Intellectica is seeking a motivated and dynamic Retail Network Expansion Manager on behalf of a leading dairy products manufacturer. Based in Northern Athens, Greece, and reporting to the company’s Business Unit Director, the ideal candidate will be responsible for finding, attracting, and evaluating new franchise partners to ensure they align with the company’s vision and smoothly integrate into the network. The candidate shall manage the processes and systems related to franchisees and support them in their daily operations. Additionally, the candidate shall ensure the timely execution of actions relating to the opening new stores or transferring of existing stores to franchisees and monitor the development of competitors and market trends.
Key activities and responsibilities of this role include:
- Mapping and evaluating areas of interest for the creation of new stores
- Communicating with real estate agencies to find properties
- Coordinating legal and technical pre-inspections of properties and managing the findings
- Negotiating lease terms with property owners
- Renewing lease, sublease, and franchise agreements
- Communicating with prospective franchise partners, assessing collaboration potential, and presenting relevant proposals
- Managing franchise pre-agreements and ensuring the smooth integration of partners into the network
- Ensuring effective and timely execution of actions for opening new stores
- Monitoring the quality of store operations, ensuring they meet company guidelines & standards (contracts, training, etc.)
- Providing support, advisory guidance, and training to the store network and franchise partners
- Managing the store budget and goal achievement plans, monitoring implementation & progress, identifying potential deviations, and executing corrective actions
- Any other task that may be required from time to time
Professional experience & qualifications of a successful candidate:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Business Administration, or a related field
- At least 8 years of work experience, 5 of which should be in a company with a network of stores (franchise), ideally in the food service sector, preferably in its Network Development department
- Proficient use of MS Office
- Fluent in Greek and English
Core competencies of a successful candidate:
- Team spirit with excellent communication and negotiation skills
- Organizational skills with the ability to manage timelines for goal achievement
- Results-oriented with a focus on achieving targets
- Analytical thinking for problem-solving and selection of the optimal solution in each case
- Adaptive and flexible, providing immediate and effective solutions to daily challenges
- Portraying professionalism in handling partner issues
- Taking initiative and working effectively under pressure