Director of Franchise Development

GREASE MONKEY INTERNATIONAL•Greenwood Village, CO

3d•$12,000 - $140,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Franchise Development leads the company's franchise growth strategy, owning the full pipeline from prospecting and candidate qualification through deal negotiation, agreement execution, and new franchisee onboarding. This role is responsible for expanding the brand's footprint through disciplined, high-quality franchisee selection while protecting brand standards, unit economics, and long-term system health. The Director partners closely with Operations, Legal, Finance, and Marketing to ensure sustainable, well-supported growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field required; MBA preferred.
7+ years of experience in franchise development, business development, or multi-unit operations, with a demonstrated track record of closing franchise deals and growing a brand’s unit count.
Strong understanding of franchise law, Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) requirements, and franchise deal structures.
Strong negotiation, relationship-management, and financial acumen, with the ability to evaluate prospective franchisees’ financial readiness and business capabilities.
Experience partnering effectively with Legal, Finance, Real Estate, Operations, and other key stakeholders throughout the franchise development process.
Willingness and ability to travel regularly for candidate meetings, site visits, industry events, and other business needs.
This position requires the ability to remain stationary while working on a computer and communicating via phone, video conferencing, and email, as well as move throughout the workplace and various sites during visits, with or without reasonable accommodations.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a franchise development strategy aligned with company growth targets, including target markets, unit growth goals, and ideal franchisee profiles.
Build and manage a qualified pipeline of prospective franchisees through referrals, brokers, trade shows, digital lead generation, and direct outreach.
Lead candidate qualification, including financial and operational readiness assessments, and manage candidates through discovery, due diligence, and approval.
Negotiate franchise agreements, area development agreements, and renewal terms in coordination with Legal and Finance.
Present recommendations to leadership/franchise approval committee for new unit awards, multi-unit deals, and territory development plans.
Ensure all agreements comply with FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) requirements and applicable federal and state franchise regulations.
Partner with Real Estate/Site Selection teams to identify and prioritize target markets and territories based on demographic data, competitive landscape, and existing unit performance.
Maintain a market development plan that balances new franchisee growth with company-operated and existing franchisee expansion.
Own the handoff process from signed agreement to operational launch, ensuring new franchisees are set up for success through training, operational support, and brand standards alignment.
Coordinate with Training/Operations to ensure new franchisees complete required certification before opening.
Build strong relationships with existing franchisees to support renewal, resale, and multi-unit expansion within the current system.
Monitor franchise system health metrics (unit growth, renewal rates, franchisee satisfaction, transfer/resale activity) and report trends to executive leadership.
Represent the brand at industry conferences, franchise expos, and broker events.
Ensure all development activity complies with FTC Franchise Rule requirements and state-specific franchise registration and disclosure laws.
Maintain accurate records of the FDD, Item 20 disclosures, and franchisee agreements in partnership with Legal.
Track and report on development KPIs (leads generated, conversion rate, units awarded, units opened, time-to-open) to executive leadership.