Executive Leader

Executive Leader

Reports to Operator

Who We Are

We're a locally-owned Chick-fil-A restaurant committed to creating a distinctively better experience for our guests and our team. Our five core values guide everything we do: safer, friendlier, cleaner, tastier, and quicker. We're looking for an Executive Leader who can hold both the big picture and the day-to-day — someone who can lead strategically in a critical area of the business while staying deeply connected to the operation.

What This Role Actually Is

This is a strategic operator role. You'll work with other Executive Leaders to own a major pillar of the business — whether that's people and culture, financial performance, sales and brand growth, or operational excellence — and you'll be responsible for driving results in that area at the highest level. But you won't do this from a desk or in isolation. You'll lead from inside the operation, staying close to the team, the systems, and the guest experience, ensuring that your strategic work actually translates into operational excellence.

You'll directly oversee and develop our Spicy Leaders — the burden carriers who own critical operational areas, and develop Shift Leaders. Your job is to make sure they have what they need to succeed: clarity, support, resources, and leadership that helps them grow. You'll also partner closely with the Operator and the other Executive Leaders to ensure the entire business is aligned and moving forward together.

Depending on your area of ownership, you may focus on:

• People & Culture — recruiting, onboarding, training, team member experience, retention, leadership development, and creating a culture where people thrive
• Financial Performance— P&L management, inventory control, cost management, repairs and maintenance, and ensuring the business runs profitably 
• Sales & Brand Growth — driving sales, managing catering and external partnerships, building community presence, protecting and elevating the brand, and creating guest experiences that generate loyalty and growth
• Operational Excellence — lead people and systems to ensure operational excellence is achieved in accuracy, speed, quality, safety, cleanliness, and that all brand operational requirements are achieved

Regardless of your specific area, you'll stay operationally engaged — leading shifts when needed, jumping into operations when a bus shows up, covering a Saturday morning call out, coaching in real time, and ensuring that the strategic work you're doing actually shows up in how the restaurant runs every single day.

What You'll Be Responsible For

Strategic Leadership in Your Area

• Own and drive results in your assigned pillar of the business (people, operations, financial performance, or sales and brand growth)
• Set strategy, build systems, and execute initiatives that move your area forward
• Analyze data, identify trends, and make decisions that improve performance and outcomes
• Partner with the Operator to align your area with the overall vision and goals of the business
• Manage higher-level responsibilities that may include inventory management, financial reporting, HR and compliance, sales strategy, community partnerships, or brand stewardship
• Solve complex problems that require both strategic thinking and operational execution

Leadership and Development of Spicy Leaders

• Directly oversee, coach, and develop the Spicy Leaders who report to you
• Ensure Spicy Leaders have clarity on expectations, priorities, and how their work connects to the bigger picture
• Provide real-time feedback, support, and accountability to help them grow as leaders
• Create the experience you want your Spicy Leaders to have: seen, supported, challenged, and set up to win
• Identify when a Spicy Leader is struggling and step in to help — don't wait for them to ask

Operational Leadership

• Stay deeply connected to the operation — lead shifts, observe in real time, and stay close to the team and the guest experience
• Ensure that the strategic work you're doing actually translates into better day-to-day execution
• Model what excellent leadership looks like — in how you lead people, solve problems, and hold standards
• Step in operationally when the business needs you — during high-volume periods, leadership gaps, or critical moments
• Hold the standard for our five core values (safer, friendlier, cleaner, tastier, quicker) across every area you touch

Collaboration and Alignment

• Partner with the other Executive Leaders to ensure the business is aligned and moving forward together
• Communicate clearly and consistently with the Operator about progress, challenges, and opportunities in your area
• Break down silos — ensure your area supports and strengthens the whole operation, not just your domain

Who You Are

• You're a strategic thinker and a hands-on operator. You can see the big picture and build systems to get there, but you also know how to roll up your sleeves and lead in the chaos.
• You're a developer of leaders. You don't just manage people — you grow them. You see potential in others and invest in helping them become better leaders.
• You take ownership of your area. When something in your pillar isn't working, you don't wait for someone else to fix it — you own it and make it better.
• You're data-informed and people-focused. You know how to read numbers and make decisions based on them, but you never lose sight of the people behind the numbers.
• You're operationally strong. You can lead any area of the restaurant with confidence, and you stay close enough to the operation to know what's really happening.
• You're a problem-solver. You don't just identify issues — you design solutions and execute them.
• You lead with both high standards and high care. You hold people accountable and make them feel valued.
• You're humble and hungry. You're willing to do any job in the restaurant, and you're constantly looking for ways to grow and improve.

What You'll Need

• Proven leadership experience in a fast-paced, high-volume restaurant environment (Chick-fil-A experience strongly preferred)
• Deep operational knowledge across all areas of the business — Front of House, Kitchen, Drive Thru, systems, and guest experience
• Strategic thinking and execution skills — the ability to set direction, build systems, and drive results
• Strong people development skills — you know how to coach, develop, and grow other leaders
• Financial acumen and business literacy — you understand P&L, labor, cost management, and how operational decisions impact the bottom line
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills — you can lead your area while partnering effectively with others
• Full-time availability with flexibility to support the business operationally when needed

Why This Role Matters

You're one of the key leaders who makes this restaurant work. The Operator sets the vision, but you're the one who translates that vision into reality in your area — whether that's building a team people love to work on, ensuring the business runs profitably and efficiently, or driving sales and brand growth that creates long-term success. The Spicy Leaders you develop will shape the experience of every Shift Leader and team member. The systems you build will determine whether we thrive or struggle. The way you lead — strategically and operationally — will set the tone for the entire organization. This is not a job where you manage from a distance. This is a job where you lead from the front, carry weight alongside your team, and create the conditions for everyone to succeed.

Location: Chick-fil-A Ina at Thornydale, NW Tucson

We participate in E-Verify.

Our Ina at Thornydale location offers a FREE College Tuition Program for all team members to attend online at Cumberland University. You can earn everything from a certificate to your Master's Degree. We also offer FREE virtual Direct2Care Healthcare for all team members and their household.
Chick-fil-A Ina at Thornydale is locally owned and operated. We invest in the future of our Team Members and give back to the NW Tucson/Marana/Oro Valley communities.
We are always looking for people who are Humble, Hungry, and Smart to join our team!