Development Program Manager

About Sarku Japan Sarku Japan is the largest Japanese quick-service restaurant chain in the United States, with 150+ locations across the country. Backed by Garnett Station Partners, we're entering an accelerated phase of growth - and building the operating infrastructure to match. The Opportunity This is a rare early-career role that puts you at the center of a high-growth restaurant expansion. As New Store Opening Project Manager, you'll own the end-to-end program management of bringing new Sarku Japan locations to life - building the systems, cadences, and accountability structures that allow us to scale with precision. You'll start by getting your hands dirty on a near-term pipeline of openings, learning every detail of how we build and launch. By 2027, you'll be running a significantly larger rollout, managing multiple simultaneous openings against aggressive timelines. This is the kind of role where a strong performer earns real ownership fast. What You\'ll Do Build and own end-to-end process for all new store openings - critical path planning, milestone definition and tracking, risk management, and driving cross-functional accountability Drive operating cadence across workstreams spanning real estate, construction, operations, marketing, supply chain, IT, and HR - ensuring stakeholders are aligned, commitments are met, and blockers surface early Partner with the Chief of Staff and Chief Development Officer on pipeline planning, development strategy, and executive-level reporting Manage multiple simultaneous openings, balancing competing priorities without losing precision on any individual project Establish governance frameworks and standardized playbooks that improve execution quality and scale as opening velocity accelerates; adapt and propose process improvements as we grow Build and maintain dashboards and reporting systems that give leadership real-time visibility into every opening\'s status, risks, and decisions required Partner with Development and Marketing teams on grand opening coordination and local market activation, ensuring each new store launches with strong community presence Serve as the connective tissue between the field and leadership - translating project status into clear, actionable executive communication Support Chief of Staff / Chief Development Officer on strategic projects across functions What We\'re Looking For 4-7 years of experience in restaurant or retail development, project/program management, management consulting, real estate, or a similarly fast-paced, cross-functional environment Demonstrated ability to build structure in ambiguity - you\'ve created systems from scratch, not just managed existing ones Proficiency with project management tools; comfort partnering across teams to build dashboards and tracking systems Strong cross-functional communicator who can drive accountability across teams without creating friction High ownership mentality: you operate like it\'s your business, not your task list Genuine passion for the restaurant industry and growth-stage company environments Why This Role Direct exposure to senior leadership and PE-backed company operations Ownership of a mission-critical growth initiative from day one A clear path to expanded responsibility as the company scales #J-18808-Ljbffr SARKU JAPAN