People and Performance Leader

PEOPLE AND PERFORMANCE LEADER

DO YOU HAVE “IT”?

We are not looking for someone who only wants a leadership title.

We are looking for a hungry leader who takes ownership, develops people, and produces results.

The right People and Performance Leader has a leader’s heart. You care about people and hold them to a high standard. You have no problem stepping into a position when the team needs help. But you know your greatest value is not being the best player on the shift. Your greatest value is coaching the entire team to perform at its best.

You see the whole restaurant. You anticipate problems. You remain calm under pressure. You take responsibility for results and leave every shift better than you found it.

If that describes you, we may be saving a seat for you.

POSITION SUMMARY

The People and Performance Leader supports the General Manager by developing people, leading assigned shifts, and driving daily restaurant performance.

In this role, you will manage team members during assigned shifts. You will position the team, set expectations, monitor performance, and make real-time adjustments based on business needs. You will protect food quality, service speed, order accuracy, cleanliness, food safety, labor, inventory, and cash controls.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You must be willing to work beside the team while remaining aware of the entire restaurant. You may step into a station when needed, but you cannot become trapped in one position while the rest of the operation struggles.

Your responsibility is not simply to complete tasks. Your responsibility is to build a team that completes those tasks at a high level.

This role balances two clear priorities: helping people grow and helping the restaurant perform.

The People and Performance Leader reports directly to the General Manager and helps lead cashiers, cooks, and other team members during assigned shifts.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

A successful People and Performance Leader runs the shift without becoming the shift.

You create a clear plan before business increases. Team members know their positions and understand what is expected. The restaurant remains clean, stocked, and prepared. Guests receive friendly, fast, and accurate service. Food is fresh and meets company standards.

You monitor the entire operation instead of focusing on one station. You notice when service begins to slow, food quality slips, product runs low, a guest becomes frustrated, or a team member needs coaching. You act before a small issue becomes a larger problem.

Your success will be measured by:

• Guest satisfaction and service recovery
• Speed of service and order accuracy
• Food quality and food safety
• Restaurant cleanliness and readiness
• Labor management and team deployment
• Food cost, waste, and inventory control
• Cash-handling accuracy
• Completion of operating procedures
• Team member performance and development
• Shift communication and follow-through
• The overall strength and stability of the shift

The final test is simple:

Can the General Manager leave you in charge and trust that the restaurant, the people, and the guest experience will improve because you led them?

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the Entire Shift

You will take full ownership of restaurant operations during your assigned shifts. This includes building a shift plan, assigning positions, setting priorities, and communicating clear expectations to the team.

Throughout the shift, you will monitor the dining room, front counter, drive-thru, kitchen, product levels, service times, cleanliness, and guest activity. You will adjust team deployment as sales and operational needs change.

When challenges arise, you will remain visible and take action. You will not stay in the office while the team struggles. You will lead from the floor and make sound decisions that protect the guest, the team, and the business.

Coach and Develop People

You will help team members improve their performance through clear training, observation, feedback, and follow-up.

You will demonstrate the standard, allow team members to practice it, and coach them until they can perform it consistently. You will teach instead of always taking over. You will explain what needs to improve and why it matters.

You will also:

• Train new team members on front-of-house and back-of-house stations
• Track training progress and identify skill gaps
• Recognize strong performance
• Correct poor performance promptly
• Hold difficult conversations with respect
• Follow up after coaching
• Help prepare high-performing team members for greater responsibility
• Support hiring, interviewing, onboarding, and retention efforts

A successful People and Performance Leader does not just complete the work. You make other people better at completing it.

Protect the Guest Experience

You will set the hospitality standard for the restaurant.

You will remain aware of guests throughout the building. You will notice long waits, incorrect orders, poor food quality, and signs of frustration. You will respond quickly and work to restore the guest’s trust.

You will model friendly and professional service. You will greet guests, answer questions, assist with orders, resolve concerns, and ensure each guest receives a strong final impression.

Maintain Operational Excellence

You will ensure the restaurant follows all company recipes, procedures, safety requirements, and operating standards.

You will monitor food preparation, portions, cook times, holding times, product temperatures, order assembly, and presentation. You will never allow speed to become an excuse for poor quality or unsafe practices.

You will also ensure:

• Opening, shift-change, and closing duties are completed
• Daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly checklists are accurate
• Workstations remain clean, stocked, and organized
• Equipment concerns are reported promptly
• Food safety and sanitation procedures are followed
• Team members use restaurant equipment safely
• Current promotions and operational priorities are communicated
• The restaurant remains ready for inspections and peak business periods

Manage Labor and Shift Performance

You will use sales, guest traffic, and business needs to position the right people in the right places.

You will monitor labor throughout the shift and make responsible adjustments when needed. You will balance the need to control labor with the need to protect service, food quality, and team performance.

You will understand the shift’s goals and respond when results fall below expectations. You will communicate major concerns, staffing needs, and performance trends to the General Manager.

Control Food, Waste, and Inventory

You will help protect the restaurant’s food cost by monitoring portions, waste, product levels, storage, and inventory practices.

You will support inventory counts, truck deliveries, product rotation, and storage organization. You will identify low product before it affects service and communicate inventory needs early.

You will hold team members accountable for following recipes and portion standards. You will investigate unusual waste or usage instead of simply recording it.

Protect Cash and Restaurant Assets

You will accurately manage cash drawers, safe counts, credit card transactions, deposits, refunds, discounts, and other financial controls assigned to you.

You will research cash differences and communicate concerns promptly. You will protect company funds, equipment, property, records, and confidential information.

THE LEADERSHIP STANDARD

Take Ownership

You understand that every problem may not be your fault, but it becomes your responsibility when you are leading the shift.

You do not default to excuses or blame callouts, team members, equipment, guests, ownership, or the previous shift.

You communicate:

• What happened
• What you could have done differently
• What action you are taking now
• How you will prevent the problem next time

You constantly ask, “What can I control?”

See the Whole Restaurant

A team member sees a station. A People and Performance Leader sees the entire operation.

You notice:

• Service beginning to slow
• The dining room losing its standard
• Team members positioned incorrectly
• Food quality beginning to slip
• Guests becoming frustrated
• Product running low
• Labor needing adjustment
• A team member needing coaching
• The next rush approaching
• Safety concerns developing

You do not need the General Manager to point out every problem. You anticipate, prioritize, and act.

Be a Coach First

You are willing to be a player when the team needs you. However, you specialize in being the coach.

You know how to:

• Position people based on their strengths
• Set clear expectations
• Explain the reason behind the standard
• Observe performance
• Give direct and respectful feedback
• Follow up after coaching
• Hold people accountable
• Develop future leaders

Your leadership follows this process:

See the standard → Do the standard → Teach the standard → Inspect the standard → Hold the standard

Produce Results and Build Relationships

You care about people, but you do not use relationships to avoid accountability.

You pursue strong results, but you do not mistreat people to get them.

You must be able to communicate:

“I care about you, and this performance is still not acceptable.”

You hold standards without humiliating people. You correct behavior while protecting dignity. You celebrate progress and remain honest about what must improve.

Stabilize the Restaurant

Pressure reveals leadership.

When someone calls out, orders fill the screen, equipment fails, or a guest complains, the team will look to you.

You cannot become louder, sarcastic, defensive, or withdrawn. You must remain calm, communicate clearly, and direct the team toward the next right action.

The restaurant should feel more controlled because you are leading it.

Stay Hungry and Coachable

You want more than a title. You want to understand the business and become a stronger leader.

You ask questions, seek feedback, and apply what you learn. You admit when you do not know something. You do not require the same correction repeatedly.

Hunger must be visible in your preparation, consistency, follow-through, and growth.

THIS ROLE MAY NOT BE FOR YOU IF:

• You want authority without accountability.
• You prefer doing everything yourself instead of developing people.
• You avoid difficult conversations.
• You blame others when results fall short.
• You wait for the General Manager to solve every problem.
• You stay in one station and lose awareness of the restaurant.
• You give instructions but do not follow up.
• You lower the standard when business gets busy.
• You become emotional, sarcastic, or disrespectful under pressure.
• You ignore labor, food cost, waste, or inventory.
• You resist coaching or become defensive.
• You play favorites.
• You are satisfied with average results.
• You want keys but do not want leadership responsibility.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for this position, you must:

• Be at least 21 years old.
• Have at least three years of proven people leadership or management experience.
• Have restaurant leadership experience or similar operational leadership experience.
• Be able to work a minimum of 45 hours each week.
• Be available to work days, nights, weekends, and holidays based on restaurant needs.
• Be able to open and close the restaurant.
• Have reliable transportation.
• Communicate clearly through speaking, reading, and writing.
• Make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Handle cash and complete basic business calculations accurately.
• Understand labor, scheduling, inventory, and food-cost controls.
• Lead people with professionalism, fairness, and consistency.
• Accept coaching and demonstrate continued growth.
• Complete all required training and certifications.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Strong candidates will also have:

• Experience leading both front-of-house and back-of-house operations
• Experience training and developing team members
• Experience managing labor and food costs
• Experience handling inventory and truck orders
• Experience resolving guest concerns
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards
• A record of improving team or operational performance
• The desire and ability to grow into greater leadership responsibility

PHYSICAL AND WORK REQUIREMENTS

This position requires the ability to:

• Stand and walk throughout the shift
• Occasionally sit, stoop, bend, crouch, or climb
• Safely use ladders when assigned
• Frequently lift, push, pull, or carry up to 50 pounds
• Lift supplies overhead when needed
• Use hands and wrists for repeated movement and fine control
• Communicate and respond to activity throughout the restaurant
• Work around hot and cold temperature changes
• Work around food products and common allergens
• Safely operate fryers, knives, and other restaurant equipment
• Maintain the awareness needed to identify safety concerns
• Follow all food-handling and workplace safety procedures

Reasonable accommodations may be provided to qualified individuals as required by applicable law.

BENEFITS

• Free meals while working
• Flexible leadership scheduling
• Team member recognition program
• Team member referral bonus
• Hands-on leadership development
• Opportunities to build restaurant business skills
• Clear opportunities for growth and advancement
• A fast-paced workplace where strong leadership gets noticed

ARE YOU THE LEADER WE NEED?

We are looking for a hungry leader with a heart for people and a drive for results.

Someone who takes ownership.

Someone who remains calm under pressure.

Someone who has no problem being a player but specializes in being a coach.

Someone who can run the shift without becoming the shift.

If you have “IT,” show us.

Bring your leadership. Bring your hunger. Bring your best.

• Apply today. Your next level may be waiting.

Zaxby's is an American chain of fast casual restaurants offering chicken wings, chicken fingers, sandwiches, and salads. The chain operates primarily in the South, and has more than 900 locations.