Director, Real Estate

Job Summary

The Director of Real Estate is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive, long-term strategies for market planning, asset management, and development to drive profitable growth across franchise locations within their geography of support. This role reports to the Chief Development Officer and supports the Franchisee as they grow to achieve their annual and long-range development goals, ensuring all site selection, lease, and contract negotiations align with the company’s strategic objectives and financial performance targets.

Candidates based in or near Dallas, TX;
Houston, TX; or Atlanta, GA will be given priority due to proximity to key markets and travel requirements. Applicants located near a major airport in a current or emerging Smalls Sliders market may also be considered.

• Provide strategic direction to a network of real estate professionals and broker partners to ensure a site pipeline that supports corporate and franchise growth goals.
• Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders, franchisee, and consultants to develop and execute strategic market plans for optimum new store development for franchisee development.
• Ensure plans are regularly reviewed, adapted, and improved.
• Responsible for sites being submitted for review and consideration of acceptance for new restaurant locations. Ensure the franchisee is on track to meeting development goals, leases are negotiated within guidelines for all key provisions, and/or adherence to any purchase agreement through to deal completion. Ensure that the team completes deals with any approval contingencies and/or business points fully delivered, or variances reported and approved.
• Maintain high performing relationships with the franchisees and real estate community to ensure most effective development of markets.
• Coach and train on site tours, site selection, negotiations, lease renewals, closures, asset management and franchisee support to ensure best practices and continual improvement of performance.
• Counsel and influence franchisees on new restaurant growth and site selection. Create, review, continually adapt and improve screening for franchisee site package submittals and walking the proposed sites thru the internal approval process.

• 8+ years of progressive experience in real estate development, with experience supporting franchise or multi-unit retail concepts strongly preferred, including at least 3 years in a leadership or management capacity.

• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business, Finance, or a related field preferred.

• Proven management and leadership experience within a corporate and franchise real estate environment, including new restaurant growth and asset management
• Proven strategic market analysis and market plan implementation
• Ability to identify, engage, and maintain strong relationships with high-performing external deal makers and brokerage partners.
• Ability to interface and maintain excellent professional relationships with a variety of stakeholders including franchise partners, the internal construction and real-estate function, internal and external, legal counsel and various other departments
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to include formal presentation development and delivery to up to and including a Board
• Proven history of successfully achieving store/unit corporate and franchise annual opening plans
• Excellent understanding of development finance
• Hybrid:
  Work is performed both remotely and on-site at our Support Center, with a regular in-office schedule (e.g., three days per week).

• Regular Travel (25 – 60%)

It is the policy of Smalls Sliders to provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and team members without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status or civil partnership, national or ethnic origin, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, uniformed service (as defined by 10 U.S.C. §101 (a)(5)), protected disability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender reassignment, or gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by statute or law.