Facilities Operations Manager
MD Restaurant Group (MDRG) | Culver’s Franchisee Group | Illinois & Ohio | Field-Based, Approximately 75% Travel
MD Restaurant Group (MDRG) is a rapidly growing, multi-unit, multi-state Culver’s restaurant franchisee operating across Illinois and Ohio. As we grow from 14 locations to more than 20 locations over the next several years, we are looking for a highly organized, field-oriented Facilities Operations Manager to build and lead a scalable facilities program across our restaurant portfolio.
This is an opportunity to build the facilities function, not simply manage maintenance. The Facilities Operations Manager will have significant ownership over how MDRG manages its buildings, equipment, preventative maintenance, vendors, capital planning, facility standards, and day-to-day support of our restaurant teams.
The ideal candidate combines strong facilities knowledge with excellent organization, project management, vendor management, and relationship-building skills. This person will spend approximately 75% of their time in the field, working directly with General Managers, vendors, contractors, and restaurant leadership to identify problems, implement solutions, and create a more proactive facilities operation.
What You’ll Own
Multi-Location Facilities Operations
- Develop and maintain a consistent facilities operating model across all MDRG locations.
- Conduct regular site visits and facility assessments.
- Establish location-by-location priorities based on operational impact, asset condition, risk, and budget.
- Identify recurring issues across locations and develop systemic solutions rather than repeatedly addressing individual failures.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for facilities-related issues across the organization.
- Maintain visibility into open work orders, projects, recurring issues, and facility priorities across the portfolio.
Maintenance & Repair Oversight
- Ensure all facilities-related work orders across locations are completed timely and within established vendor service expectations.
- Oversee HVAC, refrigeration, kitchen equipment, plumbing, electrical, roofing, parking lots, building systems, landscaping, snow removal, and other facility infrastructure.
- Reduce emergency repairs through structured preventative maintenance and early identification of issues.
- Provide rapid escalation and resolution support for critical operational failures.
- Evaluate recurring equipment and facility failures and recommend long-term solutions.
Restaurant Leadership Partnership
- Build strong working relationships with restaurant leadership across all locations.
- Serve as a trusted resource to restaurant teams while maintaining accountability for facilities standards.
- Train and coach restaurant leadership on basic troubleshooting, preventative maintenance, early issue identification, and appropriate escalation procedures.
- Help restaurant leaders understand the operational and financial impact of preventative maintenance.
- Balance facilities priorities with the day-to-day demands of running a successful restaurant.
- Establish consistent communication routines with restaurant leaders regarding open work orders, upcoming projects, facility priorities, and recurring issues.
Vendor Management & Cost Control
- Develop and maintain approved vendor lists by trade and location.
- Negotiate and manage national and local service contracts that meet Culver’s Brand Standards.
- Standardize pricing, service expectations, response times, and scope of work.
- Establish clear performance expectations and hold vendors accountable.
- Build strong, professional relationships with vendors while maintaining appropriate cost and performance discipline.
- Evaluate vendor performance regularly and make recommendations regarding vendor retention or replacement.
- Achieve measurable annual cost savings and avoidances, with an 8–12% targeted goal.
- Identify opportunities to consolidate services, improve pricing, eliminate unnecessary spending, and increase vendor accountability.
Preventative Maintenance & Facilities Systems
- Build and maintain a comprehensive preventative maintenance program across all locations.
- Develop and maintain a preventative maintenance calendar.
- Research and provide evidence of a CMMS or structured maintenance/work-order tracking system cost benefit.
- Establish clear processes for submitting, prioritizing, assigning, completing, and closing work orders.
- Audit preventative maintenance compliance quarterly.
- Track warranties, manufacturer requirements, service histories, and recurring equipment issues.
- Use maintenance data to identify trends, improve reliability, and reduce emergency repairs.
- Continuously improve the facilities systems and processes as MDRG grows.
Capital Planning & Asset Lifecycle Management
- Build and maintain an asset registry for all locations.
- Develop 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year capital expenditure forecast.
- Establish replacement timing and lifecycle expectations for major assets including HVAC, refrigeration, roofing, kitchen equipment, and building systems.
- Identify capital needs before equipment or infrastructure becomes an operational emergency.
- Support the annual budgeting process with accurate facility condition assessments and capital forecasts.
- Track capital projects from planning through completion.
New Store Openings, Construction & Renovations
- Partner with the construction team during new restaurant development.
