Are you ready to shape the future of daily operations at the largest coffee shop brand in the Nordics?

We are looking for a Central Operations Director to lead our newly established function with a clear mission: to safeguard and elevate the guest experience through strong standards, seamless routines, and operational excellence, all in pursuit of becoming Iconic Coffee Shops Again.

Location: Head Office in Solna

About the role

As Central Operations Director at Espresso House Group, you will lead a dedicated team responsible for everything that makes our shops run smoothly, from developing in-shop routines and systems, to maintaining shop formats and supporting training and deployment of new solutions.

You will report directly to the Managing Director of Operations and collaborate closely with Operations Directors and Group stakeholders to ensure our brand delivers consistently across countries.

This is a high-impact, strategic role designed to support operational efficiency and enable our shops to deliver great guest experiences every day. You will drive the development of our operational standards, performance frameworks, and franchise governance, always with the great guest experience and brand integrity at heart.

You will also be the champion of our "Iconic Coffee" strategy, bringing to life iconic coffee shops and operational frameworks that scale across five countries.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the central operations strategy: Drive the way we operate our coffee shops across the group. Translate strategic initiatives into practical routines and solutions that improve daily execution and guest experience. Work closely with local teams to ensure smooth implementation.
• Drive operational excellence and performance: Set up a clear framework to follow up on shop performance and identify areas for improvement. Focus on key KPIs like Guest Score, NPS, Food Capture Rate, Compliance and EBITDA.
• Own the shop concept and maintenance: Ensure our shop formats are clear and consistently applied. Lead property-related projects, shop upgrades and contractor management.
  Introduce scalable maintenance routines and equipment lifecycle planning to protect our brand and maximize uptime.
• Protect and develop our brand standards: Define how our shops should work, from routines to service. Make sure standards are tested, future-ready and well-documented.
  Establish and govern minimum expectations and success routines from Barista to Operations Director.
  Embed iconic brand standards and service principles into operational training and tools.
• Lead the Voice of Guest and Compliance programs: Launch and scale a new guest experience survey platform, with OSAT scores linked to coaching and performance.
  Lead regular compliance audits to ensure standards and routines are delivered with consistency.
• Enable iconic product execution: Partner with product and digital teams to deploy forecasting and inventory tools that support hourly/shift-level accuracy.
  Support rollout of the Master Barista program to elevate drink execution and coffee craftsmanship.
• Build and lead the Central Operations team: Set up and grow a strong team focused on operational solutions and property maintenance. Attract, develop and support team members, while collaborating across the organisation.
• Guide and support our franchise partners: Build strong relationships with franchisees. Provide tools, guidance and routines to help them succeed while keeping our brand consistent. Support growth and enable career progression, from workers to owners, by developing clear role expectations and routines

What we are looking for:

• Academic degree in Business, Management or a related field
• 10+ years in operational leadership roles in the food, beverage, or hospitality industry
• Proven experience from international and cross-cultural environments
• Deep knowledge of franchising and experience working closely with franchisees
• Strong track record of leading large-scale execution and transformation
• Fluent in English; a Nordic language is a plus
• Strong strategic thinking with hands-on execution ability
• Passionate about creating outstanding guest experiences
• Confident, structured leader with a collaborative and coaching mindset
• Highly data- and performance-driven with a focus on enabling scalable solutions
• Thrives in a fast-paced, growing environment and takes pride in setting high standards
• Experience embedding guest experience programs, compliance routines, and brand standards across multiple countries
• Experience in retail operations, restaurants, or coffee operations excellence is a plus
• Strong understanding of operational routines, property lifecycle, and team capability development

We offer the opportunity to take a leading role in a growing, dynamic company that is already a household name in the Nordics and Germany. You will join a passionate and ambitious team dedicated to building a brand people love, every day, in every cup, and in every moment of connection.

We are reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and will start interviews immediately. The right candidate can start as soon as possible.