Director of Operations

Description

Job Title: Director of Operations – Mercado Little Spain
Location: New York, NY
Department: Operations
Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Salary Range: $165,000–$180,000 per year + Bonus + Benefits

About José Andrés Group & Mercado Little Spain

José Andrés Group (JAG), led by Chef José Andrés, is a hospitality company known for creating exceptional dining experiences through culinary innovation, outstanding hospitality, and a values-driven culture.

Mercado Little Spain, located in Hudson Yards, is a vibrant culinary destination celebrating the food, drinks, culture, and hospitality of Spain. Bringing together restaurants, bars, kiosks, retail, events, and unique culinary experiences under one roof, Mercado Little Spain offers guests an immersive experience inspired by the mercados and culinary traditions of Spain.

Position Summary

The Director of Operations is the senior operational leader responsible for the overall performance, culture, and guest experience of Mercado Little Spain.

This role provides strategic and day-to-day leadership across Mercado operations, partnering closely with General Managers, Culinary Leadership, Events, Beverage, Marketing, Finance, People & Culture, and JAG senior leadership to drive exceptional business results.

The Director of Operations is accountable for achieving financial and operational goals while maintaining the highest standards of hospitality, food and beverage execution, team engagement, safety, and brand integrity.

The ideal candidate is a highly experienced, people-focused hospitality leader with a proven track record managing complex, high-volume, multi-concept operations. They are equally comfortable analyzing a P&L, developing a General Manager, navigating a high-volume service, creating an annual business plan, and engaging directly with guests and team members on the floor.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Provide overall operational leadership and strategic direction for Mercado Little Spain.
• Oversee the performance and execution of restaurants, bars, kiosks, guest-facing operations, and other Mercado experiences.
• Establish clear operating priorities, standards, and expectations across the property.
• Maintain a highly visible presence throughout Mercado operations, particularly during peak business periods.
• Ensure consistent execution of JAG service, hospitality, cleanliness, and operational standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity, profitability, and the guest experience.
• Lead operational planning for seasonal peaks, holidays, special events, activations, and high-volume periods.
• Ensure appropriate systems, processes, tools, and resources are in place to support successful operations.
• Drive accountability and follow-through across the leadership team.

Financial & Business Performance

• Own and drive overall financial performance for Mercado Little Spain in partnership with senior leadership.
• Develop and execute strategies to achieve revenue, profitability, labor, and operating expense goals.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of the P&L and key financial drivers.
• Review weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial performance and identify trends and opportunities.
• Partner with Finance and Operations Leadership on budgets, forecasts, and annual business planning.
• Monitor labor productivity and staffing levels across concepts.
• Partner with Culinary and Beverage Leadership to manage COGS, inventory, purchasing, waste, and product utilization.
• Analyze sales by concept, daypart, category, and other relevant business drivers.
• Develop action plans when performance falls outside established expectations.
• Identify revenue opportunities while protecting the integrity of the guest experience.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop General Managers and other senior operational leaders.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold leaders accountable for results.
• Build a strong leadership pipeline and succession plan for key positions.
• Identify high-potential leaders and create meaningful development opportunities.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, leadership meetings, performance conversations, and development planning.
• Partner with People & Culture on recruitment, retention, employee relations, performance management, and organizational planning.
• Ensure managers are effectively coaching and developing their own teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, hospitality, and continuous improvement.
• Build strong engagement and retention across Mercado Little Spain.
• Serve as a role model for JAG leadership standards and values.

Guest Experience & Hospitality

• Champion exceptional hospitality throughout every Mercado Little Spain experience.
• Establish clear expectations for guest engagement, service, recovery, and leadership presence.
• Regularly engage with guests and observe the operation from the guest perspective.
• Review guest feedback, trends, and service opportunities and implement appropriate action plans.
• Ensure guest concerns are resolved thoughtfully, professionally, and with urgency.
• Maintain appropriate standards for VIPs, regular guests, high-profile visitors, and special occasions.
• Work with leadership teams to continually evolve and improve the guest journey.
• Ensure Mercado remains energetic, welcoming, organized, and reflective of JAG hospitality at all times.

Food & Beverage Operations

• Partner closely with Culinary and Beverage Leadership to ensure operational and culinary priorities remain aligned.
• Maintain strong knowledge of Mercado's menus, beverage programs, concepts, and culinary experiences.
• Ensure consistent execution of food and beverage service standards.
• Partner on menu changes, pricing strategies, product launches, and operational rollouts.
• Support initiatives that improve food and beverage quality, profitability, and guest engagement.
• Ensure FOH and BOH leadership maintain strong communication and collaboration.
• Champion ongoing food, beverage, service, and cultural education for the team.

