Franchise Development Manager

Since 1940, Dairy Queen® has been one of the world’s best known and loved brands. Based in Minneapolis, MN, International Dairy Queen Inc., (IDQ), is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corporation. As a leading franchisor, there are more than 7,000 independently owned and operated restaurants in the U.S., Canada and more than 20 countries around the world. IDQ is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) which is led by Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and CEO of Berkshire.

Here at IDQ, we create extraordinary Fan experiences every day and we do this through our commitment to hiring and retaining only the best in class talent. We firmly believe that our employees are the catalyst to the success of the company where their initiative, strategic thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit are recognized and rewarded. We're looking for motivated, passionate and dedicated individuals with an inherent need and ambition to go after bigger challenges.

Functionally, this role focuses on finding and qualifying new franchisees,  opening new markets with new and existing franchisees, and managing development processes in the APAC region, including forecasting/planning, site approvals and site selection, construction and design, and compliance with DQ agreements and DQ brand standards.

Key relationships include our current franchisees, potential new DQ franchisees, our field operations team, and our legal and international leadership team. Other key relationships include Marketing, Supply Chain, R&D, Design/Construction (DAC), and Information Technology.

Requires high commercial capability, an influencer mindset, excellent judgment, constant innovation, an analytical orientation, and a desire to work in multiple functional areas of the DQ business. International experience in franchising is essential.

Principal Accountabilities:

Finds, qualifies, recruits, and inducts new franchisees in targeted geographies; prepares and evaluates business plans; works with Legal on execution of development agreements; and works with Operations/Marketing/Supply Chain/FSQR on market entry logistics, feasibility, and execution.

Manages regional development processes pipeline and development plan/forecast; reviews franchisee proposals for new units, relocations, closures, and remodels as per compliance with brand standards in their region, working closely with Operations and DAC. Evaluates new unit performance based on sales, profits, investment, and franchisee return.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or related experience instead of a degree.
• 4 to 6 years in international franchising, either on the franchisor or franchisee side, ideally in restaurants; some preferred backgrounds include development, M&A, law, operations, finance, or construction/design.
• A process and detail-oriented relationship builder with an intuitive understanding of franchisee/franchisor relationships and an excellent professional network.
• Excellent commercial and analytical skills, including financial analysis, contracts, and strategy.
• Verbal and written fluency in English. Other languages are beneficial. 
• Ability to travel up to 50% travel, both domestically and internationally.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.   You must be work authorized in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We are committed to creating a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion for all who touch DQ.  We believe in and commit to fostering a community where employees bring their authentic selves to work; where we recruit, engage and retain employees, franchise owners and suppliers with diverse background and identities; and where everyone feels welcome engaging with our DQ brand.