Operations Manager - Food Services

At LagardèreAWPL, we’re not just the largest Travel Retail operator in the Pacific – we’re the most passionate! With 150+ stores across Australia, & New Zealand, we bring big brands to life in airports and travel hubs. Our dynamic team of 1,500+ professionals work across 40 unique retail concepts – and now, we want YOU to join our team!

As our Operations Manager – Food Services, you’ll take the lead across a fast-moving national portfolio of 20+ diverse Food & Beverage concepts spanning 8 airports. You’ll work side by side with General Managers, F&B Managers and Store Managers, helping them lift performance, solve operational challenges and deliver consistently strong commercial and customer outcomes.

No two days will look the same. One day you might be working through a performance opportunity with a venue team, the next supporting a new opening, improving an operating model or helping roll out a new initiative across the network.

This is a role for a hands-on multi-site operator who enjoys being close to the action, building strong leaders and making a visible impact across a growing business.

✅ Lead the day-to-day operational performance of 20+ Food & Beverage concepts across 8 airports
✅ Partner with General Managers, F&B Managers and Store Managers to lift performance, solve challenges and deliver strong results
✅ Drive sales, labour, COGS, margin, wastage and overall venue profitability
✅ Spend time in venues reviewing operations, customer experience, service standards and compliance
✅ Coach and develop venue leaders, building capability, accountability and high-performing teams
✅ Identify performance gaps and turn them into clear, practical action plans
✅ Drive consistency across the portfolio while recognising the unique needs of each venue and airport
✅ Support new venue openings, refurbishments, product launches and operational rollouts
✅ Work closely with Finance, HR, Marketing, Culinary, Procurement and other support teams to get things done
✅ Champion continuous improvement across service, productivity, systems and operating standards
✅ Ensure venues maintain strong food safety, WHS, licensing and airport compliance standards
✅ Share best practice across the network and help successful ideas scale nationally

✅ Proven experience in a multi-site or high-volume operations management role in hospitality, retail or travel retail
✅ Strong commercial acumen, with confidence managing sales, labour, COGS, margin, wastage and operating costs
✅ A track record of coaching and developing emerging / established operational leaders
✅ Strong analytical skills, with the ability to turn performance data into clear actions and measurable improvement
✅ A hands-on leadership style and the confidence to work directly with venue teams to solve operational challenges
✅ Experience driving consistency, standards and accountability across geographically dispersed locations
✅ Strong knowledge of customer experience, food safety, WHS and operational compliance
✅ Confidence working in fast-paced, high-volume environments with competing priorities
✅ Experience supporting venue openings, operational change, system rollouts or continuous improvement initiatives is highly regarded
✅ Airport, travel retail or large-scale Food & Beverage experience is desirable, but not essential
✅ Flexibility to travel regularly across the national portfolio

Join us at LagardèreAWPL and be part of a global company that celebrates creativity, innovation, and a commitment to sustainable practices.

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