Assistant Chief Operating Officer

Role Summary

The Assistant COO will serve as the operational right hand to the COO, ensuring smooth day-to-day management of all brands within Ajwan Hospitality Group. The role focuses on execution, follow-up, and operational discipline, acting as the first point of escalation for operations issues, project delays, or performance gaps. This position demands multi-unit F&B leadership experience, financial discipline, and a proactive, results-driven mindset.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Management

Oversee daily operations across all brands and branches to ensure compliance with company policies, hygiene standards, and performance targets.

Act as the primary escalation point for area managers and department heads, resolving issues before reaching the COO.

Conduct weekly performance reviews with operations teams and ensure corrective actions are implemented.

2. New Openings & Expansion

Manage end-to-end branch opening process, from site readiness to soft and grand opening.

Coordinate between procurement, HR, marketing, and construction to meet opening deadlines and budget.

Support the COO in feasibility studies, site visits, and expansion plans for domestic and international markets.

3. Financial Oversight

Review and monitor weekly and monthly P&L reports for all brands.

Enforce cost control measures in line with approved budgets.

Evaluate purchasing requests and operational expenses for cost-effectiveness before COO approval.

4. Marketing & Sales Execution

Monitor aggregator and direct channel campaigns to ensure ROI and alignment with approved plans.

Coordinate with the marketing department to execute promotions, product launches, and brand activation on schedule.

5. Performance Reporting

Ensure weekly operational reports are consolidated and submitted to the COO.

Track KPIs for sales, food cost, labor cost, and compliance.

Highlight underperforming branches and implement recovery plans within 90 days.

6. Policy Compliance & Staff Management

Enforce all group policies on hygiene, quality, social media conduct, and operational discipline.

Issue initial warnings for violations and escalate to COO for final action.

Assist HR with recruitment and training needs for operations leadership roles.

Core Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or related field. MBA preferred.

8–10 years senior F&B operations experience, including multi-brand, multi-country management.

Strong financial literacy (P&L, cost control, budgeting).

Excellent leadership & team management skills.

Strong negotiation and supplier management abilities.

Project management and time management expertise.

Crisis management under pressure.

English (fluent), Arabic (advantage), additional languages a plus.

Willingness to travel for site visits and openings.

KPIs

95% of openings and key projects delivered on time and within budget.

Minimum 90% audit compliance score across all brands.

No more than 3% variance in budget vs. actual operational costs.

Monthly consolidated operations report delivered by the 2nd working day.

Achieve sales growth in underperforming branches within 3 months of implementing recovery plans.

Authority Limits

• May approve operational expenses up to a pre-set limit (to be defined by COO).
• Authorized to issue operational warnings in line with company policy.
• Cannot make final decisions on strategic financial commitments, franchise agreements, or major policy changes without COO approval.

Reporting Structure

Assistant COO → COO → CEO / Board

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent