Sr. Franchise Operations Support Manager (Individual Contributor)

Company Description

Since 1940, Dairy Queen® has been one of the world’s best known and loved brands. Based in Minneapolis, MN, International Dairy Queen Inc., (IDQ), is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corporation. As a leading franchisor, there are more than 7,000 independently owned and operated restaurants in the U.S., Canada and more than 20 countries around the world. IDQ is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) which is led by Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and CEO of Berkshire.

Here at IDQ, we create extraordinary Fan experiences every day and we do this through our commitment to hiring and retaining only the best in class talent. We firmly believe that our employees are the catalyst to the success of the company where their initiative, strategic thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit are recognized and rewarded. We're looking for motivated, passionate and dedicated individuals with an inherent need and ambition to go after bigger challenges.

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Sr. Operations Support Manager supporting our international business. This individual contributor role will serves as a strategic partner to International Operations leadership by overseeing the execution, optimization, and continuous improvement of operational support programs, tools, and vendor partnerships that support Dairy Queen's international franchise system.

Working across International Operations, Concept Support Services, Training, Marketing, Technology, Finance, external vendors, field teams, and franchisees, this role ensures assigned programs remain effective, scalable, globally aligned, and valuable to both franchisees and internal stakeholders.

The position balances program management, vendor oversight, stakeholder influence, continuous improvement, and business insights while acting as a globally connected resource that identifies opportunities to strengthen operational effectiveness, improve the franchisee experience, and support long-term brand growth.

In addition, the Senior Manager is expected to leverage business and operational data to identify trends, model opportunities, evaluate program performance, and provide recommendations that support strategic decision-making across the international business.

Success in this role requires strong operational judgment, comfort navigating ambiguity, the ability to influence without direct authority, a continuous improvement mindset, and the ability to turn data and stakeholder feedback into practical business action.

Key Accountabilities Include:

Operational Program Management & Vendor Leadership

Serve as the primary day-to-day business owner for assigned International Operations support programs, tools, and third-party partnerships. Manage vendor relationships, recurring business reviews, performance discussions, issue resolution, roadmap follow-up, billing coordination, invoicing processes, stakeholder updates, and action tracking. Partner with leadership on strategic vendor reviews, contract renewals, and major business planning discussions.

Global Operations Alignment & Stakeholder Partnership

Collaborate with International Operations leaders, Franchise Business Managers, regional teams, franchisees, vendors, and cross-functional business partners to support consistent delivery of operational priorities. Serve as a central point of coordination across markets, identify opportunities for standardization, recommend appropriate market-specific adaptations, and reinforce brand stability while considering operational realities and franchisee needs.

Continuous Improvement & Strategic Support

Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, reduce duplicated efforts, simplify processes, and increase program value. Evaluate emerging tools, technologies, feedback themes, and industry practices that could support franchisee success and operational performance. Support pilot programs, testing initiatives, and new program launches through planning, execution, measurement, and transition to ongoing ownership.

Business Analytics, Reporting & Strategic Insights

Develop and maintain reporting, scorecards, dashboards, implementation trackers, and executive-ready summaries related to assigned programs and initiatives. Analyze operational, customer, financial, and program performance data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities. Support pilot programs, vendor evaluations, and operational initiatives through data analysis, scenario modeling, and performance measurement. Present findings and recommendations in a clear and actionable manner for leadership audiences.

The US national base salary range for this position is $115,037 - $143,796. This position is also eligible for a bonus. The base salary range displayed reflects the targeted hiring range for positions across all US locations. Individual pay is determined by job-related skills, work location and relevant education or experience.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Communications, Project Management, Analytics, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 7 - 10 years of progressive experience in restaurant operations, franchising, multi-unit operations, business analysis.
• project management, consulting, vendor management, or related disciplines.
• Experience working within a franchisor organization preferred; QSR or restaurant operations experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects or programs with defined scope, timelines, stakeholder groups, risks, and success measures.
• Experience working with vendors, service providers, external business partners, or cross-functional support teams.

Skills:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create clear recaps, updates, recommendations, dashboards, and leadership-ready summaries.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to translate operational data, field feedback, vendor input, and business performance indicators into actionable recommendations.
• Experience using business intelligence, reporting, or data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Excel, or similar platforms preferred.
• Working knowledge of SQL, database structures, data querying methods, or data modeling concepts is highly desirable; advanced expertise is not required.
• Ability to organize, analyze, and model data to support operational decision-making and strategic recommendations.
• Experience developing dashboards, scorecards, business cases, forecasts, or analytical models is a plus.
• Ability to influence cross-functional partners, field teams, franchisees, and vendors in a matrixed environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications and comfort working with reporting tools, scorecards, surveys, dashboards, and program tracking resources.
• Ability to travel approximately 10% - 20%, including domestic travel and occasional international travel.

Additional Information

Benefits

Our benefit package supports the well-being of our employees and their families. Our comprehensive benefit package includes, medical, dental, 401K match, paid time off (including volunteer time as well as parental leave) and so much more! To learn more about our great benefit offerings, Click Here.

Work Environment

Most positions located out of our global headquarters in Bloomington, MN will work a hybrid work schedule where you will work 3 collaboration days a week. Additional in office time may be required to support team/project needs.

Inclusion & Belonging

We are committed to creating a culture of inclusion and belonging for all who touch DQ. We believe in and commit to fostering a community where employees bring their authentic selves to work, and where we recruit, engage, and retain employees, franchise owners, and suppliers based on qualifications and merit. We strive to maintain an environment where everyone feels welcome.

IDQ is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new team members. You must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship.