Franchising Manager - SONIC Drive-In

Employment Type: Full-time

Salary: $85,000 - $167,000 per year

Position Overview

The Franchising Manager will be responsible for the signing of SONIC Drive-In development commitments throughout the United States. This role will own the entire franchising process, from cultivating and screening leads through the application, qualification, and field-level approval processes. The ideal candidate will possess the ability to drive high levels of engagement with local teams to develop sales strategies, deploy localized recruitment plans, and interact effectively with existing franchisees and external candidates. The individual will utilize a relationship management system to track candidate progress, identify bottlenecks, and contribute to process improvement and streamlining.

Responsibilities

• Territory Management:
  • Develop and execute a territory management strategy and business plan.
  • Define opportunities, sourcing and recruitment strategies, segmentation targets, and forecasts.
• Inspire Brands Franchisee Targets:
  • Fully understand and consistently apply models, requirements, qualifications, metrics, and benchmarks for sourcing and qualifying potential new franchisees and existing franchisee candidates.
  • Ensure timely and efficient management of candidate advancement through the franchisee approval process.
• Development Agreement Process:
  • Thoroughly understand and navigate Inspire Brands’ Development process, including deep knowledge of the FDD, document requirements, key stakeholders, processes, and timeline targets.
  • Ensure timely and efficient management of the development agreement process.
• Deal Making:
  • Create opportunities and manage deals from sourcing and qualification to close.
  • Conduct thorough qualification of all prospective franchisee candidates, coordinating internal resources as needed.
  • Ensure deals progress effectively and efficiently, meeting all appropriate details and requirements.
• Collaboration:
  • Work across all teams (Development, Operations, Finance, Legal, etc.) to ensure alignment and support.
  • Proactively engage stakeholders with updates, challenges, and opportunities.
• Administration:
  • Ensure timeliness and accuracy of all administrative requirements.

Qualifications

Education

• Required Minimum: BS Degree in Business Administration or related discipline.

Experience

• Required Minimum: Three (3) years' experience in franchise development or a sales environment.
• Preferred:
  • Five (5) years' experience in the franchise industry, specifically in restaurant segment franchise sales.
  • Multi-brand experience with legacy and growth concepts.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Proven successful sales experience.
• Strong written and communication skills.
• Strong working knowledge of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.
• Good business analytical skills, including statistical and financial analysis.
• Ability to effectively negotiate with both small and sophisticated organizations.
• Understanding of the financial and contractual components of franchise agreements and deal structures.
• Knowledge of Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), legal aspects of franchising, contract content and construction, and industry standards.
• Ability to interface and maintain excellent professional relationships with a variety of constituents crucial to the franchise development process.
• Ability to successfully work on teams with diverse individual skill levels and field-based team members.
• Ability to multi-task by executing numerous projects with timely follow-through.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.

Company Information

SONIC Drive-In is a well-established brand with a significant development pipeline. This role is part of the Inspire Brands franchise development team.

Note: The salary range represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual placement within this range will vary based on various factors, including but not limited to experience.