Senior Associate, Ops Innovation
Description:
About the Role
We’re looking for a highly driven and strategic Senior Associate, Ops Innovation to help bring the menu to life and ensure consistent execution aligned with our culinary vision. This role serves as a key connector between Operations, Culinary, and Supply Chain—leading high-impact workstreams, designing and executing field tests, and supporting the rollout of tools and process improvements that enhance the restaurant experience.
The ideal candidate brings a strong mix of process improvement, food passion, and operational insight—paired with exceptional organization and clear, confident communication.
This role requires a strong field presence, with up to 50% of time spent in restaurants testing new processes and products, gathering team member feedback, and identifying opportunities to improve consistency, efficiency, and scalability.
Key Responsibilities
Menu Innovation & Operations
Lead critical menu innovation testing that drives improvements in food execution and team efficiency, ultimately enabling more successful launches.
Synthesize test outcomes and make go/no-go recommendations in partnership with Operations Leadership and cross-functional teams, ensuring decisions are grounded in data and field insights.
Cross-Functional Influence
Serve as a key liaison between Culinary, Supply Chain, Ops Innovation, and Restaurant Operations.
Create and maintain an operational “sandbox” for Culinary to test new ideas, and partner closely with the culinary team in the lab on various menu innovation projects.
Communicate clearly and consistently to align stakeholders, clarify priorities, and translate field learnings into actionable strategies.
Test Design & Execution
Design and manage Restaurant Operating Tests (ROTs) and Market Tests (MTs), including test parameters, success criteria, and structured feedback loops.
Partner with restaurant teams to trial changes in real time, work stations firsthand, collect team member feedback, and identify operational refinements that improve execution at scale.
System & Tool Ownership
Oversee digital prep requirement tools for both hot and cold food production.
Manage smallwares tracking and ensure alignment with evolving menu and operational needs.
Maintain accuracy, accessibility, and usability of systems to streamline workflows and support consistent execution in restaurants.
Qualifications
3–5+ years of experience in restaurant operations, strategy, or culinary project execution
Passion for food, people, and continuous improvement
Highly organized with strong attention to detail
Clear, confident communicator with the ability to influence across levels
Comfortable working in fast-paced, cross-functional environments
Willingness to spend up to 50% of time in restaurants and 10–25% of time traveling to various markets
Proficiency in tools like Excel, Google Suite, and operational systems
What You’ll Bring
A strategic mindset with a strong executional bias
Ability to manage multiple workstreams while staying organized and focused
Curiosity, humility, and adaptability when working hands-on in the field
A collaborative spirit and a strong sense of ownership
A drive for clarity, progress, and tangible results
What you'll get:
Highly competitive pay + bonus plan
Three different medical plans to suit your and your family's needs
Dental and Vision insurance
Flexible PTO plan
401k program
Employee HSA and FSA
Complimentary greens
An opportunity to make a real impact on the people around you, both by growing them and by connecting them to real food
To live the sweetlife and celebrate your passion + purpose
A collaborative team of people who live our core values and have your back
A clear career path with opportunities for development, both personally and professionally
Free sweetgreen swag
Come join the sweetlife!
About sweetgreen
sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. We passionately believe that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day in each sweetgreen, our 3,500 team members make food from scratch, using fresh ingredients and produce delivered that morning. And in our local communities, we’re committed to leaving people better than we found them. We’re in the business of feeding people, and we’re out to change what that means.
sweetgreen provides equal opportunities for everyone that works for us and everyone that applies to join our team, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service, past, present, or future, in the uniformed services of the United States (military or veteran status), or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.
sweetgreen participates in the federal government's E-Verify program to determine employment eligibility. To learn more about the E-Verify program, please click here.
Salary range for this role:
Starting salary range based on experience
$77,900—$113,000 USD
sweetgreen provides equal opportunities for everyone that works for us and everyone that applies to join our team, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service, past, present, or future, in the uniformed services of the United States (military or veteran status), or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.
California residents: Review our applicant privacy notice HERE.
sweetgreen participates in the federal government's E-Verify program to determine employment eligibility. To learn more about the E-Verify program, please click here.