Director of Operations

Director of Operations (Account Excellence Focus)

Reports to: Key Account Manager

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Who You Are

You are food-obsessed and operationally driven. You lead with passion, purpose, and pride, and you understand that exceptional hospitality programs are built on disciplined execution, strong leadership, and teams who win together.

You thrive at the intersection of culinary excellence, operational precision, and data-driven decision-making. You are equally comfortable:

• Leveraging Power BI, dashboards, and analytics to drive smarter business decisions
• Walking the floor and coaching teams in real time
• Engaging with clients and building trusted partnerships

At ISS/Guckenheimer, a chef-driven workplace dining company, we set the standard for culinary excellence, innovation, hospitality, and integrity. You believe operational excellence protects the craft, and you create clarity, accountability, and alignment so teams can perform at their best.

You lead with ownership, think strategically, act decisively, and build strong partnerships that drive meaningful results—especially in times of transformation.

Position Overview

The Director of Operations serves as a strategic partner to both the ISS/Guckenheimer executive leadership team and the client, ensuring all programs align with business objectives, operational priorities, and contractual commitments.

As a visible and engaged leader, the Director of Operations serves as a strategic partner to the Key Account Manager, ensuring alignment between operational execution, client expectations, and business objectives. This role plays a critical part in translating strategy into consistent, high-quality execution across the campus.

The Director of Operations supports the General Manager, Campus Executive Chef, and operations teams by providing clear direction, reinforcing standards, and ensuring accountability at all levels of the organization. Through strong leadership presence and ongoing engagement, the Director drives consistency in service delivery, operational discipline, and adherence to ISS/Guckenheimer standards.

The Director plays a critical role in advancing account excellence, driving consistency, standardization, and innovation across the operation, while leveraging Power BI insights and data analytics to inform decision-making and optimize performance.

Success in this role requires strong business acumen, operational rigor, and a deep understanding of the corporate dining and food & beverage environment, combined with the ability to translate data into action.

How Success Is Measured

Success in this role is defined by an unwavering commitment to hospitality, operational excellence, and delivering exceptional guest experiences every day.

• Sustained client satisfaction and long-term retention
• Operational excellence across the campus with consistent quality and execution
• Strong financial performance through disciplined cost management and forecasting
• High levels of guest engagement and measurable satisfaction
• Development of strong culinary and operations leaders
• Flawless execution of contractual commitments, safety, and compliance standards
• Effective use of Power BI and analytics to drive performance, identify trends, and inform decision-making
• Proactive identification of risks and opportunities through data insights, resulting in measurable operational improvements

Hospitality is not an initiative in this role—it is the standard. Operational discipline and data-driven insight are what make exceptional guest experiences possible.

Key Responsibilities

Data, Analytics & Business Intelligence (Power BI)

• Leverage Power BI and other reporting tools to monitor performance, identify trends, and uncover risks and opportunities
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for operational and client leadership
• Support leadership in making data-based decisions that improve performance, guest experience, and financial outcomes
• Partner with Finance and operational teams to align insights with execution
• Ensure data integrity, consistency, and visibility across all reporting platforms
• Continuously enhance reporting capabilities, dashboards, and KPI tracking
• Drive a culture where decisions are grounded in data, not assumptions

Operational & Client Leadership

• Support operations with a hospitality-first mindset, ensuring every restaurant and service point delivers a consistent and elevated guest experience
• Partner closely with the Key Account Manager, executive leadership team, and client stakeholders to align operational strategy with business objectives
• Ensure consistent execution of ISS/Guckenheimer and client standards across all locations
• Maintain a visible on-site presence, coaching leaders and reinforcing accountability
• Use data and reporting insights to guide operational priorities and improve execution

Financial & Performance Management

• Oversee financial performance including margin management, cost controls, and forecasting accuracy
• Drive accountability for KPIs and performance metrics across the campus
• Utilize Power BI and financial reporting tools to track performance, identify gaps, and drive corrective actions
• Ensure operational systems and reporting tools support accurate, scalable, and timely decision-making

Account Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Drive standardization, optimization, and deployment of best practices across the account
• Ensure delivery on all contract commitments and service level agreements
• Identify opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and enhanced guest experience
• Use data insights to prioritize and validate improvement initiatives
• Lead execution of key initiatives, renovations, and program enhancements

People Leadership & Development

• Build and develop high-performing teams across operations and culinary
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Lead regular leadership alignment meetings to reinforce standards and expectations
• Coach leaders to balance hospitality excellence with operational discipline and data-driven performance management

Food & Workplace Safety

Safety is foundational to guest trust and operational excellence.

• Embed food safety and workplace safety into daily operations
• Ensure kitchens and service areas are organized, clean, and inspection-ready
• Enforce all regulatory, HACCP, and NSF standards
• Oversee allergen control, labeling, and compliance with precision

You set the tone for a culture where safety, operational rigor, and hospitality excellence come together seamlessly.

Core Competencies

Leadership & Influence: Communicates with clarity and confidence, aligns stakeholders, and inspires teams

Client & Guest Focus: Builds trusted relationships and delivers exceptional experiences

Operational Excellence: Drives disciplined execution and scalable systems

Data-Driven Decision Making: Leverages Power BI, analytics, and insights to guide strategy and performance

Drive & Accountability: Owns outcomes and delivers results with urgency and precision

Adaptability & Change Leadership: Thrives in transformation environments and leads through change

Inclusive Leadership: Fosters collaboration, respect, and belonging

Integrity: Leads with transparency and high ethical standards

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods (up to 8 hours per day)
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds
• Maintain professional appearance standards
• Thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment

HSEQ Compliance: All employees must adhere to Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality (HSEQ) policies and procedures to ensure a safe and compliant work environment. This includes following safety protocols, maintaining environmental responsibility, and upholding quality standards in all tasks. Employees are expected to actively participate in HSEQ training and report any potential hazards or compliance concerns.

ISS offers full-time employees a variety of benefits, including medical, dental, life, and disability insurance, as well as a comprehensive leave program based on employment status. The annual salary range for this position is $120000.00  - $140000.00 . Final compensation will be determined based on experience and skills and may vary from the above range.

To Executive Search Firms and Staffing Agencies: ISS Facility Services / Guckenheimer does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered ISS Facility Services / Guckenheimer property, and ISS Facility Services / Guckenheimer will not be obligated to pay a referral fee. This includes resumes submitted directly to Hiring Managers without contacting the ISS Facility Services / Guckenheimer Human Resources Talent Acquisition Department.

As a global organization, ISS Group is committed to making the international community more resilient and just for all people. We encourage diversity and inclusion in their broadest terms, including ethnicity, race, age, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, language, culture, and educational background. We look to lead our industry by example and toby example and to positively influence the market wherever we operate.