Head of Operations - Group Commissary

The Wonderfield Group has recently been purchased by Zensho Holdings, the leading food service company in Japan with a market cap of $5.5b and whose aim is to become the worlds largest food company, a position from which we can eradicate hunger and poverty from around the globe. We operate restaurants, factories, and thousands of sushi kiosks and have recently built a successful cut fruit business, Snowfruit. Combining this with the three businesses previously owned by Zensho, AFC, Sushi Circle and Sushi Take, results in annual sales of $2.5b and Ebitda in excess of $140m a year with an ambitious growth trajectory.

What you’ll need
 Qualifications
a. Degree in Food Science, Engineering, Operations Management or related field.
b. CI qualifications (e.g. Six Sigma Green/Black Belt) highly desirable.

 Experience
a. 5+ years’ experience in food manufacturing or production operations, ideally with exposure to commissary or central kitchen environments.
b. Strong hands-on understanding of floor operations, QA, and food safety systems.
c. Cross-functional collaboration experience across technical, procurement, and commercial teams.
d. Exposure to end-to-end supply chain dynamics.
e. International experience or flexibility to work across regions.
 Behavioural Attributes
a. Can-Do Attitude: Proactive, self-starting, and solutions-focused.
b. Credible & Collaborative: Able to influence peers and senior leaders without authority.
c. Detail-Oriented: Thorough and disciplined in following up on execution.
d. Resilient: Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous, and change-heavy environments.
e. Curious & Growth-Oriented: Eager to learn, improve, and eventually step into a larger leadership role.

The Head of Operations – Group Commissary is a critical new role supporting the Group Chief Commissaries Operating Officer in delivering scalable, high-quality, and efficient production across Wonderfield’s global commissary network. The role provides operational leadership across our expanding footprint in North America, Europe, and the UK, and will play a pivotal role in futureproofing the function by acting as a potential successor. This role will requiire regular international travel 

With a focus on execution, quality, and collaboration, this is a hands-on role designed to accelerate improvement projects, support new facility set-ups, and strengthen end-to-end operational performance across the Group’s central kitchens.

The 5 best things about the role
1. Work at the heart of a global food business, driving operational excellence across multiple regions.
2. Partner closely with a seasoned and respected global leader, with the opportunity to learn, grow, and eventually step into a larger remit.
3. Help shape and deliver the next generation of commissary operations in the US, UK, and Europe.
4. Blend strategic oversight with boots-on-the-floor engagement in a role that requires initiative and drive.
5. Influence performance, cost, quality, and team capability across some of the Group’s most complex assets.

Key Accountabilities
1. Operational Support & Uplift: Provide direct support to the Group Chief Commissaries Operating Officer across strategic and day-to-day operational challenges.
2. Factory Start-Up & Expansion: Lead and support new site set-ups and transitions, including planning, fit-out, training, and commissioning.
3. Process & CI Leadership: Champion lean manufacturing and continuous improvement practices across sites, embedding operational discipline and waste reduction.
4. Cross-Functional Delivery: Work across QA, Technical, Commercial, and HR functions to solve problems and drive performance collaboratively.
5. QA & Food Safety Awareness: Maintain a working knowledge of quality standards and food safety best practice to ensure operational compliance.
6. Project Management: Lead or contribute to key projects across the Group’s commissary strategy, including EU expansion and East Coast US growth.
7. Succession Pipeline: Develop a deep understanding of the Group’s operations with a view to becoming a credible future leader in the function.
8. On-the-Floor Presence: Be visible, credible, and engaged in production environments — coaching, guiding, and solving problems in real time.
9. Sustainability Integration: Support the adoption of sustainable practices across energy, waste, packaging, and sourcing in commissary operations.

Key measures of success
1. Successful support and/or delivery of new factory openings and transitions.
2. Tangible improvements in cost per unit, labour efficiency, and yield across sites.
3. Stakeholder feedback from operations, technical, and commercial teams.
4. Strength of succession pipeline and personal development within role.

 

 

We're proud to offer:

• Opportunity to grow your career alongside with us with available apprentice program
• Brilliant support services designed to enhance your physical, mental and financial wellbeing.
• Annual discretionary bonus subject to business and overall performance
• Discretionary Life Assurance
• Discretionary Income Protection
• Group Personal Pension
• Private Medical Cash Plan
• Bespoke reward platform including access to retail, cinema & gym discounts.
• 50% off your food every time you dine with us for you and 3 friends.
• Contribute towards our award-winning sustainability initiatives that delivers progress against 9 UN sustainability goals. We're committed to responsibly sourcing and all our seafood, therefore we only use source sustainable fish. All our packaging is recyclable and 80% of our packaging is already made from recycled plastic.
• Annual Awards ceremony celebrating our success and offering winning Managers free trips to Japan.

About us:

Come roll with us and be part of something big. Celebrate global success across:

• Over 1500 retail kiosks globally (YO!, Panku, Mai Taiko Snowfox & Bento)
• Our Taiko manufacturing and distribution centre
• 63 YO! restaurants
• 50 major retail partners
• 3700 locations globally From Hawaii to Aberdeen

Our Values

• Own it, Care About it, Make it Exceptional, Win Together

Ready to Roll?

Come roll with us and play a key role by bringing people together to celebrate better food for everyone the Japanese way...