About us:
Fireaway is one of the UK’s fastest-growing pizza brands, serving high-quality pizza made from authentic Italian family recipes at great value, with a local twist. With a focus on community, customer experience and consistency, we’re seeking an ambitious and hands-on Franchise Development Manager to drive our expansion across the UK and strengthen relationships with our franchise network.
Role Overview:
We are looking for an ambitious and experienced Franchise Development Manager to join our team and play a key role in the growth of our brand across the UK. This role is responsible for driving the strategic expansion of the business by identifying strong locations aligned with our target market and recruiting capable franchise partners who uphold our brand standards.
Beyond expansion, a key part of the role is working closely with our existing franchise network to strengthen relationships, support operational improvements, and help franchisees grow their businesses. The successful candidate will collaborate with internal teams and franchise partners to improve efficiency, commercial performance and overall brand consistency across the network.
The ideal candidate is a natural salesperson, commercially minded, and highly relationship-driven, with the ability to identify opportunities, influence partners, and drive sustainable growth. Creativity, persistence, and a strategic mindset are essential to succeed in this role.
Below is the complete job description of the role:
Franchise Growth & Market Expansion
- Conduct market research and use data analytics to identify expansion opportunities aligned with the brand’s target market and location requirements.
- Plan and map store expansion across the UK using geographical and demographic analysis to support the brand’s growth strategy.
- Own and drive the brand’s expansion strategy, developing and executing a structured plan to achieve growth objectives.
- Identify, attract, and recruit franchise partners who align with the brand’s values, goals, and operational standards.
- Work collaboratively with property agents, landlords, and relevant partners to secure locations that meet the brand’s site requirements.
Franchise Recruitment & Development
- Develop and manage promotional materials and PR initiatives to effectively communicate the benefits of franchising with the brand.
- Guide new franchisees through the onboarding process, ensuring they fully understand the brand’s standards, systems, and operational procedures.
- Support the development of multi-site franchise partners both within the existing network and externally.
- Oversee franchise-related legal documentation including new franchise agreements, brand compliance documentation, and relevant third-party contractual agreements where required.
Franchisee Support & Relationship Management
- Build strong relationships with franchise partners and provide ongoing support and guidance to help them overcome challenges and improve performance.
- Ensure franchisees receive the necessary training and support to achieve operational excellence and maintain brand standards.
- Monitor franchisee performance in collaboration with franchisees and internal departments to ensure positive business performance.
- Work closely with franchisees, marketing, and operations teams to maximise efficiency and support the generation of new business opportunities.
- Improve communication and collaboration between franchisees and head office to strengthen the overall network.
Commercial Performance & Operational Excellence
- Provide commercial analysis and strategic input to improve franchise profitability, operational standards, and service quality.
- Assist franchisees with financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting to support sustainable growth.
- Monitor financial and operational performance using key performance indicators (KPIs) and implement improvement plans where required.
- Analyse and interpret operational and commercial data to identify trends, improvement opportunities, and areas for growth.
- Support franchisees in strengthening their business operations and P&L performance while ensuring consistent adherence to brand standards.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Work closely with internal teams including finance, marketing, and operations to support franchise development and network growth.
- Lead and support field teams while addressing underperformance and driving continuous improvement across the network.
- Manage and support master franchise partners to ensure they fulfil their responsibilities and contribute positively to the franchise network.
- Help identify and develop new partnership opportunities across technology, operational equipment, and marketing that support the brand’s growth and efficiency.
- Continuously review and enhance the franchise program to support long-term brand growth.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Robust background in QSR operations including food service, customer experience, operational standards and managing franchisees.
- Possesses strong analytical skills and strategic thinking abilities, capable of identifying opportunities for improvement and effectively influencing change.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and execute franchise growth strategies, including franchise sales, site selection, and market analysis.
- Proficiency in sales techniques and negotiation strategies to attract and onboard new franchisees.
- Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain productive relationships with potential and existing franchisees, fostering trust and collaboration.
- Capacity to think strategically and identify opportunities for franchise expansion in target markets.
- Effective problem-solving skills to address challenges that arise during franchise development and operations.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively convey franchise opportunities, policies, and expectations to franchisees.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- Full UK Driving License
What We Offer
- A pivotal role in one of the UK’s most exciting food brands.
- Freedom to shape and elevate a rapidly growing national brand.
- Competitive salary + bonus structure.
- A dynamic, supportive, and energetic culture.