Austin + Houston Ops Manager

The Yay Company
The Yay Company

Operations

Austin, TX, USA

USD 75k-75k / year

Posted on Aug 18, 2026

About the Role:

The Austin Operations Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day management

of our hub-and-spoke operation in Austin — overseeing our hub kitchen and the

spoke schools it serves. This is a hands-on, onsite role: you'll be working from a

school campus every day, not managing remotely from a desk. We're seeking an

experienced operations professional who wants to be in the building, on the floor,

and in front of staff and students — leading production out of the hub kitchen and

ensuring flawless execution at every spoke school we serve.

Key Responsibilities:

Hub Kitchen Operations: Oversee daily production out of the hub kitchen — meal

prep, packing, and dispatch to spoke schools on schedule. Be physically present to

troubleshoot production issues as they happen, not after the fact.

Spoke School Management: Own service quality at every spoke school in the Austin

market — checking in on-site, walking service lines, and catching problems before

they become complaints. You'll be on a campus daily, not in an office.

Staff Management: Recruit, train, and directly supervise hub kitchen and spoke

school staff (5–20 people), including Chef Managers and Front/Back of House staff.

Run scheduling, performance evaluations, and day-to-day team leadership in

person.

Customer Experience: Maintain high standards of service across every location by

being physically present to observe, coach, and course-correct in real time. Build

in-person relationships with school administrators — this is a face-to-face role, not a

phone-and-email one.

Financial Management: Manage the Austin market budget, monitor daily sales and

expenses, and report KPIs across the hub and all spoke schools.

Inventory & Logistics Control: Hands-on oversight of stock levels, ordering, and

vendor deliveries at the hub, plus receiving and inventory checks at spoke schools.

Physically manage supply pickup and delivery logistics between the hub and spokes.

Menu Execution: Work directly with the Chef Manager and Food Strategy team to

implement and execute prep menus — including being in the kitchen to ensure

recipes and standards are followed.

Health & Safety Compliance: Ensure hub kitchen and every spoke school adhere to

health, safety, and sanitation regulations. Conduct in-person food handling checks

and serve as the on-the-ground point person with local health departments.

Problem-Solving: Be the first responder to operational issues — equipment

malfunctions, staffing gaps, delivery delays — across the hub and spoke schools,

solving problems on-site rather than remotely.

Reporting: Provide regular performance reports to the Director of Operations and

President.

You Will:

● Work from the hub kitchen or a spoke school campus every day — this is an

onsite, in-person role

● Hire, train, and manage team members across the hub and spoke schools

● Be the primary point of contact for school administrators, in person

● Follow and help create SOPs for hub production and spoke school service

● Keep the hub kitchen and every spoke location organized and clean

● Conduct hands-on daily and weekly inventory, ordering, and receiving

● Physically manage supply pickup and delivery logistics between hub and

spokes

● Drive between the hub and spoke schools regularly as part of daily operations

● Monitor product rotation and code date management across all locations

● Run weekly team meetings and daily standups, in person

● Control shrink and waste to keep it within set targets

● Be a hands-on, present team member in every part of daily operations

● Be available for emergency issues at the hub or any spoke school

You Must Be:

● Comfortable being on your feet and on-site every day — this is not a remote or

hybrid role

● Quick to resolve problems in real time, in person

● People-oriented with a focus on driving team engagement

● Detail-oriented and hyper-organized

● Proactive, hands-on, and willing to jump into any task — production, service, or

cleanup

● Able to stay calm under pressure

● Personable and engaging with everyone from a Head of School to a 4th

grader in the lunch line

You Must Have:

● At least 5–7 years of food management experience, preferably university

dining, open/retail kitchen, high-volume restaurant, and/or chef manager

experience

● Familiarity with food safety procedures and inventory management

● ServSafe Manager or ServSafe Proctor Certification

● Proficiency with Google Suite

● Strong time management skills

● Experience hiring and developing an hourly workforce

● Strong verbal and written communication skills

● A reliable personal vehicle, clean driving record, and auto insurance (for daily

travel between hub and spoke schools)

● Meticulous attention to detail, on the floor and in the data

We Provide:

● Salary $75,000

● Company-supported insurance — Medical, Vision, Dental, Life

● Voluntary Life Insurance, Short-term Disability Insurance, FSA

● 401(k) Retirement, up to 3.5% employer match

● Flexible paid time off (unlimited time off program)

● Data stipend and mileage reimbursement

● Significant support structures, on-the-ground training, and coaching