Restaurant Expansion Project Manager Lisboa

Overview

Vida
Plena hospitality group, founded in Lisbon in 2018. We create warm,
- energy places with great food, kind teams, and a relaxed,
- first approach. We are expanding beyond Portugal to international locations. Our first UK site for Dallas is secured, and construction is about to start. We’re looking for someone to support the launch and prepare for the next openings. As a Restaurant Expansion Project Manager, you’ll be the engine behind our openings, owning the process
-
- end to ensure nothing is missed and every launch runs smoothly from early planning and sourcing support to opening day.

About the Role

You will be a pivotal element of our expansion—pushing things forward from first contact to opening day, coordinating timelines, suppliers, budgets, and readiness, while ensuring every opening happens smoothly, on time, and aligned with our brand standards.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Manage the expansion process from sourcing to opening, managing timelines, priorities, and external and internal stakeholders (local firms, interior design, operations, finance, legal).
• Own the timeline and drive each new site forward through to launch.
• Support lease negotiations in close collaboration with legal and finance.
• Oversee opening readiness: OS&E, orders, logistics, and setup.
• Secure the right suppliers for London (meat, fries, sauces, etc. ) without compromising quality.
• Coordinate due diligence and documentation for new sites.
• Track budgets and provide regular updates to the involved teams.
• Report directly to the CEO and share frequent updates on progress and potential blockers.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in project management, expansion, or operations—ideally in hospitality, restaurants, or retail.
• A strong operator mindset: smart, rigorous,
  - on, and highly organized.
• Excellence at managing timelines,
  - ups, and coordination across multiple stakeholders.
• Great communication skills—you can simplify complexity and keep projects on track.
• Comfortable managing budgets and reporting on progress.
• Ready to work at pace and adapt to shifting priorities.
• Ideally based in Lisbon. Open to regular travel in Europe moving forward.

Some of Our Perks & Benefits

• A generous welcome at our venues—enjoy special discounts, always.
• A bright,
  - floor office in Cais do Sodré—with a big terrace and river view.
• A private chef in the office—and free lunch every Wednesday.
• Hybrid work model—balance between office and home.
• Up to 3 weeks/year working from abroad—login from wherever inspires you.
• Health insurance with Fidelidade—starting after your trial period.
• Studio rises spin classes, just for us—move, breathe, reset.
• Vida Plena Activities, every week—yoga, surf, kart racing, and more.

First 100 Days

At Vida Plena, we believe great food comes from care—for ingredients, the team, and guests. If this feels like the right fit, we’d love to hear from you.

Immerse: Visit our current projects to understand our standards, operations, and guest experience.

Structure: Build out the London expansion pipeline—from sourcing to signing, from
- opening to
- launch—with clear stages, statuses, and timelines.

Deliver: Lead opening readiness for our first London site, coordinating suppliers, logistics, and setup.

Connect: Build relationships with local brokers, suppliers, and advisors in London to accelerate our projects.

Inspire: Begin shaping the expansion playbook we’ll use across Europe—balancing speed, quality, and brand alignment.