Vice President, Operations

The National Restaurant Association is proud to be part of a highly respected industry that delivers hospitality, opportunity, and quality of life across communities nationwide. Much like the industry we represent, we are a dynamic, diverse, and inclusive organization grounded in trust, collaboration, service, and innovation. We are seeking an experienced Vice President, Operations to help lead operational excellence and organizational evolution.

As Vice President, Operations, you will serve as a key strategic and execution partner to the Chief Operating Officer, translating enterprise strategy into disciplined, day-to-day execution across the organization. You will strengthen operational performance, build scalable infrastructure and systems, and enable teams to deliver high-quality programs, services, and experiences for members, partners, and colleagues.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will lead core operational functions and enterprise initiatives while operating effectively in a complex, evolving environment. You will identify priorities, align teams, and convert organizational goals into focused, actionable work. Through this leadership, you will promote efficiency, alignment, accountability, and continuous improvement across the Association.

The ideal candidate brings strong operational judgment, proven people leadership, and a data-informed mindset, and thrives at the intersection of strategy in a mission-driven, member-focused organization.

This is a dynamic role designed to grow with the organization. While this description reflects the core responsibilities of the position, the Vice President, Operations will take on evolving priorities as the Association advances its mission and organizational goals.

Position must operate out of our DC office, with a required three days onsite, Monday - Wednesday, with flexibility to work remote on Thursday and Friday.

The work you will do as Vice President, Operations will play an integral role in our mission to be an indispensable resource and champion to the industry. We look forward to hearing from you!

We are proud to offer our team members comprehensive benefits, designed to support their financial, professional, and personal well-being. In addition to outstanding healthcare coverage (medical, dental and vision), competitive salaries, generous vacation and leave time, we offer a matching 401(k) plan, a unique collection of corporate discounts and memberships, as well as programs to support career and skills development, including learning and tuition assistance, and so much more.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership and Execution

• Serve as a strategic and execution partner to the COO to operationalize enterprise strategy, annual priorities, and transformation initiatives.
• Lead major operational programs and cross-functional initiatives, tracking progress against defined goals and KPIs.
• Oversee day-to-day operational performance across assigned functions, identifying risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and maintain operational dashboards, scorecards, and reporting mechanisms to support executive decision-making.
• Partner with and support the COO in overseeing enterprise functions such as HR, Technology, State Restaurant Association partnerships, and Facilities, as assigned.

Process Improvement and Operational Excellence

• Evaluate operational processes and workflows to improve efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts across people, process, and technology.
• Develop and standardize operational practices, tools, and documentation to promote clarity and consistency.
• Support implementation of new systems, tools, and capabilities in partnership with functional leaders.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Influence

• Serve as a connective leader across departments to promote alignment and coordinated execution.
• Build strong working relationships with senior leaders, functional heads, and external partners.
• Represent Operations in leadership forums and enterprise initiatives as delegated by the COO.

Facilities and Workplace Operations

• Provide executive leadership and oversight for facilities and workplace operations.
• Guide staff responsible for space planning, vendor management, and workplace experience initiatives.
• Partner cross-functionally to support safe, efficient, and high-performing office and event environments.

Unified Data Management and Operational Intelligence

• Partner with the COO, CIO, and functional leaders to advance a unified data management and reporting strategy.
• Lead efforts to improve consistency, accuracy, and accessibility of operational data.
• Drive adoption of shared data standards, reporting frameworks, and dashboards to support execution and accountability.

State Restaurant Association (SRA) Support and Enablement

• Partner closely with the Vice President, Membership to support and enable State Restaurant Associations.
• Align operational processes, tools, and systems to improve effectiveness and experience for SRA partners.
• Serve as an operational thought partner to Membership leadership to identify opportunities for scalability and enhanced engagement.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, association management, nonprofit, or mission-driven organizations, with demonstrated success translating strategy into execution.
• Bachelor's degree in business management or a related field required, MBA or other relevant advanced degree preferred.
• Proven track record leading complex, cross-functional operational initiatives and driving measurable performance improvement.
• Strong operational judgment with experience scaling processes, systems, and infrastructure in evolving organizations.
• Experience overseeing or partnering closely with core enterprise functions such as HR, Facilities, IT, or equivalent shared services.
• Data-informed decision-maker with experience developing dashboards, KPIs, and reporting frameworks to guide execution and resource allocation.
• Demonstrated success leading continuous improvement efforts across people, processes, and technology.
• Exceptional leadership, collaboration, and communication skills, with the ability to influence at the executive and board level.
• Experience managing and developing high-performing teams, including senior leaders and managers.
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and budget management capabilities
• Ability to set priorities and drive disciplined execution in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills with attention to detail and follow-through.
• Comfort representing operations in enterprise leadership forums and with external partners.
• Knowledge of membership-based organizations, trade associations, or hospitality-related industries is a plus.
• Willingness and ability to travel quarterly or as needed.
• Ability to work on-site in Washington, DC.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The National Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association Solutions, LLC, and The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (together, "Company") is committed to equal employment opportunity, and it is Company's policy to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles, and ensure that all other personnel actions are administered, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status and disability, or other legally protected status, and we will ensure that all employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements.

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.