Country Manager in London

The Paris Opportunity: Our first international market, and our most significant milestone since founding. First store opening in Le Sentier, Paris, in September 2026. Target of 15 to 20 stores across Paris over the next 3 to 4 years. This role is the cornerstone of that plan. Bring Paris the salad bar experience it deserves.

Role Overview: A highly autonomous, entrepreneurial leadership role. You will own the full launch and long term growth of The Salad Project in France, building the team, systems, and culture capable of opening and operating multiple sites at pace. This is a genuinely hands-on role. For the first two to three restaurants, expect the job to stay scrappy, with you working on the ground rather than only directing from above. You will initially shadow the outgoing Country Manager through end of 2026, taking a structured handover before assuming full ownership of the French operation. You will be responsible for the success and failure of the Paris operation, with a mandate to replicate the successes achieved in London.

Key Responsibilities

• Team Building and Leadership: Build and lead a French team capable of opening and running multiple sites. Hire and develop restaurant teams and early stage support functions (HR, finance, product, ops). Foster a strong local culture that is faithful to The Salad Project values and standards. Oversee a local marketing manager already in post; grow the local team as sites scale. Oversee the HR function.
• UK and France Liaison: Act as the primary bridge between Paris and London HQ, where global functions (marketing, finance, product) are based. Ensure seamless communication, alignment on standards, and efficient use of shared resources. Translate the UK playbook into the French context, adapting where needed and preserving what matters.
• Market Launch and Operations: Oversee all aspects of the French operation: kitchen processes, service standards, systems, and reporting. Ensure the quality and consistency of The Salad Project customer experience across every site. Establish local distribution channels including our own app, Deliveroo, and other delivery platforms. Build a local supply chain ensuring high quality, fresh ingredients and reliable logistics.
• Site Development: Work closely with the global team on site sourcing and acquisition across Paris. Serve as the point of contact on site during construction, fit out, and pre opening. Ensure each new site meets brand standards and is operationally ready from day one.
• Growth and Strategy: Define and execute an expansion strategy across multiple sites beyond the first store. Collaborate with cofounders and the Global Finance Director on forecasting, budgeting, and long term vision for France. Set up the operational frameworks and reporting infrastructure to support rapid scale.

What We're Looking For:

• Fluent in French and English (spoken and written).
• Bachelor's degree, ideally in Business, Hospitality, Management, or a related field.
• Proven leadership in hospitality, ideally in fast casual or food retail.
• Demonstrated ability to build teams and functions from scratch in a high growth environment.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking: data literate, insight driven, and commercially sharp.
• Operationally excellent with meticulous attention to detail.
• Highly entrepreneurial, adaptable, and solutions focused. You thrive in ambiguity.
• Comfortable being hands on and scrappy, especially in the early stages of the launch, covering the first two to three sites.
• Experience in international launches or market entry is a strong plus.
• Based in Paris, with the ability to travel regularly to London.
• Ambitious, ownership oriented, and hungry to build something meaningful.

Compensation: Performance based bonus structure. Equity package tied to growth and success of the French operation.