Manager, Labor & Production Optimization (IHOP)

Based inPasadena, California,Dine Brands Global, Inc.(NYSE: DIN), through its subsidiaries, franchises restaurants under Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar, IHOP and Fuzzy's Taco Shop brands. With over 3,500 restaurants combined in 18 countries and 354 franchisees as of December 31, 2023, Dine Brands is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world. For more information on Dine Brands, visit the Company's website located atwww.dinebrands.com.

Job Location Type

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The Manager, Labor & Production Optimization will play a key role in shaping the future of how IHOP restaurants operate. You'll combine analytical expertise with hands-on field engagement to design, test, and scale the systems that make our kitchens run efficiently.

This role will lead the development of labor models, process standards, and production workflows that balance team productivity with guest delight. You'll help define the operational future of IHOP by connecting data-driven insights with on-the-ground restaurant realities. You'll partner closely with operators, franchisees, and cross-functional teams to translate insights into action - piloting improvements in real restaurants and validating their impact before scaling system-wide.

What You'll Do

Labor Modeling, Workforce Optimization & Process Design

• Develop and refine IHOP's labor models using sales, traffic, and production data to define optimal staffing, improve productivity, and reduce labor inefficiencies.
• Conduct time and motion studies to analyze task flow, equipment use, and role design, translating findings into measurable labor standards and deployment strategies.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Finance, IT, and Franchisees to ensure models and standards integrate seamlessly with forecasting, scheduling, and reporting tools.
• Validate and refine labor models in the field, ensuring recommendations translate effectively to real-world performance and team engagement.
• Build simple, operator-friendly tools and dashboards that enable data-driven staffing and deployment decisions across the franchise system.

Kitchen Display System (KDS) Implementation & Production Optimization

• Lead the development and deployment of KDS logic across IHOP restaurants, including routing, order sequencing, and time-based firing to optimize kitchen flow and accuracy.
• Partner with Technology and Operations teams to configure and validate system logic that supports diverse menu combinations and order modes.
• Analyze KDS performance data (ticket times, order accuracy, cook times) to identify opportunities for improvement and translate insights into actionable operational changes.
• Build ROI and impact models that quantify performance gains from system enhancements and support data-driven investment decisions.

Store of the Future Development & Equipment Innovation

• Partner with Culinary, Store Development, Design, and Engineering teams to explore and evaluate new equipment, layouts, and vendor solutions that elevate production efficiency and product quality.
• Use CAD and data modeling to simulate how layout changes, equipment placement, and kitchen design variations impact throughput, ergonomics, and labor efficiency.
• Conduct field and lab testing to assess new technologies, tools, and processes that could streamline prep, cooking, and assembly workflows.
• Develop business cases and ROI analyses to guide investment decisions and scalability assessments for new equipment or design prototypes.
• Support the Store of the Future initiative by translating innovative concepts into repeatable, scalable kitchen standards that improve speed, consistency, and team experience.

Cross-Functional Execution, Pilot & Scale

• Lead cross-functional pilots to test new labor models, production methods, and technology enhancements, partnering with Operations, Finance, Culinary, IT, and Franchisees to ensure initiatives are practical, measurable, and scalable.
• Define success criteria, analyze performance outcomes, and balance efficiency with quality, consistency, and team engagement.
• Capture structured operator and franchisee feedback to refine programs before broad rollout.
• Collaborate with training and operations teams to codify best practices into playbooks and implementation guides.
• Communicate findings and recommendations clearly to field teams and senior leadership, building trust by focusing on solutions that work in real restaurants.

What You Bring

• Proven ability to leverage technology and data to diagnose operational challenges and partner with cross-functional teams to design scalable, real-world solutions.
• Strong project management and cross-functional leadership skills, with experience driving initiatives from concept to field validation and rollout.
• Ability to translate complex operational problems into actionable, measurable improvement plans.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity, simplifying complexity, and driving clarity in fast-paced environments.
• A bias for action, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to influence at all levels - from field operators to senior leadership - through clear, data-informed storytelling.

Skills & Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Mechanical Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in labor management, process improvement, or multi-unit restaurant operations, with a track record of driving measurable productivity gains.
• Proficiency in workforce planning, including forecasting, scheduling, and deployment principles that balance efficiency, service, and team engagement.
• Hands-on experience conducting time and motion studies and translating findings into labor standards, process maps, and operational improvements.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and SQL, with the ability to convert complex data into actionable insights and field-ready recommendations.
• Familiarity with CAD or equivalent tools to evaluate kitchen layouts, workflows, and equipment configurations.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects from pilot through scale, partnering with Operations, Finance, IT, and Franchisees to ensure adoption and impact.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and influencing skills with a bias for action, ownership, and continuous improvement in fast-paced environments.
• Travel Requirement: Up to 20% required
• Target salary range $110k- $135k depending on experience

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Dine Brands Global strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, veteran status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act and/or other applicable laws and regulations in other jurisdictions.

Dine Brands reviews criminal history in connection with a conditional offer of employment. The following is a list of all material job duties which Dine Brands reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: implement brand standards such as food safety at all restaurants for a uniform guest experience; physically inspect restaurant premises belonging to franchisees; and facilitate frequent and close interactions with franchisees, franchisee employees, guests, and other third parties.

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