- Participate in facilities planning for new locations and major renovations.
- Lead the oversight of new opening and reimage checklists / and to do’s ensuring projects are completed on time.
- Help standardize equipment specifications and facility requirements.
- Establish vendor relationships and service coverage in new markets.
- Support remodel, refresh, and renovation projects.
- Ensure facility systems are operational, documented, and supported before new locations transition into normal operations.
Compliance, Safety & Risk Management
- Ensure fire suppression, hood systems, alarms, life-safety systems, and other required inspections are completed and documented.
- Coordinate required facility and equipment inspections.
- Maintain health department-related equipment standards.
- Track compliance requirements across all locations.
- Identify and address facility-related risks before they become operational or safety issues.
- Maintain accurate documentation and records.
What Success Looks Like
Within the first year, the successful candidate will help MDRG move from a primarily reactive facilities environment toward a proactive, organized, measurable facilities operation. Success will include:
- Clear communication between Facilities and restaurant leadership.
- A clear preventative maintenance program across all locations.
- A complete asset registry and developing lifecycle plan.
- Improved vendor accountability and standardized service expectations.
- Measurable facilities cost savings and documented cost avoidances.
- Fewer emergency repairs and recurring equipment failures.
- A documented capital plan that supports MDRG’s continued growth from 14 to 20+ locations.
- A facilities infrastructure that can be scaled as additional restaurants are added.
- An evaluation on a reliable work-order and CMMS/maintenance tracking process.
What We’re Looking For
Required
- 5+ years of experience in multi-unit facilities, property, restaurant, retail, hospitality, or operational management with significant responsibility for facilities and physical infrastructure.
- Experience managing multiple locations and competing priorities simultaneously.
- Strong vendor relationship and vendor performance management experience.
- Working knowledge of HVAC, refrigeration, kitchen equipment, plumbing, electrical, and general building systems.
- Budget management experience; $500,000+ annual facilities spend preferred.
- Experience implementing, managing, or improving a CMMS or structured maintenance/work-order tracking system.
- Demonstrated ability to organize and manage numerous open issues, projects, vendors, locations, and deadlines simultaneously.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to influence and coach General Managers and restaurant teams without direct reporting authority.
- Ability and willingness to travel approximately 75% between restaurant locations.
- Strong follow-through, accountability, and problem-solving skills.
Preferred
- Experience supporting multi-site or multi-state operations.
- Restaurant, retail, hospitality, or food-service facilities experience.
- Construction, renovation, or new-store development experience.
- Experience supporting a rapidly growing organization.
- Experience developing preventative maintenance and asset lifecycle programs.
- Experience negotiating service agreements and achieving measurable cost reductions.
- Experience managing capital projects and multi-year CapEx planning.
The Ideal Candidate
You may be a traditional Facilities Manager, Regional Facilities Manager, Property Manager, Operations Manager, or another experienced multi-unit leader. What matters most is that you are someone who:
- Enjoys being in the field and working directly with operating teams.
- Can move comfortably between a restaurant, a vendor meeting, a construction project, and a budget review.
- Builds relationships while still holding people accountable.
- Is highly organized and follows through on commitments.
- Looks for the root cause instead of repeatedly fixing the same problem.
- Can create structure where little currently exists.
- Uses data and facts to make decisions.
- Can respectfully challenge a recommendation when necessary and fully support the final decision once it is made.
- Is comfortable working with high standards and changing priorities.
- Takes ownership rather than waiting to be told what needs to be done.
- Wants to build something that will continue to improve as the company grows.
- Is strong with Excel, Google Sheets or other spreadsheet tool.
Why Join MDRG?
This is an opportunity to have meaningful ownership of a growing facilities operation.
You won’t simply inherit an established department and maintain the status quo. You’ll help determine how MDRG manages its facilities, equipment, vendors, preventative maintenance, capital investments, and restaurant support as the organization grows from 14 locations to more than 20.
If you enjoy building systems, solving problems, developing relationships, improving operations, and seeing the results of your work in the field, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on a growing restaurant organization.
Compensation & Details
Pay $82,000.00 - $92,000.00 per year + Performance Based Bonus
Benefits Health, Dental and Vision insurance; Life insurance; 401(k) with company match; Paid time off
Experience Multi-unit facilities, 5 years (Required); Vendor management, 5 years (Preferred)
Work Location In person / Field-based
Travel Approximately 75% between MDRG restaurant locations
Pay: $82,000.00 - $92,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
