Operations Lead, LA&C

Who is Taco Bell?

Taco Bell was born and raised in California and has been around since 1962. We went from selling everyone’s favorite Crunchy Tacos on the West Coast to a global brand with 8,200+ restaurants, 350 franchise organizations, that serve 42+ million fans each week around the globe. We’re not only the largest Mexican-inspired quick service brand (QSR) in the world, we’re also part of the biggest restaurant group in the world: Yum! Brands. 

Much of our fan love and authentic connection with our communities are rooted in being rebels with a cause. From ensuring we use high quality, sustainable ingredients to elevating restaurant technology in ways that hasn’t been done before… we will continue to be inclusive, bold, challenge the status quo and push industry boundaries.   

We’re a company that celebrates and advocates for different, has bold self-expression, strives for a better future, and brings the fun while we’re at it. We fuel our culture with real people who bring unique experiences. We inspire and enable our teams and the world to Live Más.

At Taco Bell, we’re Cultural Rebels. Want to join in on the passion-fueled fun? Learn more about the career below. 

About the Job:

Reporting directly to the Chief Operations Officer for Latin America, the Operations Lead plays a pivotal role in spearheading all operational facets of our brand. This role is responsible for driving excellence across people, customer satisfaction, sales and profitability metrics. The Operations Lead will be responsible for executing the strategic operational plan and supporting the COO in strategic design that delivers long-term growth.  

The Operations Leader will be accountable for implementing operating programs, fostering a culture of high performance, enabling business growth through strengthened field franchise capability and engaging the franchisee community with strategic initiatives that drive our commercial revenues and deliver our future back vision of world class operations. 

The Day-to-Day:

Build People Capability:

• Hold Franchise partners accountable for achieving targets related to people, customer satisfaction, sales, and profitability
• Partner with People to successfully people plan and train for new market entries
• Lead in championing operations through culture-driving programs such as Team Challenge, Bell-Oz, Leading with Heart and Market Training Programs, etc. 
• Unlock a better customer experience by improving the team member experience, partnering with the People team to identify and address the most significant pain points for our restaurant staff

Build the Brand:

• Work closely with all Franchisee Directors of Operations to build organizational capability and to ensure that these franchisees are Taco Bell brand builders.
• Implement strategic initiatives to support the execution of the brand standards in a market
• Franchise Ops and training team’s onboarding for new market entry, build capability and provide training support for new operators from managerial leadership positions to core team members. Support new market entry prior to, during and post opening.
• Deliver an exceptional digital customer experience from order to delivery by partnering with IT, Engineering, and Marketing teams to create an unparalleled customer journey for our online platforms

Deliver a Consistent Customer Experience:

• Provide leadership and guidance to each market to ensure consistent customer satisfaction and adherence to brand standards.
• Train, coach, and hold accountable Franchise Operators for executing the Taco Bell Operating System and delivering brand standards, including food safety.
• Elevate customer experience by designing, formulating and implementing actionable improvement plans against each CX metric (accuracy, speed and hospitality), in line with our overall customer strategy

Grow Sales and Profits:

• Partner with operators in the market to drive sales growth and exceed previous performance benchmarks.
• Provide training and operational support for marketing promotions to maximize their impact on sales.
• Lead efforts to achieve profit targets in every restaurant by optimizing operational efficiency and cost management.
• Own and lead Franchise business reviews, including annual business reviews and Quarterly KPI reviews with operators 

Is This You?

• Bachelor's Degree preferred
• 7+ years within restaurant operations roles, including restaurant management/Multi-Unit management role, preferably in a Franchisor-Franchisee environment, is required to be successful in this role
• Bilingual Skills – Spanish and English fluency, both written and spoken is essential to this role
• Dynamic, energetic, and positive leader with a proactive approach to driving business results
• People-First Mindset; Taking People with You style of leadership 
• Excellent analytical & problem resolution skills
• Effective organizational skills and time management skills; balance multiple priorities successfully
• Ability to impact & influence stakeholders - have productive conflict at a high level to drive desired outcomes. Confidence and presence to interact with franchisees
• Ability to travel; overnight stays and consecutive days away resulting in a high percentage of travel time.
• Solid Microsoft Office skills, including PowerPoint, Word and Excel

Work-Hard, Play-Hard:

• Hybrid work schedule and year-round flex day Friday
• Onsite childcare through Bright Horizons 
• Onsite dining center and game room (yes, there is a Taco Bell inside the building) 
• Onsite dry cleaning, laundry services, carwash, 
• Onsite gym with fitness classes and personal trainer sessions 
• Up to 4 weeks of vacation per year plus holidays and time off for volunteering 
• Generous parental leave for all new parents and adoption assistance program 
• 401(k) with a 6% matching contribution from Yum! Brands with immediate vesting 
• Comprehensive medical & dental including prescription drug benefits and 100% preventive care
• Discounts, free food, swag and… honestly, too many good benefits to name 

Salary Range: ­­$118,600 to $139,400 annually + bonus eligibility + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we'll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

At Taco Bell, we Live Más and invite you to do the same. Take a seat at our table. Bring your voice. Bring you, just as you are, a Cultural Rebel. We want you to be your best self! 

Taco Bell is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging for all dimensions of diversity.  We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other protected characteristic.

Taco Bell is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities or special needs.  

US Job Seekers/Employees - Click here to view the “Know Your Rights” poster and supplement and the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.

Employment eligibility to work with Taco Bell in the U.S. is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for this position.

California Residents: For more information about the categories of personal information we collect from you and how we use, sell, and share that information, please see our Privacy Notice for California Contractors and Privacy Notice for California Employees.