Vice President of Operations - SusieCakes

SusieCakes operates 30 bakery locations across California, Texas, and Tennessee. Each bakery is filled with the delightful flavors and aromas of cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pies, and bars—baked fresh from scratch daily using only the finest ingredients.

We are seeking a Vice President of Operations to be based in either Dallas, Texas or Denver, Colorado.

The Vice President of Operations will drive the growth and success of SusieCakes by ensuring exceptional product quality and guest service while surpassing performance and profitability goals. This leader will enhance operations at existing bakeries and play a key role in expanding into new locations and markets as assigned.

Key Leadership Qualities the Ideal Candidate Will Bring:

• A seasoned leader who thrives on working with individuals at all organizational levels.
• Passionate about delivering exceptional hospitality and making a positive impact on bakery teams and guests daily.
• Enthusiastic about their profession; they inspire others through their leadership, creating a team people are eager to work for.
• An effective communicator—clear, concise, and thoughtful. Comfortable navigating difficult conversations and providing honest, respectful feedback.
• Confident in their abilities, self-motivated, resourceful, and well-organized.
• A strategic and innovative thinker who contributes to shaping the company’s operational growth strategy while translating it into actionable plans for their teams.
• Committed to developing talent and fostering cohesive, high-performing teams.
• Embodies strong personal and professional values with a solid moral compass and strength of character.
• Demonstrates 360° vision, with the ability to quickly assess the bakery environment, recognize what’s working, and identify areas for continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Excellence
This role is responsible for driving operational excellence and ensuring the flawless execution of SusieCakes’ products and guest service experience. During bakery visits, this leader actively engages in guest interactions and team member experiences while overseeing bakery leadership teams. They ensure these teams align with the company’s annual operating plan.

A natural operator with hospitality at their core, this individual is highly organized, disciplined, and inspiring. They set high expectations for themselves and their teams, ensuring all operations meet or exceed SusieCakes’ standards of excellence.

This hands-on leader thrives in the field, visiting bakeries with a “boots on the ground” approach. Each visit results in identifying and addressing operational inconsistencies, coaching and mentoring team members, and collaborating with bakery management to create actionable solutions.

People Management
The Vice President of Operations (VPO) serves as a role model, leading high-performing teams by clearly defining roles and responsibilities, setting individual performance expectations, and providing coaching, feedback, development opportunities, and recognition.

This leader collaborates closely with Market Leaders and Human Resources to attract, recruit, and retain top-tier talent. Key responsibilities include creating strategic development plans, building a robust talent pipeline, anticipating team challenges, identifying high-potential individuals, and executing plans to address these needs effectively. A focus on improving team member retention and reducing turnover will be central to their approach.

Financial Discipline & Systems
The Vice President of Operations (VPO) is responsible for driving financial growth through operational efficiencies, exceptional people leadership, and outstanding service delivery. This leader will take ownership of bakery financial performance and cultivate a culture of accountability for budgetary goals across Market Leaders and bakery teams.

The VPO is accountable for achieving sales and EBITDA targets, with a strong focus on managing costs of goods sold (COGS) and labor expenses to ensure financial success.

Guest Relations
The VPO will lead by example in delivering exceptional guest service, setting the standard for SusieCakes' excellence in service and inspiring all Team Members to uphold these high standards.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:

• 10 + years in senior operations leadership roles in a multi-unit, growth-oriented company
• Experience building a business with best practice companies
• Consummate hospitality professional - experience with premium brands and food service a plus
• Experience interacting with construction and facilities management
• Forward thinker with demonstrated ability to focus on the future while maintaining a growth mindset within existing locations
• Possesses a sense of urgency and high but calm energy
• Ability to drive new initiatives from conception through completion and ongoing QA (project management)
• Ability to analyze the business, uncover inefficiencies and develop programs to improve food and labor cost efficiency
• Possesses emotional intelligence. Understands the importance and has demonstrated their ability to “seek first to understand” when solving problems. Ability to anticipate staffing challenges.
• Eighty percent of time will be spent in the bakeries with as much as 40% overnight travel as needed/required.

EDUCATION:

• Minimum undergraduate degree

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Frequent walking, kneeling, bending and reaching overhead
• Able to stand for extended periods of time
• Must be able to lift, move and carry up to 50 pounds

• Able to use a computer, answer emails, phone calls and video conference
• Must be able to taste product for quality assurance i.e buttercream(s), cake(s) and cupcake(s) etc
• Must be able to work remote and travel to bakeries 80%
• Must be able to travel overnight 50%+
• Some weekend availability is required as needed which includes 50% availability on Saturdays