Director of Operations - Opening Team

Company: Level99
Location: Hartford
Posted on: March 19, 2025

Job Description:

WHO WE ARELevel99 is a first-of-its-kind destination for real-world, social, challenge-based entertainment for adults featuring over 50 mental and physical challenges set in immersive, artistic environments. Each challenge is designed to bring a group together in engaging activities that take 2 to 4 minutes to complete, sparking moments of laughter in epic fails and high-fives in triumphant wins. From navigating our iconic Axe Run to solving puzzles in a Crystal Cavern, to conquering the largest pinball game imaginable, Level99 offers endless ways to play using both body and mind. Level99 tracks each player's progress as they work their way up the coveted leaderboard or try to collect every "star" available in the venue, unlocking exclusive rewards as they play. To enhance the gaming experience, Level99 offers a full-service bar, restaurant, and beer hall, Night Shift Kitchen + Tap, that features scratch-made cooking, legendary craft beers, hand-made creative cocktails, and a variety of dining and gathering spaces for events. In 2025, we will be adding Victory Brewing in Tysons, VA and Two Roads Kitchen + Tap in West Hartford, CT to our group of restaurants as we team up with local brewers in support of our northeast expansion.Level99 opened its first location in 2021 in Natick, MA, followed by its second location in Providence, RI in 2024. A young, entrepreneurial company, Level99 has immediate plans to triple in size over the next 18 months. We are backed by Act III Holdings, led by Panera founder Ron Shaich, and we have a talented team that has worked on successful entertainment projects such as 5 Wits, Boda Borg, Blue Man Group, and Walt Disney Imagineering. This position is an opportunity for an experienced and motivated individual to dive into a fast-paced, dynamic environment where you can apply your skills in a fun and exciting setting that brings joy and entertainment to hundreds of thousands of people each year. More information on Level99 and our restaurants is available at .Level99 West Hartford, CT - opening in 2025!DESCRIPTIONThe Level99 team is seeking a Director of Operations for our upcoming opening at Corbin's Corner in West Hartford, CT, who will be responsible for ensuring a best-in-class customer experience for nearly 300,000 guests per year by managing daily operations of both our full-service, scratch kitchen, restaurant and entertainment venue which combined span over 40,000 square feet. The Director of Operations will lead a team of 100+ associates and deliver exceptional financial results via their commitment to detail and ability to work across all levels of the Level99 organization.A successful candidate will not only be a strategic business leader, but will also dive into all of the daily details and be the expert on every role within the organization leading by example day-in, and day-out. The Director of Operations is responsible for the overall success of the venue: cultivating a team environment that provides our guests with an extraordinary hospitality experience while directing the management team (across food & beverage, entertainment operations, event operations, and maintenance) and ensuring all team members perform at a consistently high level. Our team is highly collaborative, working alongside teammates from multiple disciplines to produce optimal results.A Level99 Director of Operations has honesty and personal integrity that is above reproach, prefers a joyful and positive approach to challenging situations, chooses humility over the need to "be right," and in all things acts as though they are the Owner and Operator of their venue.RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead, direct and manage all aspects of day-to-day venue operations including ensuring a customer-first experience and developing/managing all team members (scheduling, compliance, standards/performance, and policies).
• Lead the management and improvement of the financial performance of the unit executing a cadence of daily, weekly, and period-frequency projects ensuring operating standards are maintained concurrently (e.g., sales forecasting, scheduling, inventory, local vendor relations, etc).
• Ensure best-in-class hospitality experience and team member satisfaction.
• Monitor and develop team member performance, particularly the leadership team, to include, but not limited to, providing supervision and professional development, scheduling, conducting counseling and evaluations, and delivering recognition and reward.
• Recruit, hire and train team members, overseeing the success and development of 100+ individuals at the venue.
• Oversee service quality, operational efficiency, guest satisfaction, standards compliance and service and financial measurements.
• Support the development and lead the execution of the Level99 operations playbook, ensuring standards are consistently upheld across venues.
• Identify operational performance, productivity and efficiency gaps and implement measures to correct those deficiencies and communicate learnings across the organization for consistency and best-in-class operations.
• Travel (as necessary) between venues and to the Support Center to enhance overall team collaboration, leverage learnings and best practices, and drive the overall success of Level99 Corbin's Corner.
• Other duties, as assigned.MUST-HAVE SKILLS
  • Minimum 15 years of progressive growth in the hotel, entertainment, or restaurant industries.
  • Multi-unit operations, or multi-discipline (within a single, large format unit), experience.
  • Deep knowledge of hospitality, entertainment, or restaurant operating systems including sales forecasting, labor management & scheduling, COGS reporting, invoice management, reservation management, and more.
  • Strong guest-facing communication and service recovery skills.
  • Team-first attitude and ability to successfully communicate across all levels of the organization.
  • Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal skills.
  • Requires strong computer skills and proficiency in Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office specifically Word, Excel, & PowerPoint.
  • Ability to work a flexible schedule based on business needs which will include days, nights, weekends and holidays as well as emergency responsiveness as required.
  • Able to work ten hour-plus shifts, plus ability to stand, sit, squat or walk for extended periods of time, walk up and down stairs, and read.
  • Able to grasp, reach overhead, push, lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
  • Must possess outstanding organizational and administrative skills, coupled with excellent attention to detail.
  • Must have the ability to promote positive, fair, and ethical relations with all team members as an ambassador of the Level99 brand.
  • Compassionate, empathetic, humble, respectful, and kind - very high emotional intelligence.
  • A reliable car, current driver's license.
  • Ability to train on-site in Natick, MA.OTHER DESIRABLE (BUT NOT NECESSARY) SKILLS & EXPERIENCE INCLUDE
    • Bachelor's Degree or above in a related field, or equivalent experience.
    • Knowledge of a second language, particularly Spanish or Portuguese, a plus.
    • Experience with new openings for hotels, restaurants, or entertainment establishments.While we don't expect a candidate to have deep experience in all of the above, we're looking for someone with the passion and capability to learn quickly in the areas that are new!YOU MIGHT BE A FIT ON THE LEVEL99 TEAM IF YOU------ Like to laugh, would be described as a "low maintenance, low drama" person, have a tendency to have a bit of fun while you work.--- Have a high tolerance for ambiguity, like to go fast, and are excited to learn on the job.--- Are just a little bit obsessive about getting the details right the first time.--- Have a high energy personality, the kind of person who is typically smiling, and likes to "get it done now."
      #J-18808-Ljbffr

Keywords: Level99, Hartford , Director of Operations - Opening Team, Executive , Hartford, Connecticut