Manager, Field Learning - Denny's

Job Summary

Leadership responsibility for the strategic and tactical field training agenda for Denny’s supporting 400+ restaurants.  This role has a direct responsibility for influencing the growth and profitability of the region through the training, onboarding, development and coaching processes.  This critical role will collaborate with the Learning teams and business leaders to build and implement programs, processes, with measurable results related to: training effectiveness, culture change, learning and development, career growth, performance management, and leader & employee development. Reporting directly to the Director of Field Learning and Development, this role will have significant impact transforming the organization toward a culture of accountability and coaching. This leader must be a highly effective, influential change agent, with a passion for innovation and creativity in designing and implementing solutions that develop talent and increase organizational performance for the Denny’s of today and tomorrow. The is a critical position responsible for setting regional learning strategies, executing learning programs, leading flagship and approved training restaurants, leading all field module rollouts, and all field-training programs with exceptional quality and consistency. With responsibility of over 400 restaurants and cultivating multiple franchise owner relationships, the ability to build relationships is a mandatory skill.  Provide guidance and strategic support so that priorities that are best for moving the brand forward are identified and appropriate goals are set among all stakeholders.  

Essential Functions (Key Responsibilities)

• Responsible for the development and execution of L&D regional strategies to achieve sales growth and profitability through consistent execution in serving high-quality products and providing a differentiated guest service experience.  

• Provide input to the creation of Regional goals to minimize or eliminate goals that conflict with the strategy and objectives of the Denny’s of tomorrow. 

• Analyze and apply this information in the development and execution of strategies and determine learning solutions needed to transform formal and informal learning into a performance advantage for the organization. 

• Partner with other training and operations colleagues as a consultant and coach to provide insights, best practices, and cross collaboration to ensure best in class enterprise-wide learning initiatives.  

• Accelerate organizational performance through leadership – linking strategy to development, building transformational change approaches and facilitating complex organizational challenges. 

• Create and align training goals with the Company’s strategic and annual operating plans; work closely with Regional Operations Director to improve performance of all underperforming markets. 

• Conduct necessary review of existing practices and systems to identify points of leverage for training objectives, and to remove/minimize existing barriers to training implementation and impact. 

• Oversee the development of all learning and development programs in the region.   

• Act as a leadership role model while consistently exhibiting Denny’s Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles. 

• Demonstrate a competitive spirit and “hungry to win” approach by creating training and leadership that serves as a competitive edge. 

• Has a joint responsibility with the Regional Operations Director to identify, nurture, develop and support Approved Training Restaurants, inclusive of their General Managers, Management teams and team members.  

• Demonstrate the value of training to the bottom line by showing return on training investment and direct impact to key performance indicators through continuous measurement. 

• Measure impact of executed training strategy against company dashboard of key performance indicators. 

• Responsible for the successful execution of the Menu Gold Standard Training within the respective region.  

• Collaborate with Regional Director to drive behavior to positivity influence the financial and guest satisfaction tracking systems, and fully utilize the data to drive improvements and engagement. 

• Advance the training initiatives to the priority list for the organization by providing a strong connection of training to key outcomes. 

• In collaboration with Regional Directors, ensure that all initiatives are properly executed through thorough planning, all-inclusive training solutions, and extensive follow up. 

• Influence and engage the Regional Director and franchise owners at a high enough level to insure that they actively support and successfully execute all learning programs. 

• Demonstrate ownership of field learning programs to ensure field-learning programs address necessary benefits to the business and realign as necessary. 

• Takes ownership of guest satisfaction tracking system and fully utilize the data to drive improvements and engagement. 

• Responsible for teaching, coaching and driving behaviors around the three operational tenants: Breakthrough Leadership, The Denny’s Way, and Share the Love.   

• Role model leadership practices that influence and inspire engagement and performance, such as development and performance coaching; hold self and others accountable for results and actions. 

• Other duties as assigned.  

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a business or hospitality management discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

• Minimum 10 years leadership experience in the restaurant/hospitality sector, including project management, operations, training and strategic planning; full service experience preferred. International Coaching Certification (ACC, PCC, or MCC) preferred. Proven experience in culture change initiatives. Experience in measuring impact of training programs/initiatives. Instructional design experience. Facilitation experience. Proven and demonstrated multi-unit experience, including experience with both franchise and company operations. Excellent financial and business acumen with a solid history of running profitable business areas and demonstrating accountability for increasing areas of responsibility. Strong history of planning and implementing short-term and long-term strategic operations strategy and objectives for a business unit. 

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Business Acumen (Denny’s Knowledge and Overall) 

• Strategic thinking 

• Planning and Organizing 

• Coach and Influence 

• Effective Communication- Written and Oral 

• Analyze Performance Gaps using Data 

• Training Delivery – Presentation and facilitation skills 

• Evaluate Learning Impact 

• Drive Results 

• Confidence and “grace under fire” when experiencing high stress situations, ambiguity, and changing priorities. 

• Act decisively. 

• Demonstrates integrity and “speaking truth to power.”  

• Demonstrate emotional intelligence. 

• Professional reputation. 

• Communicate a vision. 

• Innovative and forward thinking. 

• The ability to facilitate and train all levels of leaders in the organization. 

• Self Starter with ability to plan and organize schedule, meetings and workshops. 

• Ability to coach and influence others to achieve departmental, region, and organization goals. 

• Strong problem solving skills and the ability to partner with others to achieve results/resolution. 

• Ability to delegate and demonstrate leadership courage to hold others accountable for results and their actions. 

• Ability to successfully coach for development and performance. 

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate and influence. 

• Demonstrates inclusiveness by placing value on diversity and respect for and openness to others’ preferences, backgrounds and ideas. 

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and large projects across multiple disciplines with a strong attention to detail. 

• Proven experience leading cross-functional teams to develop new business and operational efficiency solutions. 

• Strong Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and internet skills. 

• Licensed to operate an automobile without hours of operations restrictions. 

• Meet and comply with any state, county or municipal regulation pertaining to health risk concerns about food handling. 

• Must be able to work with Denny’s menu products, as well as work around potentially hazardous chemicals (i.e., cleaning products). 

• Ability to drive, stand, sit, bend and walk for extended periods of time. 

• Ability to travel frequently (up to 80%), including overnight stays and airline travel when applicable.

Denny's, Inc. is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of age, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, sex, sexual orientation, genderidentity, disability, geneticinformation, military or veteran's status, criminal background, or any other characteristic protected by Federal, State, or local law. 

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should contact 864-597-8000. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THIS NUMBER TO CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR APPLICATION.

Denny’s, Inc. participates in E-Verify. We will provide the Social Security Administration, and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security, with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. For more information on E-Verify, please contact the DHS at 888-897-7781 or dhs.gov/e-verify.  Please note that we do not use this information to pre-screen job applicants.