Sr. Operations Research Analyst

Chick-fil-A, Inc. ('Chick-fil-A' or 'the Company') Staff members play a vital role in achieving our strategic goals by developing their skills, fostering inclusive teamwork, and embracing innovation. All Staff are expected to contribute to a compelling future by inspiring and motivating those around them. Growth and development are essential at Chick-fil-A. We want Staff to seek new perspectives and adopt new methods to drive continuous improvement and adaptation to evolving business needs. Lastly, we ask Staff to seek wisdom, expect the best, accept responsibility, respond with courage, and think others first.

Our Flexible Futures Model offers a healthy mix of working in person and virtually, strengthening key elements of the Chick-fil-A culture by fostering collaboration and community.

Overview

The Sr. Operations Research Analyst plays a critical role in research and modeling of restaurant systems and processes. This position leverages advanced analytical techniques, including simulation modeling and statistical analysis, to provide data-driven insights and strategic recommendations to enhance efficiency, improve design performance, and support key decisions across the business.

Responsibilities

• Model and simulate complex operational processes, conduct in-depth statistical analysis, optimization methods, and design experiments to inform strategic decisions for restaurant and restaurant system designs.
• Develop, simulate, and optimize various operational process flows using Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and Agent Based Modeling (ABM) software (such as FlexSim, Demo 3D, or AnyLogic) to predict and improve future performance under diverse conditions.
• Analyze existing process flows and operational data, execute Design of Experiments (DOE), and accurately translate these insights into simulation models that drive continuous process enhancements.
• Interpret analytical findings and support Regional Capacity Strategists to help shape restaurant level decisions.
• Continuously refine and update simulation models to ensure they accurately reflect evolving business needs and operational realities.
• Identify, clean, and analyze critical business data to extract actionable insights and identify opportunities for optimization.
• Ensure the accuracy and reliability of data (data fidelity) and develop new data sources when existing data is insufficient to support robust analysis.
• Translate complex analytical findings into clear, compelling data visualizations and presentations for leadership, providing data-driven recommendations.
  
  

Required Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

• Experience in advanced modeling, simulation, Java, SQL, and statistical analysis.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

• Experience modeling restaurant systems and processes.
  
  

Required Years Of Experience

4

Preferred Years Of Experience

6

Travel Requirements

20%

Required Level Of Education

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Level Of Education

Master's Degree

Major/Concentration

Concentration in Operations Research, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or a related technical field

Preferred Major/Concentration

Concentration in Operations Research, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or a related technical field

Relocation Assistance Provided

No