Franchise Development Manager

The Manager, Development is responsible for leading all development-related aspects of a portfolio of KFC Franchisees. The position plays a key role in partnering with the Chief Development Officer in developing the strategic unit growth agenda for KFC and delivering our annual Net New Unit Growth Target for KFC Canada.

• Franchise Portfolio & Relationship Management: Own all development aspects for a portfolio of Franchisees, including Development Agreements, new builds, and renovation schedules. Serve as the primary Development relationship lead with a strong understanding of Restaurant unit economics.
• Regional Real Estate & Market Strategy
  :
  Lead regional real estate strategy, applying deep knowledge of Canadian QSR trade areas, site selection, and market planning tools to prioritize growth. Partner with Franchisees and brokers and lead market tours.
• Pipeline & Asset Management: Manage the full development pipeline, including renewals, transfers, relocations, remodels, and closures, with disciplined forecasting and risk management.
• Franchise Growth & Recruitment
  :
  Lead regional Franchisee growth strategy, including recruitment, vetting, transfers, renewals, and Development Agreement execution, aligned to KFC Canada’s long-term portfolio strategy.
• Legal & Commercial Execution: Partner with Legal on execution of asset actions, including IFAs, incentives, fees, and invoicing, ensuring compliance and timely delivery.
• Cross-Functional Governance: Work cross-functionally to support growth, strategy, and related governance forums.
• Strategy Execution & Continuous Improvement: Execute against the Strategy on a Page (SOAP) and Growth Ready Strategy, driving improvements to development systems and processes.
• External Representation & Industry Engagement: Represent KFC within the Canadian QSR and real estate communities, maintaining strong broker and developer relationships and participating in industry events and market tours.

• Required
  : 4‑year, post‑graduate degree in business, finance, or related field
• Preferred
  : MBA

• QSR/Real Estate Development
  
  Experience:
  
  Minimum 5+ years of experience in market planning, real estate, or development, preferably within a franchise or multi‑unit restaurant/retail environment, with demonstrated impact and increasing responsibility
• Franchise Relationship Management: Proven experience working with Franchisees and external stakeholders (e.g., brokers, landlords, lenders), with the ability to build trust, influence decisions, and deliver practical business solutions across diverse partner groups
• Development & Market Planning Expertise: Demonstrated proficiency in site selection, trade area analysis, market planning, and real estate evaluation, with a strong understanding of what drives successful QSR locations
• Commercial & Strategic Acumen: Strong strategic thinking and commercial judgment, with the ability to connect development decisions to unit economics, portfolio performance, and long‑term growth
• Communication & Influence: Clear, concise communicator with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to engage effectively across Franchisees, internal teams, and senior stakeholders
• Growth Mindset & Drive: Highly motivated, self‑directed “go‑getter” with intellectual curiosity, strong work ethic, integrity, and a continuous improvement mindset
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office suite of products, especially MS Excel
• Prior experience in QSR or Retail development preferred
• Prior experience working with global stakeholders in a matrixed environment preferred

Our People. We invest in people capability above all else, with a proven track record of developing internal talent to leadership levels across the business both in Canada and globally. We hire and develop people who lead with Smart, Heart and Courage to make a big impact on the business today and grow into leaders of the future.

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