Franchise Hospitality Operational Excellence Manager

PLEASE NOTE: As part of our organisational changes, our ongoing structure and roles continue to be reviewed. While this role is being advertised, circumstances may change and the role could be withdrawn/amended.
This is a Field Based role.GRADE DAt WHSmith Europe our people are at the heart of everything we do. They are the ones that go the extra mile for our customers, the ones that enable our growth. The Franchise Hospitality Operational Excellence Manager is responsible for driving operational excellence across the franchise hospitality estate, ensuring every location consistently delivers outstanding customer experiences, operational compliance and strong commercial performance.
Working as the operational subject matter expert (SME), the role partners with store teams, support functions and the Field Leadership Team (FLT) to embed best practice, improve standards and develop capability across all franchise hospitality propositions.
The role is responsible for identifying operational opportunities, coaching teams to improve performance, supporting new proposition launches and ensuring hospitality standards continue to evolve in line with business strategy.

What being a Hospitality Operational Excellence Manager is all about:
People - Developing capability and driving operational excellence through coaching & development:

Coach, develop and support Store Managers, MSMs, and frontline colleagues to build capability and improve operational & commercial performance
Use franchise partnership tools, operational resources & SOPs to support the development of front-line teams and improve hospitality operational capabilities.
Deliver structured in-store coaching that drives sustainable behavioural change and embeds best practice.
Conduct franchise operational assessments in line with current format, providing constructive feedback, tailored coaching & development and agreed Operational Improvement Plans (OIPs) with site leadership.
Support the onboarding and skills development of new franchise managers and hospitality colleagues across the franchise hospitality estate.
Identify capability gaps and work with Store Managers & MSMs to shape future training plans and operational resources.
Report on all mandatory franchise learning and ensure non-compliance is followed up and escalated accordingly.
Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and operational excellence across the franchise hospitality estate.
Build strong relationships with store teams & Field Leadership Teams, acting as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert (SME) for all franchise hospitality operations.
Support the operational delivery of the Costa Express estate through carrying out regular site visits that focus on propositional deliverance opportunities and support improvements through robust on-site training.

Plan - Driving operational performance through planning, governance and continuous improvement:

Analyse customer insight (HGEM) and commercial performance data to identify trends, risks and opportunities across franchise hospitality estate.
Develop, implement and monitor Operational Improvement Plans, ensuring actions are completed and sustainable improvements are achieved.
Support operational planning for new store openings, renewals, campaign launches and other franchise programmes.
Coordinate post-opening support that continues to develop store teams capabilities in the delivery of franchise hospitality operations until business-as-usual standards are achieved.
Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams including Commercial, Procurement, Marketing, Food Development, Learning & Development, Food Safety and Group Risk to deliver.
Ensure franchise operations consistently comply with franchise policies, brand standards, Food Safety legislation, Health & Safety requirements, HACCP principles and allergen management processes.
Identify opportunities to simplify and improve operational efficiency while maintaining franchise standards.
Produce regular operational reports, communicating performance, risks and recommendations to the Field Leadership Team & MSMs.
Support the ongoing development and evolution of the franchise operating model by providing operational insight and field feedback.

Customer - Delivering consistently outstanding customer experiences:

Champion exceptional customer service standards across all franchise hospitality locations.
Ensure consistent execution of franchise brand standards, operating procedures and customer experience principles.
Support sites in delivering high-quality food and beverage through strong operational execution.
Use HGEM customer insight & feedback results to identify improvement opportunities and coach teams accordingly.
Drive improvements in key customer and commercial metrics, including sales, availability, quality, waste and labour efficiency.
Support the successful implementation of new products, promotions and other franchise hospitality initiatives, ensuring operational readiness and excellent execution.
Benchmark operational performance against industry best practice, identifying opportunities to enhance both customer experience and commercial performance.
Act as the operational champion for continuous improvement, ensuring every franchise hospitality proposition consistently delivers a safe, welcoming and engaging customer experience.

How we reward our teams:

Flexible Working
33 Days holiday, plus your Birthday off, plus Bank Holidays with an opportunity to buy extra days holiday
Family Friendly Leave
Company Pension scheme
Annual Bonus based on company and personal performance
Competitive Salary
Cycle to work scheme
Staff Discount Card for railway travel stores

About us:
Celebrating over 230 years, we’re proud to have grown into a globally recognised brand present in over 30 countries – the air of familiarity people love and trust on their journey. As a diverse group of over 6,000 colleagues, we’re all on the same journey to a better business through our commitments to our planet, people and the communities we serve.

With a rich heritage, WHSmith continues to grow, particularly in airports, hospitals, rail stations, and motorway services. Our InMotion brand is leading the way in digital accessories, offering an exceptional customer experience. We have established strong partnerships with brands like M&S and Costa Coffee to broaden our customer offerings across the UK. As we grow, our mission remains simple: to make every journey better.
We are proud to be an inclusive employer, where our colleagues are welcome and free to be themselves.
We’re all about creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace where everyone can be themselves and do their best. No matter your background, age, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, race or ethnicity, marital status, religion, sex, sexual orientation or anything else that makes you, you—you’re welcome here.
We’re also open to flexible working where possible, so if that’s something you need, let’s chat. And if you need any adjustments during the selection process, just let our Talent Acquisition team know—we’re happy to help