Director of Business Development

Tropical Smoothie Cafe•Atlanta, GA

26d

About The Position

The Director of Business Development is a strategic leader responsible for driving systemwide sales, profitability, and returns through proactive management of the franchisee network. This role focuses on strengthening franchisee health and market performance by developing and executing optimization strategies that support Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s market realignment plans to build an efficient, financially sound, and growth-ready system. This individual will serve as a key partner to Development, Operations and Franchise Administration, bringing a consultative and data-driven mindset to evaluate opportunities, guide franchisee transitions, and help implement processes that advance both short-term results and long-term system value.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics, or a related field required
8+ years of progressive experience in franchise development, corporate strategy, investment analysis, or business development within a QSR, retail, or multi-unit system.
Strong organizational agility with a track record of managing up and down and across multiple functional areas successfully
Proven ability to lead complex transactions involving multiple stakeholders, including financial modeling, due diligence, and negotiation.
Strong understanding of franchise systems, P&L management, and valuation concepts.
Demonstrated success in balancing strategic thinking with operational execution and relationship management.
Excellent communication, presentation, and consultative skills with a high degree of financial acumen.
Proficiency in Excel-based financial modeling, and familiarity with tools such as Sitewise, Placer.ai preferred
Ability to travel 10-20%

Nice To Haves

MBA and/or CPA preferred
Minimum 8 years of experience in financial and business analysis or development is preferred
Restaurant or similar industry experience preferred

Responsibilities

Franchisee Consolidation & Optimization Create a streamlined process for ownership transfers to enable most efficient use of scarce enterprise resources while ensuring financial diligence and alignment with market strategies.
Partner with franchisees, internal and external stakeholders to facilitate smooth transactions and maximize enterprise value for both the brand and franchisees
Work collaboratively with Market Leaders to identify candidates for acquisition to achieve franchisee consolidation objectives with the goal of driving stronger unit economics, system stability and accelerated café development.
Develop tools to facilitate Consolidation strategy and deal acceptance Deal Evaluation & Financial Analysis
Participate in deal reviews for new and existing franchisees, providing financial evaluation, ROI analysis, and risk assessment to support informed decision making.
Support the development and adoption of standardized financial health metrics and dashboards to monitor system-wide performance.
Network Strategy & Market Planning Contribute to the creation and execution of network optimization strategies that align with brand growth goals, capital structure needs, and market maturity.
Help define the right approach for established, growth, and emerging markets, including ownership mix, franchisee profile, and market penetration strategies.
Collaborate with real estate, analytics, and development teams to align consolidation efforts with market prioritization and trade area plans.
Process & Structure Implementation Help design and implement structured processes around cafe-level planning, strategic transfers, and network management.
Partner cross-functionally to enhance data visibility, ensure consistent evaluation criteria, and support decision making through integrated financial and operational insights.
Provide leadership and project management in deploying new tools, templates, and processes related to consolidations and transfers.
Franchisee Financial Health & Governance Participate in network reviews and financial health meetings to assess franchisee performance, capital adequacy, and development capability.
Identify early-warning signs of financial stress and collaborate with field and finance teams to design recovery or transfer plans.
Serve as a trusted advisor to franchisees and leadership on portfolio strategy, ownership structure, and long-term financial positioning.
Provide support to collect on overdue AR by leveraging franchisee relationships where appropriate