Director

Job Description

Position Overview

The Director is a senior leader responsible for helping drive the overall success of the restaurant through strong leadership, operational excellence, team development, and accountability.

Directors are expected to think beyond the needs of an individual shift and take ownership of the long-term health of the business. This includes developing leaders, maintaining high operational standards, improving business results, and creating an environment where Team Members can grow and guests consistently receive remarkable experiences.

The Director works closely with the Operator and fellow Directors to execute restaurant priorities, solve problems, develop talent, and continuously raise the standard of excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Team Members and leaders to achieve their full potential
• Identify high-potential Team Members and intentionally build the restaurant's leadership pipeline
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, coaching conversations, and performance evaluations
• Set clear expectations and consistently follow up on performance and accountability
• Delegate effectively while developing ownership within the leadership team
• Model professionalism, humility, urgency, and a strong work ethic
• Create a culture of continuous learning, recognition, accountability, and growth

Operational Excellence

• Provide leadership and direction during restaurant operations
• Ensure shifts are positioned and executed effectively to meet business needs
• Maintain high standards for food quality, food safety, cleanliness, speed, accuracy, and hospitality
• Identify operational challenges and implement sustainable solutions
• Develop and maintain systems, procedures, checklists, and routines that create consistency
• Ensure compliance with Chick-fil-A brand standards and restaurant policies
• Maintain strong communication between Front of House, Back of House, and support functions

Guest Experience & Hospitality

• Champion a culture of remarkable hospitality and genuine care for every guest
• Model and reinforce Chick-fil-A service expectations, including Core 4 and Second Mile Service
• Ensure guest concerns are handled quickly, professionally, and with appropriate recovery
• Review guest feedback and performance metrics to identify trends and opportunities
• Coach leaders and Team Members to recognize opportunities to create memorable guest experiences
• Maintain a clean, welcoming, and well-organized restaurant environment

Talent & Training

• Partner with restaurant leadership to recruit, onboard, train, and retain high-quality Team Members
• Ensure Team Members are properly trained and prepared before being assigned responsibilities independently
• Develop leaders who can effectively run shifts, coach others, and uphold restaurant standards
• Support cross-training and development opportunities throughout the restaurant
• Evaluate training effectiveness and address knowledge or performance gaps
• Create intentional development plans for emerging leaders

Business & Financial Performance

• Understand restaurant goals, key performance indicators, and business priorities
• Use operational data to identify opportunities and drive measurable improvement
• Support labor productivity, food cost, waste reduction, and other controllable expenses
• Balance operational excellence with responsible stewardship of restaurant resources
• Communicate business results to leaders and help translate metrics into actionable goals
• Take ownership of assigned areas of the business and consistently follow through on commitments

Communication & Collaboration

• Communicate expectations, priorities, and results clearly and consistently
• Lead effective leadership meetings, shift huddles, and development conversations
• Partner with fellow Directors to ensure alignment across the restaurant
• Proactively communicate challenges and opportunities rather than waiting for problems to escalate
• Support restaurant-wide initiatives, promotions, community events, and special projects
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism when handling sensitive Team Member or business information

Qualifications

• Previous leadership experience in quick-service restaurants, hospitality, retail, or another high-volume environment preferred
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop others
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent organization, prioritization, and time-management skills
• Ability to make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Strong sense of ownership and personal accountability
• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback
• Passion for developing people and serving others
• Ability to analyze performance and turn opportunities into action
• Availability to work a flexible schedule based on restaurant needs, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends

Core Competencies

• Servant leadership
• Ownership and accountability
• Emotional intelligence
• Coaching and talent development
• Operational discipline
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Communication and collaboration
• Adaptability
• Strategic thinking
• Continuous improvement
• Stewardship

Success Metrics

Success in the Director role may be measured through:

• Guest satisfaction and customer experience results
• Speed of service, order accuracy, and operational performance
• Food safety and quality results
• Team Member retention and engagement
• Leadership development and internal promotions
• Training completion and proficiency
• Labor productivity and responsible cost management
• Cleanliness and brand-standard compliance
• Execution of assigned business goals and initiatives
• Overall restaurant performance and leadership-team effectiveness

What We Expect From Our Directors

A Director is more than a strong shift leader. Directors are expected to take ownership of the business, develop the people around them, identify problems before they become larger issues, and consistently raise the standard.

We are looking for leaders who are willing to challenge themselves and others, have difficult conversations when necessary, celebrate success, learn from mistakes, and leave the restaurant and its people better than they found them.

Why Join Chick-fil-A?

• Purpose-driven, people-focused culture
• Significant leadership and professional development opportunities
• Opportunity to develop transferable business and leadership skills
• Competitive pay and growth potential
• Hands-on experience leading people and restaurant operations
• Opportunity to positively influence Team Members, guests, and the surrounding community

Work schedule

• 8 hour shift
• 10 hour shift
• Weekend availability
• Holidays
• Overtime

Benefits

• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off
• Health insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Employee discount
• Paid training