Area Operations Manager – Marist University, Siena & UAlbany

Reports to: Head of Area Operations

Location: New York (regular travel between Albany, Loudonville, and Poughkeepsie)

Classification: Full-Time, permanent

FLSA Status: Exempt

Pay Type: Salaried

Scope: 3 cafes (Marist University, Siena, and UAlbany)

Who We Are

Saxbys® is a hospitality company fueled by our rave-worthy menu, driven by its mission to Make Life Better®, and fiercely dedicated to social impact in the communities it serves. But Saxbys’ greatest resource of all? Our people. We’re not looking for employees: we’re looking for teammates. We’re not hoping to hire you for a job: we’re hoping to help build your career.

Saxbys is a national education company that operates “For Students, By Students” cafes on college campuses. We build individualized academic partnerships with universities to provide exceptional, paid, experiential learning opportunities for their students. The Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform (E.L.P.)® is founded on the belief that young people should be empowered and prepared to mold the business movement of the future.

Job Summary

The Area Operations Manager (AOM) leads three Saxbys cafes in New York: Marist University in Poughkeepsie, and Siena and UAlbany in the Albany area. The AOM makes sure each cafe succeeds in all Three Pillars (team development, community leadership, and financial management). Success in this role comes from a passion for developing, coaching, and supporting the Student Cafe Executive Officers (SCEOs) who run each cafe every semester. The AOM is the operations leader all three campus partners rely on, and the role calls for a proactive person with a whatever-it-takes attitude who is ready for the varied day-to-day opportunities and challenges of leading multiple campuses.

Learn more about Saxbys E.L.P. by clicking here

What You Will Own

Coaching & Development: Train and develop the Student Chief Officers at Marist, Siena, and UAlbany to lead operations at their respective campus cafes each semester.
Talent Pipeline: Interview and hire across all three cafes to keep each team fully staffed for operational demands, and identify and develop exceptional talent for leadership roles.
Cafe Standards: Stay up to date on all cafe operations so you can train and coach on every cafe role. Make SOPs easy for team members to access and maintain operational integrity by making sure every step is followed. Make sure SCEOs follow progressive discipline policies and issue Coaching & Counseling forms when necessary, and advise and assist with involuntary terminations. Hold SCEOs accountable for consistent communication with their teams.
Guest Experience: Conduct regular quality assurance checks at each cafe, audit performance to find and correct inconsistencies in execution, and keep a culture of hospitality strong across all three campuses.
Financial Management: Review, give feedback on, and approve weekly schedules so labor hours match demand and stay within budget. Coach SCEOs on how to read and act on Profit & Loss statements, and present and defend each cafe’s P&L during reviews. Produce and assign Labor Models for all three cafes.
PARS & Inventory: Ensure accurate inventory counts, and review and approve Orders & PARS Inventory Worksheets for Marist, Siena, and UAlbany.
Partner Management: Represent Saxbys as the main point of contact for each campus’s partners, including Dining Service Partner leads, Auxiliary Services, and Residential Life, so day-to-day operations run smoothly. Keep each Campus Resource Guide up to date.
Cafe Openings: Lead cafe setup and grand openings as the Operations lead, working closely with all departments to ensure a successful start.
Local and Competitive Marketplace: Stay current on industry trends, local competitors, and community news around each campus that could affect the business, so you can manage cafe operations proactively.

Who You Will Support

Marketing: Share intel on campus opportunities through research and conversations with partners. Help each SCEO refine their Campus Marketing Plan so efforts go to the highest-ROI opportunities, and make sure key dates and deliverables are executed.