Labor & Workforce Strategy

• Oversee staffing strategies across Mercado operations based on business volume and organizational needs.
• Review schedules, staffing models, labor productivity, overtime, and deployment.
• Partner with General Managers to optimize labor without compromising hospitality or operational standards.
• Anticipate seasonal and business-driven staffing needs.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and People & Culture on recruitment strategies for critical positions.
• Monitor turnover, retention, engagement, and staffing trends.
• Develop strategies to strengthen retention and internal advancement.
• Ensure leadership coverage is appropriate across all operating periods.

Sales, Events & Revenue Opportunities

• Partner with Event Sales and Operations teams to support private dining, group business, catering, buyouts, and special events.
• Ensure operational readiness and successful execution of significant events.
• Collaborate with Sales Leadership to identify opportunities to grow event and private dining revenue.
• Support VIP events, media events, partnerships, and major Mercado activations.
• Partner with Marketing on initiatives designed to increase traffic, awareness, guest engagement, and revenue.
• Evaluate new business opportunities based on operational feasibility, guest impact, and financial return.

Brand & Mercado Experience

• Serve as a steward of the Mercado Little Spain and José Andrés Group brands.
• Ensure the Mercado experience consistently celebrates Spanish food, beverage, culture, and hospitality.
• Maintain strong knowledge of Mercado's concepts and the stories behind them.
• Partner with Marketing and Culinary teams on activations, programming, and guest-facing initiatives.
• Ensure visual presentation, music, cleanliness, atmosphere, signage, and other experiential elements meet established standards.
• Identify opportunities to evolve the Mercado experience while maintaining its identity and authenticity.

Safety, Sanitation & Compliance

• Maintain the highest standards of safety, sanitation, cleanliness, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure compliance with NYC Department of Health requirements and applicable local, state, and federal regulations.
• Ensure appropriate responsible alcohol service and food safety procedures are consistently followed.
• Maintain operational readiness for inspections and audits.
• Partner with Facilities and Engineering on preventative maintenance, repairs, and capital needs.
• Ensure leadership teams identify and address safety or facility concerns promptly.
• Maintain appropriate emergency, security, and incident-response procedures.
• Partner with People & Culture to ensure compliance with employment policies and applicable regulations.

Strategic Planning & Continuous Improvement

• Develop annual and quarterly operational priorities for Mercado Little Spain.
• Translate broader JAG objectives into actionable property-level plans.
• Use financial results, guest feedback, employee feedback, and operational data to identify opportunities.
• Evaluate existing processes and implement improvements that increase efficiency and consistency.
• Lead significant operational initiatives and change-management efforts.
• Develop scalable systems and best practices across Mercado operations.
• Partner with JAG senior leadership on long-term planning and strategic initiatives.
• Maintain awareness of NYC hospitality trends and the competitive landscape.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as a key liaison between Mercado Little Spain and JAG senior leadership.
• Partner closely with Culinary, Beverage, Events, Marketing, Finance, People & Culture, Facilities, and other departments.
• Lead regular property leadership and operational meetings.
• Ensure priorities and expectations are clearly communicated across departments.
• Build strong relationships and encourage collaboration across FOH, BOH, Sales, and support teams.
• Communicate business performance, challenges, opportunities, and action plans to senior leadership.
• Represent Mercado Little Spain and José Andrés Group professionally with guests, partners, vendors, and the broader community.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Must have at least 5+ years of multi-unit or corporate dining management experience.

Must have a firm understanding of food preparation and standards.

Proven track record and success in restaurant openings and management of multiple units/stores.

Entrepreneurial, energetic and passionate.

Excellent supervisory and management skills.

Knowledge and ability to develop business plans and financial budgets.

Excellent verbal and written skills?Exceptional organizational skills.

Good Communication and presentation skills.

Knowledge of all facets of restaurant operation.

Professional appearance and image. ?

Must be Serv Safe certified. ?

Must have a guest-orientated personality. ?

Must have a valid driver license and maintain a good driving record.

Benefits:

Competitive salary?

Medical and life insurance?

Paid holidays and vacation?

Bonus Potential

Who we are:

José Andrés Group restaurants span all over the globe including Miami, Las Vegas, Orlando, NYC, Chicago, Dubai, Bahamas, Los Angeles and of course Washington, DC. Since 1993, our restaurants reflect the authentic roots of each concept and showcase a passion for telling the stories of a culture through food. Apply now and join the industry leading José Andrés Group Team.

José Andrés Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer