Director, Ops Excellence - International

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 Director of Operations Excellence, International is responsible for defining and leading the global strategy for operational excellence across all international markets. This role ensures scalable, consistent, and high-performing restaurant operations that deliver exceptional guest experiences while protecting and elevating the Wingstop brand.

This leader partners cross-functionally with Regional Operations teams, Managing Directors, internal stakeholders, Brand Partners, and third-party vendors to drive operational performance, build capability, and embed best-in-class standards across a rapidly growing global system. 

Global Strategy & Leadership 

• Define and lead the global operating system, including standards, KPI’s and governance across both legacy and New Markets. 
• Own the QSC programme, including brand standards, audit frameworks, and food safety 
• Act as the global custodian of the Operations Manual and SOPs, maintaining a single source of truth for execution 
• Define, simplify, and continuously evolve standards, playbooks, and execution frameworks across core operations, product, and brand initiatives 
• Ensure all initiatives, including product launches and campaigns, are translated into clear, executable SOPs and operating standards 
• Drive consistent adoption, compliance, and accountability across all markets 
• Ownership of third-party vendor relationships

Guest Experience & Insights

• Own International Guest Experience performance, including SMG programme adoption, execution, and continuous improvement across markets, ensuring insights translate into clear operational actions and measurable outcomes 
• Partner with COE on the global VoG strategy while leading International implementation, ensuring solutions are fit for purpose and fully embedded into operations with clear accountability across regions
• Own operating models across formats such as flagship, drive-thru, and non-traditional, ensuring consistent execution across varying demand patterns 
• Define operational requirements for equipment, kitchen design, and asset formats, ensuring environments support both core menu and innovation 
• Partner with Design, Construction, and Real Estate to optimize layouts for flow, speed, and peak trading conditions 
• Lead a structured, disciplined approach to testing products, equipment, and operational changes 
• Ensure all innovation, including new products and campaigns, are operationally viable, scalable, and clearly defined within SOPs before rollout 
• Continuously refine standards and SOPs to improve operational performance and commercial impact 
• Act as the operational authority and gatekeeper for all initiatives impacting restaurant execution 
• Ensure all initiatives are simple, scalable, and aligned with how the business operates in reality 

Formats and BOH Optimization

• Own operating models across formats such as flagship, drive-thru, and non-traditional, ensuring consistent execution across varying demand patterns 
• Define operational requirements for equipment, kitchen design, and asset formats, ensuring environments support both core menu and innovation 
• Partner with Design, Construction, and Real Estate to optimize layouts for flow, speed, and peak trading conditions 
• Lead a structured, disciplined approach to testing products, equipment, and operational changes 
• Ensure all innovation, including new products and campaigns, are operationally viable, scalable, and clearly defined within SOPs before rollout 
• Continuously refine standards and SOPs to improve operational performance and commercial impact 
• Act as the operational authority and gatekeeper for all initiatives impacting restaurant execution 
• Ensure all initiatives are simple, scalable, and aligned with how the business operates in reality 

Innovation, Testing and Rollout

• Lead a structured, disciplined approach to testing products, equipment, and operational changes 
• Ensure all innovation, including new products and campaigns, are operationally viable, scalable, and clearly defined within SOPs before rollout 
• Continuously refine standards and SOPs to improve operational performance and commercial impact 

Strategic Initiatives and System Integration

• Act as the operational authority and gatekeeper for all initiatives impacting restaurant execution 
• Ensure all initiatives are simple, scalable, and aligned with how the business operates in reality 
• Translate initiatives into clear standards, SOPs, and execution frameworks, ensuring consistent delivery across markets 
• Fully integrate initiatives into the operating system, avoiding one-off solutions or added complexity 
• Identify and resolve operational risks and unintended consequences before scaling 

Governance, Performance and Simplicity

• Own the International operations performance framework, linking execution to financial outcomes 
• Partner with COE to leverage data and insights to diagnose performance gaps and prioritize actions 
• Establish clear operating rhythms, governance, and accountability mechanisms 
• Drive simplification across standards, tools, and processes to ensure ease of execution at scale 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 10+ years of experience in restaurant or multi-unit operations, with significant international exposure 
• Proven experience leading global or large-scale operational excellence initiatives 
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into execution 
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams in a matrixed organization 
• Proven experience building scalable systems and processes
• Deep understanding of QSR operations, food safety, and guest experience metrics 
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a data-driven mindset

• Ability to travel 30% across multiple international markets

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.

BENEFITS

FLAVOR PERKS:

• Unlimited paid time off for exempt employees

• One paid volunteer day of your choice

• Competitive bonus structure for eligible roles

• Team member stock purchase plan

• Health savings or flexible spending account options

• 401k – (dollar for dollar on the first 3% and then 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2% for team member contributions up to 5% of eligible compensation)

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits

• Basic life and AD&D insurance provided

• Pet insurance

• Education Assistance

• Wellness reimbursement program

• Paid maternity and paternity leave

FUN IS THE BEST FLAVOR:

• Lunch provided every Tuesday and Thursday in office

• Discount on Wingstop gift cards

• Onsite game room

Wingstop provides equal opportunities for everyone that works for us and everyone that applies to join our team, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service, past, present, or future, in the uniformed services of the United States (military or veteran status), or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.