Why Mettricks?
We're building one of the most ambitious independent hospitality businesses on the South Coast.
Our goal is to create a business known for exceptional hospitality, industry-leading culture, operational excellence, and a relentless commitment to improvement.
As Operations Director, you'll play a critical role in shaping that future.
This is a senior leadership position responsible for driving business performance, developing leaders, protecting culture, and helping define the next chapter of the Mettricks story.
What We Believe
At Mettricks, we believe hospitality can be a force for good.
We believe great businesses are built by great people. We believe accountability and kindness can coexist. We believe that continuous improvement beats perfection, that culture drives performance, and that every customer interaction is an opportunity to make somebody's day.
Our mission isn't simply to operate successful venues. We're building a business that challenges convention through exceptional hospitality, industry-leading culture, operational excellence, and a relentless commitment to improvement.
We don't believe leadership is about hierarchy. We believe leadership is about service, responsibility, and helping others perform at their best.
We're looking for leaders who are excited by growth, who aren't afraid to challenge the status quo, and who want to help build something meaningful.
Most importantly, we're looking for someone who believes that culture isn't separate from performance—it drives it.
The Role
The Operations Director provides strategic and operational leadership across the business.
Working alongside the founder and senior leadership team, you'll develop and execute strategies that enable sustainable growth while ensuring our values remain at the centre of every decision.
Whilst this is a strategic leadership role, it is not one that can be led from behind a desk.
We are looking for a leader who remains deeply connected to the operation, spends significant time in venues, understands the challenges and opportunities facing teams, and leads through visibility, presence and action.
The best person for this role will be equally comfortable discussing long-term strategy in the boardroom as they are supporting leaders during a busy Saturday service.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and execute operational strategy aligned with company objectives.
- Identify opportunities for growth, innovation and operational improvement.
- Support long-term business planning and expansion.
Culture & Leadership
- Act as a guardian of Mettricks culture and values.
- Develop exceptional leaders throughout the organisation.
- Create alignment, accountability and engagement across teams.
Operational Excellence
- Ensure operational systems support business growth.
- Drive consistency, efficiency and quality across all locations.
- Lead major operational projects and change initiatives.
Commercial Leadership & Performance
- Own and drive overall business performance across revenue, profitability and growth.
- Lead financial planning and operational budgeting processes.
- Establish performance frameworks that create accountability at every level.
- Use commercial insight and data to inform strategic decision-making.
- Identify opportunities to improve margins, increase revenue and strengthen business resilience.
- Develop leaders who understand and take ownership of commercial performance.
- Ensure sustainable growth without compromising culture, quality or customer experience.
Customer & Brand Experience
- Protect and enhance the Mettricks customer experience.
- Ensure every location delivers on our promise to redefine hospitality standards.
- Champion innovation while maintaining operational excellence.
What Success Looks Like
- Sustainable year-on-year growth in revenue and profitability.
- A high-performing leadership team with strong commercial capability.
- Clear accountability for performance throughout the organisation.
- Operational excellence delivered alongside exceptional culture and hospitality.
- Strong leadership presence across the business.
- Teams that feel supported, challenged and inspired.
- Continued growth without compromising the Mettricks values.
Living the Mettricks Values
You create a culture of transparency, trust and accountability.
You lead with humility, seek feedback, and promote continuous improvement at every level.
You turn strategy into action and create momentum across the business.
You set uncompromising standards for quality, integrity and execution.
You recognise that culture, leadership and hospitality are ultimately about people.
You bring authenticity, resilience and optimism to your leadership.
Who This Role Is For
This role is for someone who sees culture as a competitive advantage.
Someone who understands that the best hospitality businesses aren't built through control, but through trust, clarity, accountability, and great people.
Someone who gets energy from developing leaders, solving problems, improving systems, and helping teams achieve more than they thought possible.
You'll thrive here if you:
- Lead with humility and confidence.
- Are commercially minded but people-focused.
- Love being in the operation and close to the people.
- Understand that culture and commercial performance go hand in hand.
- Can move seamlessly between strategy and execution.
- Enjoy developing leaders who can drive both people and profit performance.
- Take ownership and expect others to do the same.
- Want to help shape the future of independent hospitality.
Who This Role Isn't For
This role probably isn't for you if:
- You prefer hierarchy over empowerment.
- You avoid difficult conversations.
- You wait for somebody else to fix problems.
- You see culture as separate from performance.
- You believe "that's how we've always done it" is a good enough reason not to improve.
- You're looking to maintain the status quo rather than build something exceptional.
At Mettricks, we believe that culture eats strategy for breakfast. We're looking for a leader who believes the same.
What You'll Bring
- Significant multi-site hospitality leadership experience.
- A proven track record of scaling businesses and developing leaders.
- Strong commercial and operational expertise.
- Demonstrable success driving revenue growth and profitability.
- Exceptional communication and influencing skills.
- Deep alignment with the Mettricks values and belief that culture is the foundation of sustainable success.
Application Process
To help us understand how you think, lead, and align with our values, a cover letter is required as part of your application.
We're less interested in generic cover letters and more interested in hearing your perspective, experience, and ideas.
Please include responses to the following questions:
1. Why Mettricks?
What is it about our business, mission, culture, and approach to hospitality that appeals to you?#
2. What Do You Believe Are the Biggest Opportunities and Challenges Facing Mettricks?
Based on your understanding of the hospitality industry, independent café sector, and the Mettricks brand:
- What opportunities should we be focused on over the next 3-5 years?
- What challenges do you think businesses like ours are likely to face?
- How would you approach overcoming those challenges and capitalising on those opportunities?
We're not looking for "right" answers. We're interested in how you think.
3. Why Are You the Right Person for This Role?
Tell us about:
- Relevant achievements and experience.
- Leadership style.
- Commercial successes you've delivered.
- Teams you've developed.
- What strengths you would bring to Mettricks.
4. Culture Matters at Mettricks
Our philosophy is that "Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast."
What does great culture look like to you?
How do you build it, protect it, and improve it as a leader?
We recognise this application process asks for more than a standard cover letter. That's intentional. We're looking for a leader who can help shape the future of Mettricks, and we'd like to understand how you think, not just where you've worked.
Pay: Up to £40,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
