Director of Learning and Development

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHOCOLATE FACTORY INC•Miami, FL

2d•$90,000 - $102,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Franchise Learning & Development is a strategic leadership role responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously improving the training ecosystem across the RMCF franchise network. This individual will own the full lifecycle of franchisees and store-level learning — from onboarding new franchisees through initial training to ongoing operational education, product knowledge, and leadership development. The Director will serve as a key liaison between corporate and franchise owners, ensuring consistent brand execution and operational excellence across all locations.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in Learning & Development, with at least 5 years in a franchise, multi-unit retail, or food & beverage environment.
Proven track record of designing and scaling training programs across a distributed franchise or retail network.
Strong instructional design skills with experience building content for adult learners across multiple formats (e-learning, in-person, video).
Experience managing or overseeing a Learning Management System (LMS).
Exceptional communication and facilitation skills; ability to engage diverse audiences from frontline staff to franchise owners.
Ability to travel up to 50% for field visits, franchise openings, and national events.

Nice To Haves

Experience in specialty food, confectionery, or experiential retail.
Familiarity with franchise operations, FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) processes, or franchise compliance.
Bachelor’s degree in Education, Organizational Development, Business, or related field; advanced degree or L&D certification (ATD, CPLP) a plus.
Demonstrated success developing franchisee onboarding programs from the ground up.

Responsibilities

Franchise Training Strategy Design and lead a comprehensive franchise training strategy aligned with RMCF’s brand standards, operational goals, and growth priorities.
Develop scalable onboarding programs for new franchisees that cover store operations, product preparation, customer experience, and brand culture.
Partner with the VP of Franchise Business Support and franchise operations team to identify performance gaps and create targeted learning solutions.
Establish measurable training KPIs and report on program effectiveness, franchisee completion rates, and operational outcomes.
Build and maintain a library of training content including e-learning modules, video tutorials, in-store job aids, and facilitator guides.
Develop product knowledge training — covering RMCF’s chocolate lines, caramel apple preparation, fudge-making, and seasonal offerings — to ensure consistent quality across all locations.
Collaborate with the culinary and operations teams to translate product and process updates into accessible training materials.
Maintain and evolve a Learning Management System (LMS) to deliver, track, and report on training across the network.
Build strong relationships with franchise owners, serving as a trusted advisor and go-to resource for operational learning needs.
Conduct field visits to assess training effectiveness and provide hands-on coaching to franchisees and their store teams.
Facilitate live and virtual training sessions, including preparation for RMCF’s biannual National Franchise Convention.
Support multi-unit operators and area developers with scalable leadership development frameworks.
Collaborate with Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, and HR to ensure training content reflects the latest brand initiatives and product offerings.
Manage the L&D budget with accountability for ROI and resource allocation.
Stay current on franchise industry trends, adult learning methodologies, and retail training best practices.