Sr. Assoc. Mgr., Regional Franchise

The Sr. Assoc. Mgr., Franchise & License Development is responsible for contributing to franchise and license expansion within an assigned territory and non-traditional channel. This role acts as the primary point of contact for all franchise development activities, cultivating relationships with franchisees, licensees, real estate partners, and key stakeholders to ensure timely development results aligned with market plans. 

• Region assigned for Franchise Development: Central U.S. 

• Channel assigned for License Development: Major Gas Stations & Travel Centers (Travel Center's of America, Pilot, etc.)

Note: it is required that this person currently resides or is willing to relocate to the West of Mississippi in a city with a major airport. The preference is that the candidate currently resides or is willing to relocate at their expense to Dallas-Ft Worth Metroplex.

Franchise Development & Relationship Management

• Act as a single point of contact for franchise development-related activities in the assigned territory and assigned non-traditional channel. 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with franchisees, licensees, and real estate partners to influence development and ensure commitments align with market plans.

• Provide ongoing support and guidance to franchisees to ensure successful store openings and adherence to market plans. 

End-to-End Franchise & License Development Process

• Support all phases of franchise & license development lifecycle, including market planning, site selection & approval, real estate contract negotiation, permitting, construction, and turnover/grand opening on projects from inception.

• Ensure timely approval and execution of development actions, maintaining accurate forecasting and risk assessments. 

• Use project management processes to track progress against milestones and communicate updates effectively (i.e., current projects, forecasted pipeline, etc.).

Compliance & Development Approval

• Ensure all franchise and license development activities are compliant and consistent with all related processes and policies, including KFC Development Approval Committee requirements.

• Support asset reviews and ensure brand compliance for remodels, renewals, and franchise-to-franchise transfers in the territory.

Market Strategy & Analysis

• Contribute to the execution of KFC's US growth and development strategies by providing market insights, including benchmarking and competitive analysis for priority DMAs and the trade areas within. 

• Collaborate on the development of tactics to accelerate growth that align with the US market plan.

Franchise Recruitment, Onboarding, & Closure Mitigation

• Support franchise recruitment efforts to fill strategic brand needs, identifying high-potential candidates for new franchise development or acquisitions.

• Assist in the assessment and qualification of new franchisees, ensuring a seamless onboarding process.

• Support closure mitigation efforts through negotiation and asset replacement initiatives to maintain brand sustainability within the territory.

Non-Traditional (Licensee) Development

• Lead strategies to identify high-potential markets and partners for non-traditional expansion.

• Cultivate relationships with potential licensees and concessioners to build a non-traditional pipeline.

• Serve as a resource for the non-traditional channel, developing cross-functional solutions to unlock growth.

Travel

• Moderate to heavy (30-50%) travel depending on pipeline priorities. 

• Education/Certifications –
  • BA/BS in business, engineering, real estate, finance or related field required. (Masters or MBA preferred.)
• Experience (required)
  • 5+ years of experience in development, strategy, finance, market planning, real estate or related experience with demonstrated organizational impact and increasing responsibility in related areas. 
  • Strong analytical skills and structure mindset.
  • Ability to structure and articulate ideas using data-driven approach
  • Sound internal motivation, intellectual curiosity, and a desire to have a large impact.
  • Strong influencing, negotiation and sales skills.
  • Clear and effective communication across all media (face to face, by phone, in writing) with people at various levels, whether internal or external to the organization, including Franchisees. Ability to partner well with cross functional departments.
  • Ability to efficiently manage workload with shifting priorities. Can work autonomously in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment while generating actionable recommendations.
  • Ability to think and act quickly and effectively under pressure while maintaining a calm, professional attitude, even in crisis situations.
  • Ability to review and understand financial statements and other legal documents.
  • High proficiency in MS Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint required. 
  • Experience in multi-unit restaurant/retail industry, franchise or license (non-trad).
  • Demonstrated proficiency in site selection, trade area analysis, real estate contract negotiating or construction management.
  • Knowledge of Power BI, SmartSheet and GIS analytics.