Strategic Partnerships Manager, Delivery Platforms

POSITION PURPOSE:

The Manager, Third-Party Delivery is a strategic, commercially minded leader responsible for increasing revenue and profitability for our third-party delivery and gift card businesses end to end. This is a high-visibility role that sits at the intersection of revenue growth, restaurant operations, and partner relationships. You'll be the internal expert and external face for our partnerships with Door Dash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, and ez Cater.

You'll lead a growing gift card program spanning in-restaurant, digital, and retail channels.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead annual business planning process with third-party marketplace platforms, aligning El Pollo Loco and marketplace promotional calendars, co-funding opportunities and product roadmaps.
• Serve as the primary day-to-day relationship owner for all three delivery platforms, managing joint business planning, quarterly reviews, and escalations.
• Lead advertising and promotional strategy across platforms including sponsored listings, promotions, and co-funded campaigns. Maintain a persistent focus on customer acquisition, incremental sales, and maximizing ROI.
• Develop test-and-learn strategies to drive continuous improvement of El Pollo Loco performance on the marketplaces.
• Improve El Pollo Loco’s visual presence on the marketplaces, using A/B testing to optimize product imagery across platforms.
• Identify and evaluate new business opportunities with platform partners, including exclusive features, co-marketing programs, and pilot initiatives.
• Work closely with restaurant operations teams to drive adoption of best practices across the system that improve delivery performance, including speed of service, order accuracy, and packaging.
• Lead the onboarding of new restaurants onto delivery platforms, coordinating with Operations, IT, and franchisees to ensure a smooth launch.
• Monitor platform analytics and build recurring reporting to track sales, conversion, customer ratings, and market share; translate data into action.
• Improve El Pollo Loco's presence and performance on the ez Cater marketplace, including promotions, sponsored listings and operations.
• Develop and execute advertising and promotional strategies to grow catering order volume and capture new business occasions.
• Partner with Operations to ensure catering orders are executed at a high standard across participating locations.
• Own the end-to-end gift card business, including physical cards sold in-restaurant and digital gift cards on
• Lead El Pollo Loco's retail gift card program through grocery, drug, convenience, and other third-party retail channels, including contract management, sell-through reporting, and merchandising coordination.
• Identify and develop new gift card revenue opportunities, including B2B gifting, incentive programs, and emerging digital channels.

QUALIFICATIONS – EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. The requirements listed below are representative of the education and/or experience required.

Education/Work Experience:

Bachelor’s degree required. A minimum of 6-8 years in a business development, partnerships, or digital commerce role. Experience managing third-party marketplace relationships within the limited service restaurant space is required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong people leadership skills, including the ability to recruit, train & develop at least one direct report.
• Ability to provide both thought leadership and effective customer service to franchisees and…