A growing hospitality, & food service organization in the Town of Tonawanda, NY is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to lead enterprise-wide operations across a multi-site, high-volume service environment. This executive will be responsible for operational performance, guest experience, service quality, workforce execution, financial outcomes, and scalable business processes.

The ideal candidate brings strong leadership experience in hospitality, food service, entertainment, restaurants, venues, resorts, gaming, attractions, or similarly complex customer-facing operations..

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations across multiple locations, business units, or operating divisions.
• Partner with the CEO, ownership, and executive leadership team to develop and execute business strategy.
• Drive operational excellence, service consistency, guest satisfaction, revenue growth, and profitability.
• Establish performance standards, operating procedures, and accountability frameworks across the organization.
• Oversee labor planning, staffing models, productivity, scheduling effectiveness, and cost controls.
• Partner with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, margin improvement, and operational reporting.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives involving food and beverage, entertainment operations, facilities, guest services, safety, and vendor management.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, service delivery, technology adoption, and customer experience.
• Develop senior operational leaders and strengthen succession planning across the business.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, licensing, regulatory, and company standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive operations leadership experience, including senior executive or enterprise-level responsibility.
• Experience in hospitality, food service, entertainment, restaurants, resorts, gaming, venues, attractions, or similar service-intensive industries strongly preferred.
• Proven success leading multi-site or multi-unit operations with significant hourly workforce populations.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, P&L management, labor cost controls, and margin improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to improve guest experience, operational consistency, service quality, and business performance.
• Experience leading large teams through growth, transformation, process improvement, or operational turnaround.
• Strong executive presence, communication skills, business judgment, and change leadership capability.
• Ability to partner effectively with ownership, boards, senior executives, operational leaders, and external stakeholders.

Benefits

• $210,000 to $280,000 base salary, plus executive bonus potential

Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: Both Keller Executive Search and our clients are Equal Opportunity Employers. For all positions, whether with Keller Executive Search or our clients, qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, skin color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.

Commitment to Diversity: Keller Executive Search and its clients are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment where all individuals are valued and respected.

Reasonable Accommodations: Both Keller Executive Search and our clients are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities and pregnant individuals. We engage in an interactive process to determine effective, reasonable accommodations.

Compensation Information: For client positions, compensation information is available in the job post. If not provided, it will be shared during the interview process in accordance with applicable laws. When required by law, salary ranges will be included in job postings. Actual salary may depend on skills, experience, and comparison to current employees in similar roles. Salary ranges may vary based on role and location.

Compliance with Laws: Both Keller Executive Search and our clients comply with federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all employment terms and conditions, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Workplace Harassment: Both Keller Executive Search and our clients expressly prohibit any form of workplace harassment based on race, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.

E-Verify Participation: Keller Executive Search and/or our clients may participate in E-Verify. Information about E-Verify participation will be provided during the application process where applicable.

Privacy and Pay Equity:

• California Residents: For more information about the categories of personal information we collect for recruiting and employment purposes, please review our Privacy Policy.
• Colorado, Nevada, New York City, California, and Washington Residents: Compensation information is available in the job post or will be provided during the interview process if not initially available.
• Both Keller Executive Search and our clients are committed to pay equity and conduct periodic pay equity analyses in accordance with applicable laws.

State-Specific Information:

• Rhode Island: We do not request or require salary history from applicants.
• Connecticut: We provide wage range information upon request or before discussing compensation.
• New Jersey: We do not inquire about salary history unless voluntarily disclosed.

Veteran Status: Both Keller Executive Search and our clients provide equal employment opportunities to veterans and comply with applicable state laws regarding veteran preference in employment. If you are a veteran, please inform us during the application process.

Genetic Information: In accordance with federal and state laws, both Keller Executive Search and our clients do not discriminate based on genetic information. We do not request or require genetic information from applicants or employees, except as permitted by law.

Local Laws: Both Keller Executive Search and our clients comply with all applicable local laws and ordinances regarding employment practices in the areas where we operate.

Keller Executive Search and our clients may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the recruitment and candidate evaluation process. These tools are used exclusively to support human decision-making by helping to review and assess candidate qualifications and materials. AI is never used to automatically reject, disqualify, or make final hiring decisions about candidates. All AI-assisted evaluations are reviewed by experienced recruitment professionals, and all hiring decisions are made by qualified human recruiters. Our use of AI is designed to enhance fairness, consistency, and efficiency while maintaining our commitment to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination principles.

Note: This job posting may be for a position with Keller Executive Search or one of our clients. The specific employer will be identified during the application and interview process. Employment laws and requirements may vary depending on the employer and location.