Senior Manager, Operations, Americas

WHO WE ARE

We’re not in the wing business. We’re in the flavor business. It’s been our mission to Serve the World Flavor since we first opened in 1994, and we’re just getting started. 1997 saw the opening of our first brand partner operated Wingstop location, and by 2002 we had served the world one billion wings. It’s flavor that defines us and has made Wingstop one of the fastest growing brands in the restaurant industry.

Above all else – our success is largely due to our people and our core values, or what we call The Wingstop Way of being entrepreneurial, service-minded, fun, and authentic. We believe having a strong people foundation centered on these collective values creates a crave-worthy culture and talented team, as well as ensures our brand is poised for accelerated growth. We all win together.

WHAT WE'LL NEED

The Senior Manager, Operations is a dynamic, hands-on leader responsible for driving operational standards, efficiency, and building capability across our markets in the Americas. This role blends deep operational expertise with strong commercial acumen, project leadership, and people development.

Reporting directly to the Ops Director, Americas, the role acts as a strategic right hand, shaping and executing operational improvement initiatives that elevate brand integrity, unlock profitability, and strengthen brand partner performance. 

This Ops leader gets energy from working in an entrepreneurial environment at pace, building systems, frameworks, and new market entry plans. They operate with humility, collaboration, and relentless focus on results.  

The ideal candidate loves being hands on from the fryer up and is comfortable leading multiple markets, business partners, and priorities. This role will be critical in building a premium lifestyle brand across the region with multiple New Market Entries planned. The Senior Manager, Operation plays a pivotal role in executing the Americas Ops strategy, driving scalable systems and performance improvements to support rapid growth and brand consistency. 

The leader will build out a team of Ops Excellence coaches and New Market Entry Managers on our quest towards Global Flavour Domination!  

Candidate must be bi-lingual: English and Spanish. Portuguese desirable. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Business, Food Service Management, or a related field; MBA preferred.
• 7–10 years of progressive experience in regional operations, training, or a related field, ideally within a major restaurant or hotel brand.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Strong business acumen with the ability to develop, analyze, and negotiate business agreements.
• Proven ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in one or more of the following areas: Operations, Training, People Management, Restaurant Audits, or New Market Launches

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Operational Leadership & Excellence 

• Design and embed consistent operating standards and performance routines across markets. 

• Identify and drive efficiency, margin, and throughput improvements through analytics and insight. 

• Partner cross-functionally (Finance, QA, Training, Development) and across regions to align with brand and financial goals. 

• Lead operational innovation -including non-traditional formats (e.g., Drive Thru) and equipment/process trials—from concept to rollout. 

• Leverage digital tools and dashboards to monitor performance and identify improvement opportunities. 

• Ensure all initiatives are measurable, scalable, and embedded into daily field operations. 

Project & Change Management 

• Translate strategic business priorities into executable projects with clear pacing, ownership, and milestones. 

• Drive adoption and sustainability of new initiatives through structured change management, stakeholder engagement, and consistent follow-up.  

Coaching, Capability & People Development 

• Conduct regular Brand Partner restaurant visits to coach, train, and develop teams—ensuring brand protection and operational excellence. 

• Lead and develop the New Market Entry (NME) Team, ensuring successful new market launches and continuous partner support. 

• Create and deliver targeted capability-building programs for field leaders and partners. 

• Serve as a mentor and coach, developing both immediate team members and future successors. 

Commercial & Strategic Acumen 

• Demonstrate strong P&L literacy -linking operational decisions directly to financial outcomes. 

• Evaluate and prioritize opportunities, balancing brand standards, efficiency, and commercial viability. 

• Provide operational insights to shape regional and business planning.  

Influence & Communication 

• Communicate complex operational narratives through clear, compelling storytelling and executive-ready presentations. 

• Act as a liaison between WRI Corporate and Brand Partners, ensuring alignment, clarity, and partnership. 

Brand Integrity & Safety 

• Uphold food safety, QA, and compliance standards with rigor. 

• Lead third-party QSC audits and Voice of the Guest (SMG) programs, ensuring continuous improvement. 

• Act decisively when operational or brand integrity is at risk. 

WHO YOU ARE

No job is too small. You recognize that the real work happens in the restaurants, and everything we do should support their success. You stay humble, roll up your sleeves, and always look for ways to help. You learn from others and contribute wherever you can.

You care deeply about doing great work and driving results. You’re curious, ask questions, and seek out opportunities to improve. You don’t just point out problems—you bring solutions, ideas, and perspectives that move the team forward.

You take full responsibility for your work and see things through to completion. You aren’t afraid to fail because you know that failure is a part of learning and growth. You take action, move fast, and keep pushing forward.

You lead with empathy, respect, and emotional intelligence. You collaborate effectively, fostering a culture of trust and constructive feedback. You understand the importance of teamwork and ensure that your actions build others up rather than break them down.

You push yourself and others to be better. You embrace healthy conflict, knowing that great ideas and strong teams emerge from honest, constructive conversations. You believe that leaders create leaders and are committed to fostering a culture of growth, challenge, and continuous improvement.

A Day in the Life

• Frequent use of a computer and other technology is essential to the successful completion of your everyday responsibilities. 
• Regularly engage in collaborative communication, leveraging critical thinking and interpersonal skills to exchange ideas and information with cross-functional teams, brand partners, and the broader Wingstop team. 
• Routine regional travel (approximately 60%) and a flexible schedule that may include extended days, weekends, and holidays to support business operations.
• Routine needs to shift priorities among simultaneous projects, while upholding quality and sense of urgency.