Vice President, Franchise Sales & Business Development

Overview

Role Overview

The Vice President of Franchise Sales & Business Development is responsible for driving the strategic growth of the company's franchise system through new franchise sales, market expansion, and long-term development partnerships. This role leads the end-to-end franchise sales process-from prospecting and lead qualification through deal structuring and execution-while building a scalable, disciplined franchise growth engine aligned with the company's brand, operational standards, and financial objectives.

This officer will serve as a key external ambassador to the franchise and investor community and a trusted internal partner to Operations, Finance, Legal, Real Estate, and Marketing to ensure sustainable, high-quality growth.

Key Responsibilities

Franchise Sales Strategy & Growth Execution

• Develop and execute a comprehensive franchise sales strategy to achieve short- and long-term development goals across domestic and international markets.
• Build and manage a robust franchise sales pipeline, ensuring disciplined lead qualification, progression, and conversion.
• Identify and pursue strategic multi-unit, area development, and master franchise opportunities aligned with the brand's growth strategy.
• Establish territory prioritization, market entry sequence, and investment criteria to drive high-quality expansion.

End-to-End Franchise Deal Leadership

• Lead all stages of the franchise sales lifecycle, including prospect engagement, discovery, site pipeline dialogue, financial review, and deal negotiation.
• Partner closely with Legal on franchise agreements, area development agreements, letters of intent, and related deal structures.
• Collaborate with Finance to evaluate franchisee financial capability, unit economics, royalty forecasts, and long-term return profiles.
• Ensure franchise candidates are operationally and financially positioned for long-term success.

Investor & Franchisee Relationship Management

• Act as a senior representative of the brand with franchise prospects, investors, private equity groups, developers, and international partners.
• Build credibility and trust with sophisticated franchise operators and institutional partners.
• Maintain an active presence within the franchise and restaurant development community through conferences, industry events, and targeted outreach.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Franchise Operations to ensure alignment between sales commitments and operational readiness.
• Work closely with Real Estate on site strategy, development timelines, and market feasibility.
• Collaborate with Marketing on franchise recruitment positioning, sales materials, and lead-generation strategies.
• Ensure seamless handoff from franchise sales to onboarding and opening support teams.

Sales Infrastructure, Reporting & Governance

• Develop best-in-class franchise sales tools, presentations, and materials that clearly articulate the brand value proposition.
• Establish pipeline management discipline, CRM utilization, performance metrics, and regular reporting to executive leadership.
• Track and report on key KPIs including leads, conversion rates, deal velocity, units sold, and signed development agreements.
• Ensure compliance with all franchise disclosure, regulatory, and ethical standards.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing franchise sales and business development team.
• Set clear performance expectations, coaching standards, and accountability mechanisms.
• Foster a results-oriented, relationship-driven, and ethical sales culture.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or advanced business degree preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in franchise sales, business development, or multi-unit restaurant development.
• Proven track record of closing complex franchise transactions, including multi-unit and area development deals.
• Deep understanding of franchising models, FDDs, unit economics, and franchisee financial evaluation.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence external investors.
• Demonstrated ability to scale franchise systems while maintaining brand integrity and operational alignment.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively to support development objectives.

Key Competencies

• Strategic franchise growth leadership
• High-level sales negotiation and deal structuring
• Relationship management with sophisticated investors
• Financial acumen
• Cross-functional collaboration