible operations leadership experience in food and beverage, catering, hospitality, commissary, or distribution, including oversight of multiple functions or locations.
• Proven ownership of operating budgets, forecasts, capital planning, and performance metrics, with demonstrated expertise in logistics, fleet management, facilities, purchasing, and vendor management.
• Proven success leading through managers, developing succession pipelines, and influencing executives and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of OSHA requirements and a track record of building accountable, safety-focused, service-oriented teams.
• Strong command of operational systems, data reporting, and process improvement, with exceptional organizational and communication skills.
• Sound judgment and decisiveness under shifting priorities, with availability to work varied hours, including evenings and weekends, based on event schedules.
• Ability to speak, read, write, and understand the primary language(s) used in the workplace.