Operations Lead

Who is Taco Bell?

Taco Bell was born and raised in California and has been around since 1962. We started by selling everyone's favorite Crunchy Tacos on the West Coast and have now grown into a global brand with over 8,200 restaurants and 350 franchise organizations, serving more than 42 million fans weekly worldwide. We are the largest Mexican-inspired quick service brand (QSR) in the world and part of Yum Brands, the biggest restaurant group globally.

Our authentic connection with communities and fan love are rooted in being rebels with a cause—using high-quality, sustainable ingredients, elevating restaurant technology, and challenging industry norms. We celebrate diversity, bold self-expression, and strive for a better future while bringing fun and energy to everything we do. Our culture is fueled by real people with unique experiences, inspiring our teams and the world to Live Más.

At Taco Bell, we are Cultural Rebels. Want to join the passion-fueled fun? Learn more about the career opportunity below.

About the Job:

Reporting directly to the Brazil Market Lead, this Operations Lead plays a crucial role in managing all operational aspects of our brand. This role is responsible for driving excellence in people management, customer satisfaction, sales, and profitability. You will execute strategic operational plans and support the Latin America & the Caribbean (LA&C) COO in delivering long-term growth.

The Operations Leader will implement operating programs, foster a high-performance culture, and enable business growth by strengthening franchise capabilities and engaging franchisees with strategic initiatives to boost revenues and achieve our future vision of world-class operations.

The Day-to-Day:

Build People Capability

• Hold franchise partners accountable for achieving targets related to people, customer satisfaction, sales, and profitability.
• Partner with the LA&C team to plan and train for new store openings.
• Lead culture-driving programs to enhance operations.
• Improve the team member experience by identifying and addressing key pain points for restaurant staff.

Build the Brand:

• Work with operators to build organizational capability and ensure franchisees embody Taco Bell's brand standards.
• Implement strategic initiatives to support brand standards.
• Lead onboarding and training for new store openings, building capability and providing support from leadership to team members.
• Deliver an exceptional digital customer experience by collaborating with IT, Engineering, and Marketing teams to enhance online platforms.

Deliver a Consistent Customer Experience

• Train and coach operations teams to execute the operating system and uphold brand standards, including food safety.
• Provide leadership to ensure consistent customer satisfaction.
• Design and implement improvement plans to enhance customer experience metrics such as accuracy, speed, and hospitality.

Grow Sales and Profits

• Partner with market operators to drive sales growth and surpass previous performance benchmarks.
• Support marketing promotions through training and operational support to maximize sales impact.
• Lead efforts to meet profit targets by optimizing operations and controlling costs.
• Conduct quarterly and annual business reviews with operators.

Is This You?

• Bachelor's Degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in restaurant operations, including management roles, preferably in a franchisor-franchisee environment.
• Bilingual in Portuguese and English, both written and spoken.
• Dynamic, energetic, and positive leadership style with a proactive approach.
• People-first mindset with a collaborative leadership style.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and manage high-level conflicts to drive outcomes.
• Willingness to travel frequently, including overnight stays.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.