Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:
As a Franchise District Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the operations and performance of multiple Franchise stores within a designated geographic area. Your primary objective is to drive sales, achieve financial targets, and ensure an exceptional customer experience in each store under your supervision. You will provide guidance, and support to store managers and their teams, fostering a culture of excellence and achieving operational excellence. Together with the Partner Directors you will be responsible for nurturing and maintaining a positive relationship with franchise partners who operate under the company's brand and business model. Your role is pivotal in ensuring franchisees' success, compliance with the franchise agreement, and alignment with the organization's standards and values.
Key Responsibilities:
TRAINING & SUPPORT
Oversee franchisee onboarding and training processes, ensuring new partners are well-prepared to operate successfully.
Develop and update training programs as needed.
Provide ongoing support and guidance to franchisees, ensuring they understand and implement the company's business model and brand standards.
Assist franchisees with day-to-day operational challenges and business growth strategies
Engage with Franchise store leaders and teams in-store to build rapport, provide support, gather feedback, and recognize exemplary performance, fostering a positive work environment and motivating employees to deliver their best.
Build and maintain positive, collaborative, and professional relationships with franchise partners.
CONSUMER EXPERIENCE
Ensure that stores maintain a high level of customer service
Encourage maintaining a welcoming and inviting in-store atmosphere.
Compliance and Quality Assurance:
Ensure franchisees adhere to the terms of the franchise agreement, including operational standards, branding guidelines, and contractual obligations.
Conduct regular audits and assessments to verify compliance with company policies and standards.
Business Development:
Collaborate with franchise partners to identify growth opportunities, whether through opening new locations, expanding existing ones, or enhancing product/service offerings.
Work on joint marketing and sales initiatives to boost franchisee profitability.
MERCHANDISING
Ensure appropriate product placement on the sales floor, with particular focus on best sellers. Partner with Store Managers and Visual Merchandisers ensuring consistent and appealing store look
Provide input to Franchise Partner Director and Europe HQ regarding consumer trends, categories, seasonality and store purpose
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Drive store Operational excellence, ensuring compliancy with House of Franchise principles, proper set up of back of house, implementation of FR playbook and Key Operating procedures are in place
Ensure DM checklist is executed regularly as part of store visit procedure and reflect real status of the store
Support store openings and closure projects working closely with Partner Director, Real Estate and Store Development teams
PREMISES MANAGEMENT
Provide regular feedback on service level for maintenance, security and cleaning services to Franchise Partner Director and Europe HQ.
Provide regular feedbacks on store location, trading zone trends, presence of new retailers and competitors, indicate potential opportunities for relocations/openings to Franchise Partner Director and Europe HQ.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Ensure stores and district financial targets are met: establish regular P&L review and hold accountability on Net Sales, conversion rate and Omnichannel services (if the case).
Provide input for store performance planning as part of Budget, Forecast and Integrated Business Planning Processes
OTHER KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Actively provides feedback to retail back-office functions and stakeholders within assigned projects, acting as a regular 'voice of the consumer' for creating and improving franchising operations.
Leads the implementation of omnichannel consumer journey experiences and relevant tools for high-quality omnichannel retail experiences in stores, focusing on continuous improvements (if applicable).
Ensure all stores in the district are visited at least 3 times per quarter
Key Relationships:
Retail & Franchise Backoffice functions
Finance Franchising
Zone/cluster local teams.
Partner’s DMs, Store Managers and their Store teams
Europe Retail Operations and DM community
Europe Retail Training Academy, Local Retail Training Managers and Store Trainers
Europe Franchise Merchandising
Retail Expansion and Store Development
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Proven experience in franchise management, retail operations, business development, or a related role.
Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
Excellent communication abilities.
Knowledge of franchising regulations and best practices.
Financial acumen and budgeting skills.
Familiarity with the specific industry and market in which the franchise operates.
Proven success in senior retail management positions
Excellent communication skills in English and INSERT
Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple operational initiatives simultaneously and meet deadlines
Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated experience in financial planning and budget management.
Strong negotiation skills.
In-depth knowledge of market dynamics, trends, and industry innovations
Results-driven, with a focus on achieving sales and performance targets
The role of a Franchise DM may require occasional travel to visit franchisee locations, attend meetings, and conduct assessments. The job also entails flexible hours, as some franchisees may operate outside standard business hours.
Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:
Minimum of 5 years’ experience in the retail industry ideally in apparel/fashion/footwear or FMCG, with demonstrated exposure to developing others/training background
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, or a related field OR equivalent experience