VP, Field Operations (IHOP)

Reporting directly to the SVP, Operations – the Vice President. Field Operations for IHOP plays an important strategic role in the success of the brand. The Vice President, Field Operations is charged with driving and developing franchisee relationships and implementing operations and business strategies designed to achieve objectives focused on driving sales, guest count, and profits for the business. The successful candidate will select, , develop, manage, and build a team to work across franchise operations working closely with brand leadership and IHOP support team members as well as the franchise groups – at times directly and also through their Regional Directors and Franchisee Business Consultants.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Lead a team to develop trusting business partnerships with franchise principals through open communications, proactively seeking input for key business decisions, providing business options for franchisees to consider, and allocation of useful resources to support franchisee and restaurant needs
• Contribute to and uphold the standards for franchise compliance as outlined in the operating standards manuals
• Periodically review content, layout and design of franchise manuals and other communications tools
• Help ensure that corporate departments – most specifically Training, Marketing, Development and Strat Ops - deliver services and resources to franchisees in an appropriate and timely fashion
• Help ensure franchise partners achieve business and development commitment goals; specific to development, this leader will work with the VP Development to ensure there is a strategy in each region to achieve or exceed projected growth:
  • Encourage successful franchisees to commit to additional new restaurant development within their territory and or to expand to additional development territory
  • Work closely with the Development & Franchise Administration teams including real estate, construction, design, facilities, and market analysis to ensure optimal site selection and performance for franchisees
• Ensuring all pre- and post-opening new unit activities and follow-ups are scheduled and executed by various departments and region team members. Moreover, ensuring that Region Teams execute the Lock Process with relationship to new restaurant openings and that there is consistency of execution in every Region.
• Present the franchisee “point of view” to senior brand leadership through meetings and timely discussions to ensure that needed dialogue with franchisees occurs so franchisees needs, and concerns are heard
• Coordinate and participate in franchise business meetings, conventions, Franchisee Leadership Counsel and Franchisee Operations Committee meetings as needed or required and additionally conducting Franchise Operations Meetings with Franchisees when requested – supporting brand and franchisee business objectives are met
• Set targets and provide ongoing analysis/reporting on results against objectives to ascertain performance level as related to Score Card Metrics, AB Measures and related operational success criteria

Ideal Candidate Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, hospitality management, or related field required with and advanced degree a plus
• Minimum of 12 years of leadership operations experience with a franchise business
• 5 years multi-unit management experience; family dining restaurant segment experience preferred with third level multi-unit experience required
• Solid general business foundation that incorporates the disciplines of marketing, development, finance, and human resources
• Personal track record of growing a profitable multi-unit region for domestic US, preferably in the casual dining segment
• Blend of strategic thinking ability coupled with willingness and enthusiasm to engage in hands-on activities
• Proven expertise in building consensus and positively influencing operations within a multi-unit company/franchise chain
• Solid analytical and problem-solving skills with the capacity for managing complexity
• Proven leadership growing and developing a team while also participating as an integral, energetic, and engaged member of the corporate executive team
• Passion for setting clear, measurable objectives, delegating responsibility, recognizing outstanding performance, and correcting sub-par performance
• Willingness and ability to travel overnight up to 50% of the time
• Personal characteristics include: high level of integrity, superior communication skills (both verbal and written), strong interpersonal skills, resilience, service-oriented, and a collaborative influence style
• Ability to lead, establish, build, and maintain superior professional team and work well with subordinates, cross-functional teams, senior executives, and the vendor and operator/franchisee community
• Proven ability to set clear, measurable objectives, delegating responsibility, recognizing outstanding performance, and correcting sub-par performance
• Excellent project management and delegation skills