Regional Vice President of Operations (Michigan)

Company: Privately Held Contract Hospitality / Foodservice Management Company

Role : Regional Vice President of Operations

Comp : $130K–$170K base + bonus

Location : Michigan-based preferred (Grand Rapids or Detroit ideal)

Travel : Heavy regional travel required, expect 2–4 nights/week on the road depending on account cadence

*** We welcome candidates from non-traditional backgrounds, including military veterans and leaders from operations-heavy industries. If you’ve led people and owned outcomes we can teach the hospitality part. ***

Overview

This is a senior field operations role leading a multi-state portfolio of contract dining and hospitality accounts (universities, hospitals, hotels, etc) across the Great Lakes region, with Michigan as the operational hub.

The Regional VP of Operations will oversee existing business across ~26 accounts (17x MI, 3x OH, 1x IN, 1x IL, 3x CO, 1x AL)

Basing near Grand Rapids or Detroit is most desirable as it makes most of the core territory drivable + ability to access major airports for occasional air-based travel.

This is a high-touch leadership role for someone who can lead a disaggregated team, build strong client partnerships, inspect standards, grow account-level performance, and develop the next generation of operators.

The company is privately owned, mission-driven, and positioned as a boutique, relationship-heavy alternative to the large national foodservice providers.

What You’ll Own

• Lead regional operations across a multi-state contract dining portfolio
• Spend roughly 2-4 days per week in the field with clients, account leaders, and area directors
• Use the remaining time for planning, client follow-up, team development, reporting, and strategic execution
• Build and develop a bench of strong operators across the region
• Drive sustainable profitability, retention, service quality, hospitality standards, food safety, and operational discipline
• Maintain senior-level client relationships and protect long-term partnerships
• Support renewals, organic account growth, and new business opportunities
• Translate company vision into clear operating rhythm, standards, and accountability
• Identify operational gaps quickly and coach teams toward better execution

Who Fits

This role is ideal for a senior operator who is:

• High ownership
• Humble enough to learn a new industry layer
• Strong with people, standards, and follow-through
• Able to walk into an operation, assess what matters, and raise the bar
• Client-facing and polished, but still willing to get close to the work
• Strong enough commercially to understand P&L, contract performance, retention, and growth

Ideal backgrounds include:

• Multi-unit hospitality operations
• Contract foodservice / dining services
• Hotels, resorts, senior living, campus services, corporate dining, or complex service operations
• Regional / district / area leadership over multiple sites
• Military officer or senior enlisted leadership with strong post-military operations experience

Put simply, commercial foodservice experience is a strong plus but the broader target is a proven field operator who knows how to lead teams, manage clients, enforce standards, and learn quickly.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• 5+ years of multi-unit operations leadership preferred
• Experience leading through area directors, district managers, GMs, or site leaders
• Strong financial acumen, including P&L exposure
• Ability to manage complex client relationships
• Willingness to travel heavily across the assigned region
• Must live near a major airport, ideally GRR or DTW
• Valid driver’s license

Why This Role Matters

The company is scaling from a strong regional foundation into a much larger national platform. They are looking for leaders who can help professionalize the operating model while preserving the company’s high-touch, relationship-first culture.

This is a strong fit for someone who wants real operational ownership, visible executive exposure, and a path to larger regional or enterprise leadership over time.