Manager, Ops Innovation

CAVA • Full-time • Washington, DC, US • $110k - $120k / year • 22h ago

Company Profile

At CAVA, we make it deliciously simple to eat well and feel good every day. We are guided by a Mediterranean heritage that’s been perfecting how to eat and live for four thousand years. We prioritize authenticity, curiosity and the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. We are working towards something big together.

We foster a culture built on five core values:

· Generosity First, Always: We lead with kindness. Our best work happens when we act in service of others.

· Constant Curiosity: We are eager to learn, grow, and explore beyond the obvious.

· Act with Agility: We welcome change; it’s the only constant. We embrace, adjust, adapt.

· Passion for Positivity: We greet each day with warmth and possibility.

· Collective Ambition: We have high aspirations that are achieved when we work together with a shared purpose.

Manager, Ops Innovation

The Role

The Manager, Operations Menu Innovation plays a critical role in bringing CAVA’s menu innovation to life in our restaurants. This role partners closely with Innovation, Culinary, Operations, Supply Chain, Training, and Analytics to ensure new menu items, LTOs, equipment, and platform changes are operationally sound, scalable, and executable across the system. This role is solution oriented, responsible for translating innovative ideas into clear, repeatable restaurant execution, balancing guest experience, food quality, speed of service, labor efficiency, and operational simplicity.

What You’ll Do

· Partner with Innovation and Culinary teams to operationalize new menu items from concept through rollout

· Evaluate new menu ideas through an operational lens, including station flow, prep processes, equipment usage, food safety + quality risks, and build complexity

· Support menu testing and pilots by defining operational requirements, execution standards, and success metrics

· Gather and synthesize feedback from field teams, test restaurants, and cross-functional partners to inform iteration and launch decisions

· Collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure ingredient readiness, sourcing feasibility, and operational consistency

· Work with Training to develop clear, scalable execution materials including recipe cards, SOPs, and crew-facing guidance

· Partner with Analytics and Finance to assess performance, labor impact, and operational tradeoffs

· Support national rollouts by ensuring operational readiness and clear communication to the field

· Identify opportunities to simplify execution while protecting food quality and the guest experience

· Lead cross-functional handover of key projects at milestone achievement

Who You Are

· You bring a strong operational mindset and understanding of restaurant teams, processes, and workflows

· You are comfortable working cross-functionally with large teams

· You are organized and balance creativity with discipline and structure

· You are data-informed but execution-driven

· You thrive in fast-paced environments and are energized by building things that scale!

What We’re Looking For

Minimum Qualifications

· 5+ years of experience in restaurant operations, menu innovation, culinary operations, or a related field

· Strong understanding of restaurant workflows, station design, and speed-of-service drivers

· Experience supporting cross-functional initiatives from concept to execution

· Strong communication and organizational skills

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience supporting menu launches or LTO programs in fast-casual or QSR

· Exposure to operational testing, pilots, or test-and-learn environments

· Experience working with field operations teams

· Familiarity with operational metrics such as labor, throughput, waste, or prep efficiency

Physical Requirements:

· Ability to maintain stationary position to be able to operate a computer and other office equipment

· Must be able to identify, analyze and assess details

· For certain positions, must be able to occasionally move or transport items up to 50 pounds

· Ability to communicate with others and exchange information accurately and effectively

· Constantly positions self and move about to support ordinary restaurant or food production support or office operations, as applicable

· Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner

· Travel expectations ~1 week per month

What we offer:

· Competitive salary, plus bonus and long-term incentives*

· Early Wage Access!

· Unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, plus paid opportunities to give back to the community

· Health, Dental, Vision, Telemedicine, Pet Insurance plus more!

· 401k enrollment with CAVA contribution

· Company-paid STD, LTD, Life and AD&D coverage for salaried positions*

· Free CAVA food • Casual work environment

· The opportunity to be on the ground floor of a rapidly growing brand

· All exempt and nonexempt employees are eligible for benefits. Benefits are effective from the 1st of the month following 30 days of service and you have until the day before the effective date to enroll. A new hire can enroll in our benefit program by selecting a link that is emailed directly to the new hire at their personal email address once hired

· Please note that visa sponsorship is not available.

· The posting range is an all-cash range.

*Indicates qualified eligible positions only

CAVA – Joining “A culture, not a concept”

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