Vice President of Operations – SNOWFRUIT

Job Type: Location Type: Not Specified

 

Who are we:

We are part of the Wonderfield Group which includes the YO! Taiko, Bento, AFC Sushi, and SNOWFOX/SNOWFRUIT brands – we operate more than 1500 kiosks, and 60 restaurants, our grab-and-go sushi is available in over 3,700 locations and we have 50 major retail partners. Our key markets are the USA, Canada, and the UK with additional geographic presence in Europe and Australia. Our JFE Franchising, Inc. brands are:

SNOWFOX – the franchisor of over 1,000 full-service sushi kiosks in 25 states throughout the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Alaska.

SNOWFRUIT – the franchisor of over 1,000 fresh cut fruit and vegetables throughout the U.S. – Refreshingly, Crips and Flavorful!

Our Purpose:

We Believe in Better Food for Everyone, The Japanese Way…

We continue to capitalize on consumer trends, spearheading category growth by bringing our proposition to more people around the world across more channels, in more locations, on more occasions, and in more innovative ways. We are committed to purposeful progress and profit for the benefit of our people, our communities, and our planet and we have a clear ESG strategy that delivers progress against nine UN sustainability development goals.

Our Values:

Own it

We are accountable and make no excuses – We always look to improve. We take the initiative and are courageous and confident.

Care about it

We do the right thing, avoiding unnecessary shortcuts- We act with integrity and respect our communities, people, and our planet.

Make it Exceptional

We build relationships and make people smile- We say thank you – We’re positive and kind

Win Together

We’re open-minded and inclusive. We communicate clearly. We take time to look out for others and celebrate the good stuff.

Overview of the role:

The Vice President of Operations is a key role within SNOWFRUIT, reporting directly to the Executive President. This position is tasked with overseeing all operational aspects of the business, ensuring that company objectives are achieved. Responsibilities encompass leading negotiations, managing budgets, overseeing purchases, and implementing efficient workflows to optimize SNOWFRUIT’s productivity and performance.

The VP of Operations is instrumental in developing long-term operational strategies and collaborates closely with senior management to align these strategies with the company’s objectives.

An exceptional candidate for this role should not only possess outstanding communication abilities and exemplary organizational skills, but also demonstrate a strong leadership presence. Strategic planning, problem-solving acumen, financial understanding, project management expertise, negotiation skills, and relevant technical proficiency are all critical competencies for this position.

This role is pivotal in driving SNOWFRUIT’s success and requires a dynamic individual who can balance multiple responsibilities while maintaining a strategic focus.

3 Best Things about the job

• Maximize efficiency and productivity through extensive process analysis and interdepartmental collaboration.
• Analyze current operational processes and performance, recommending solutions for improvement where necessary.
• Building a relationship of trust with our Partners and working together towards goals.

Key Accountabilities:

• Develop, implement, and monitor day-to-day operational systems and processes to provide visibility into the goals, progress, and obstacles of key initiatives.
• Oversees manufacturing, purchasing, and sales departments, ensuring each is reaching goals set by departmental and company leadership.
• Plan, monitor, and analyze key metrics for day-to-day operations to ensure efficient and timely completion of tasks.
• Clearly communicate business objectives to your Directors of Operations, so that they remain well informed of business activity and of their required contribution to targets.
• Work closely with your HR, to identify potential HR/ People risks, and mitigate any concerns before they escalate.
• Develop monthly business plans with your Directors to ensure mutual objectives are achieved.
• Track sales data and sales trends to find ways to drive and maximize the sales performance and profitability throughout the assigned region by analyzing weekly sales data, monthly PnL and weekly scorecard.
• Build relationships with our Partners to ensure achievement of desired results.
• Collaborating with leadership to build an environment of collective responsibility and accountability.
• Together with the EVP successfully open all new planned stores according to budgeted sales.
• Ensure the whole of SNOWFRUIT has 100% completion on Safety Culture Logs through daily tracking.

• Driving employees and leading performance reviews, to ensure an engaged and skilled workforce.
• Create innovative plans to continually improve regional support to our employees, franchisees, and partners.
• Provide visionary leadership to the operations team, setting clear goals, objectives, and performance expectations.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations, ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality products
• Develop and implement strategic plans to drive growth, profitability, and market share, aligning with the company’s overall mission and objectives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including culinary, training and opening, procurement, contract and finance, to optimize operational processes and achieve business targets.
• Monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs), identifying trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement. Develop and execute action plans based on insights.
• Ensure the operations ways of working and 4 focus are established and prioritized at all time.
• Foster a culture of excellence, teamwork, and continuous improvement within the operations team. Provide mentorship, coaching, and professional development opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety regulations is in place.
• Prepare and present weekly reports to the EVP, providing insights into operational performance, challenges, opportunities and SMART actions.

What you‘ll need:

• Previous Senior Director Experience is a must. Minimum 5 years’ experience in the previous leadership position required.
• Superior knowledge of multiple operational functions and principles, including finance, customer service, production, and employee management.
• Proven ability to plan and manage operational processes for maximum efficiency and productivity.
• Strong working knowledge of industry regulations and legal guidelines.
• Experience in developing budgets and business plans.
• Highly organized with the ability to plan multiple ongoing regional projects.
• Working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operation metrics.
• Outstanding communication and people skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong ethical leadership abilities.
• Excellent analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Able to bring an element of excitement to the role, and pass this on to the teams managed.

Please note a minimum of 40 hours per week is required. Due to the 7-day nature of our operation, some weekend work may be required, however you will manage your own schedule according to the business needs.