Operations & Systems Lead (Chicago)

About FirenzeFirenze is a growing Italian street food and catering company focused on making craveable food the right way. We care deeply about ingredient quality, operational excellence, and building systems that scale.We are looking for a sharp, systems-minded operator who enjoys building thoughtful infrastructure and helping a growing business operate with clarity, consistency, and discipline.This is not a traditional restaurant role. This role sits at the intersection of operations, finance, systems, and growth — built around solving real operational problems with analytical rigor.The right person genuinely enjoys organizing complexity and building processes that make the business run better.What You'll Work OnOperational Systems & InfrastructureBuild and improve prep guides, batching systems, operational checklists, and production workflowsOrganize shelf life, storage, prep timing, and production systemsBuild operational audits and accountability systemsCreate scalable infrastructure that works across multiple locationsOperational Finance & ReportingBuild and maintain reporting around labor, food cost, prep efficiency, inventory, and throughputIdentify operational trends and inefficiencies through structured analysisAssist with forecasting, operational planning, and labor visibilityImprove reporting inside Restaurant365 and supporting spreadsheetsConnect operational performance to financial performance through clean, usable dataProcess Improvement & Systems ThinkingContinuously improve workflows and operational visibilityBuild tools and spreadsheets that simplify decision-makingIdentify inefficiencies and bottlenecks across operationsConnect operational, prep, inventory, purchasing, and financial data into usable systemsTiming & ThroughputAnalyze assembly line timing and production flowOptimize prep timing, batching, and labor allocationBuild prep and production systems tied to projected sales and demandSystems & Software IntegrationExpand operational reporting inside Restaurant365Bridge spreadsheets, inventory systems, and operational reporting togetherEvaluate and implement software tools as the business scalesWho We're Looking ForAdvanced spreadsheet and modeling capability is required, not preferred. You can navigate and extend complex multi-sheet operational systems, read formula logic you didn't write, and build dynamic models that real people rely on daily. Comfort with VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, OFFSET, and multi-sheet relational architecture is expected.Backgrounds that map well include math, engineering, operations research, operational finance, FP&A, supply chain, operations analytics, industrial engineering, process engineering, manufacturing, or logistics — or any role requiring strong analytical and operational modeling in a real-world context. The specific industry matters less than the depth of the work.You'll work closely with leadership across operations, finance, systems, and growth initiatives. The right person:Is low ego, collaborative, and execution-orientedUnderstands first, extends second, rebuilds neverComes in to earn trust, not assert itFinds satisfaction in work that makes the team's job easierWants to build something meaningful over time, not just execute a task listThis role requires a well-rounded operator who values relationships as much as data. The work happens alongside real people doing real work — your ability to listen, understand, and build trust matters as much as your analytical depth.In a small, trust-based environment, how you integrate matters as much as what you build. We value people who listen carefully, respect what already exists, and improve things thoughtfully.What Success Looks LikePrep guides and operational checklists that teams actually useCleaner food cost and inventory visibilityBetter labor and throughput reportingReduced operational chaos and bottlenecksScalable infrastructure that works across multiple locationsStronger operational decision-making across the businessCompensationBase salary plus performance bonus: approximately $90,000–$120,000 total compensation depending on experience and skill set. Strong long-term growth opportunity as the company scales.Why This Role Is DifferentThis is operational infrastructure work that happens to be inside food. The problems are real, the impact is immediate, and the work compounds over time.As the company continues to grow, there is significant long-term upside in the role. This is an opportunity to get in early, build deep operational context, and grow into future leadership responsibilities as the business expands.You'll have genuine ownership over a function that sits across operations, finance, systems, and growth — with visibility into how decisions get made. The work is tangible, the pace of learning is fast, and strong execution creates visible improvements across the business over time.The environment is collaborative, high-trust, and low-politics. We care about building strong systems thoughtfully and sustainably, not creating unnecessary chaos.If you enjoy thoughtful operational work, meaningful ownership, and building systems that genuinely improve how a business runs, we'd love to hear from you.