Overview
Senior Operations Manager Jobs in Wicklow, County Wicklow, Ireland at SCEAL
Title: Senior Operations Manager
Company: SCEAL
Location: Wicklow, County Wicklow, Ireland
Join the Scéal Journey: Senior Operations Manager
At our core, we believe that growth should never come at the expense of quality. As we move into a pivotal chapter of expansion, we are looking for a new leader within Scéal who understands that our reputation is baked into every single loaf and every guest interaction, across every location we will ever open.
You are a powerhouse of execution who leads through presence, not just process. You understand that ‘industry-leading’ is a title earned every day, through the mentorship of our people and the refinement of our craft. We need a person who can protect our uncompromising quality while building the structures that allow our ever growing team to thrive.
Who You Are:
- A Culture-First Leader: You believe that operational excellence starts with people. You are a people-person who knows how to inspire a team, ensuring our values remain intact as we grow from two sites to four.
- A Natural Finisher: You are the bridge between vision and reality. You have the discipline to take founder ideas and turn them into clear, simple systems that help our people do their best work without the stress of "the unknown.”
- An Intuitive Operator: You have a ‘floor-first' mindset. While you understand the need for systems and tech, you make your best decisions by being in the business, observing the rhythm of service, and supporting the team where they need it most.
What’s in it for you?
A Pivotal Career Moment
You aren’t just joining a bakery, you’re joining a movement. With one new location already thriving and another currently under construction, you are coming on board at a definitive moment in the Scéal story. For a leader looking to build a career, the timing couldn't be better.
A Culture of Genuine Care
We believe that hospitality starts with how we treat our own. You’ll be part of a supportive, kind, and high-energy team culture where we genuinely care about one another’s well-being. We work hard, but we do it in an environment that respects your voice and values your contribution.
Industry-Leading Growth & Learning
As one of Ireland’s most acclaimed food businesses, we offer a front-row seat to industry excellence. You will have the opportunity to:
- Learn from the Best: Gain deep insights into specialty coffee, artisan production, and high-level hospitality management.
- Career Progression: With our ongoing expansion, there is a clear and direct path for career progression into senior leadership roles.
- Shape the Brand: Have a real seat at the table, influencing how we grow and how our community evolves.
The Essentials
- Competitive salary reflective of your experience and leadership.
- Daytime-only hours (no late nights!) promoting a healthy work-life balance.
- Working in a creative and supportive environment alongside the founders
- Staff coffees, home-cooked staff meals and plenty of flakey buttery pastry
- A bike to work scheme (promoting healthy commutes)
So, what’s the role …
Operational Excellence:
- Project Design: Work in lockstep with the Founders to translate high-level strategy into actionable, documented workflows and processes.
- Project Implementation: Act as the primary "Integrator," taking ideas from the design stage and embedding them into the bakery and café floors.
Multi-Site Synchronisation:
- Efficiency and Optimisation: Oversee the daily logistics between our bakeries (hubs) and our cafes (spokes), and our wholesale partners.
- Quality is everything: Conduct regular site audits to ensure brand standards, product presentation, and service speed are identical across the group.
Commercial Stewardship & Financial Sustainability
- Protecting the Craft: You understand that for quality to be sustainable, the business must be financially healthy. You will take ownership of our operational "middle-line," ensuring that labor and ingredient costs are managed with precision across all sites.
- Commercial Acumen: You bring a sharp eye for the numbers without losing sight of the guest experience. You see the P&L as a tool to help us grow better, not just bigger, ensuring our commercial health supports our creative ambition.
People & Team Leadership:
- Strategic Recruitment: Support with the recruitment and onboarding of management for our growing team, ensuring we hire talented, hard-working team members with a growth mindset.
- Cultivate Talent: Mentor Site Managers and Head Bakers, providing the structured communication and accountability they need to lead their own teams effectively.
Systems & Process Architecture:
- IT Architect: Support with the audit and implementation of a new "Tech Stack" (Scheduling, Inventory, Comms, etc.) needed to move the business into the next phase of growth
- Operating Bible: Refine and own the "Operating Manual”, standardising SOPs so that the business can scale without losing its soul.
Required Competencies
- People-First Rigor: You are a People-Person who isn't afraid of high standards. You lead with empathy but hold the line on excellence. You must have managed multi-site teams previously.
- Communication Clarity: You bridge the gap between the founders and the floor. You provide clear, calm, and direct leadership in a fast-paced environment. Your verbal and digital communication is exemplary.
- The Finisher: You are obsessed with follow-through. You don't just identify a problem; you solve it, document the solution, and train the team so it stays solved. You must be able to evidence this in a multi-site setting.
- Logistics Intuition: You understand the unique rhythm of a bakery/café business—where timing, freshness, and delivery are everything
We look forward to hearing from you!
