Head of Restaurant Development

Head of Restaurant Development

The Head of Restaurant Development is responsible for leading the strategic growth and operational evolution of restaurants and new formats. This role requires an experienced Operations and People Leader to oversee new concept creation, end-to-end project delivery, dine-out excellence, and labour optimisation strategies to drive sustainable profitability and brand growth. This role is a key enabler in the business meeting its multi-year plan, as well as delivering the labour and productivity assumptions in any year.

• Lead, coach, and develop the restaurant implementation team to ensure they are equipped with the tools, processes, and support needed to deliver high‑quality operational execution across all sites
• Oversee the deployment and optimisation of operational tools that enable restaurants to perform effectively, ensuring teams have the right systems, resources, and guidance to deliver great guest experiences
• Own the labour optimisation agenda by ensuring the business has robust tools, data, and processes that support “right hours, right place” scheduling, enabling efficient labour deployment and cost control
• Lead the end‑to‑end delivery of new restaurant formats, concepts, and special projects, ensuring they are operationally viable, commercially sound, and scalable
• Evaluate, design, and oversee operational trials and new initiatives, ensuring they are thoroughly tested, clearly defined, and operationally sound before being scaled across the estate
• Translate trial outcomes into actionable recommendations, ensuring learnings are captured, risks are mitigated, and rollouts are delivered smoothly and effectively
• Leads and oversees the function responsible for Health & Safety and Food Safety compliance across Operations, ensuring that robust systems and governance frameworks are in place, including the consistent achievement of 5* EHO ratings across all sites

What you’ll need: 

• Strong experience in operational management in the restaurant or hospitality industry, with some of that time spent in a senior leadership role.
• Proven track record of improving operational efficiency and profitability in a multi-unit restaurant or hospitality business.
• Strong track record in delivering future state operations plans
• Strong track record in project management and delivery
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate a diverse team.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of the latest trends in the restaurant industry and operational best practices.

What’s in it for you:

• Cash car allowance 
• Bonus of up to 30% of your base salary 
• BUPA medical and dental care 
• 25 days plus bank holidays
• 6% pension employer contribution