Business and Relationship Lead

Overview The Business & Relationship Lead is a trusted, strategic advisor who fosters growth in the business by serving as the primary relationship owner between Chick-fil-A, Inc. and the Operator and is tasked to Serve, Advise, Connect and Respond. Serves as the primary representative of Chick-fil-A as the Franchisor to the Operator. The Business & Relationship Lead displays a breadth of subject matter knowledge and expertise (5 Critical Success Factors), depth in the Operator relationship and is responsible for supporting the continued growth, health, and expansion of a portfolio of Restaurants. They provide immersive, front line Operator support, accessible 24 hours per day, seven days each week, including holidays to meet the unique demands of Operators they support and their restaurant. The Business & Relationship Lead will support 25 – 35 Operator relationships across 35 - 50 restaurants, responsible for approximately $175M in sales. They are entrusted with partnering with Operators and Markets to achieve their vision and goals, execute the Area vision and strategy, and uphold the Operator Agreement. The Business & Relationship Lead will serve as a strategic business partner, building trusted advisor relationships and coaching Operators—including Priority Operators and Strategic Operator Groups—to maximize their potential. The Business & Relationship Lead will act as a thought partner to individual Operators and Markets to strengthen their leadership capabilities, foster their growth, and develop sub-Area strategies while helping individual Operators align their plans to these Area strategies. The Business & Relationship Lead will advise Operators in individual and group/market settings. The Business & Relationship Lead will promote and facilitate collaborative and performance building opportunities among Operators in the Area, including Marketing Advisory Panels. The Business & Relationship Lead is a core member of the Area Support Team, representing and influencing on behalf of individual Operators and Markets as well as influencing and consulting on selection, real estate and reinvestment decisions. At the Support Center, the Business & Relationship Lead will spearhead special teams, projects, and task forces that have Area and Region implications. The Business & Relationship Lead will direct critical in-field initiatives and correspondingly represent the Voice of the Operator. The Business & Relationship Lead will report to the Area Director. Our Flexible Future model offers a healthy mix of working in person and virtually, strengthening key elements of the Chick-fil-A culture by fostering collaboration and community. Responsibilities Steward of the Franchise Agreement: Upholds the Franchise Agreement; ensures Brand protection by driving accountability to Operating Standards and Operational Requirements; shepherds improvement opportunities by recommending action plans and leveraging specialists; proactively takes measures to reduce or eliminate organizational and/or Operator risks; provides input and point of view for Operator selections and terminations. Total Business Advisor: Uses a holistic approach to analyze and diagnose Operator business challenges and opportunities; serves as a Strategic Business Coach; sees big picture and how it fits; consults to Winning Hearts Every Day; ensures quality and safe experiences; conducts Annual Business Assessments related to brand standards and Five CSFs with every Operator; bridges the gap between Support Center strategy, Restaurant-specific circumstances, and Operators’ viewpoints; leads special teams, projects, and task forces with restaurant/Area/Region implications; consults to effective planning and goal setting; translates the Area vision into a tactical Area strategy and creates actionable Area plans. Collaborator and Connector between Operators and Chick-fil-A: Represents the voice of the Operator and Chick-fil-A, Inc. effectively; shares best practices and connects Operators to available resources; monitors key interactions to remove barriers and ensure progress (e.g., Specialty Consulting engagements). Facilitator of Market Collaboration: Leads the effort to connect Operators within markets to promote healthy Operator dynamics and Market-level collaboration; pulls in resources to support specific market needs; promotes Operator-to-Operator learning. Ambassador of Care: Represents Chick-fil-A’s presence in personal, critical/milestone moments; discerns level of Chick-fil-A presence/approach and directs the coordination of response; champions Chick-fil-A’s culture of care through effective people acumen. Lead Point of Contact for Emergency Business Issues: Serves as the lead point of contact for supporting Chick-fil-A related business emergencies and ensures appropriate response by cross-functionally partnering internally when needed. Required Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities) 8-10 years of relevant business experience Experience facilitating groups to reach common goals Foundational business and restaurant operations acumen Strong business judgment Ability to build strong, positive relationships and communicate effectively to positive performance influence Strong emotional intelligence Cross-functional collaboration Ability to manage conflict Consulting Takes initiative and ownership Communicates effectively and with candor Ability to balance multiple, sometimes conflicting stakeholder interests Ability to distill complex, disparate data into simplified, actionable insights Experience driving continuous improvement and motivating individuals to act Ability to anticipate and decipher market trends to develop strategies and plans Ability to ensure food quality and provide recommendations by executing food tastings of the Chick-fil-A menu Ability to work within a restaurant as a team member for up to 30 days Ability to lift up to 50lbs when necessary, in the restaurants Additional Details Required Years Of Experience: 8 Travel Requirements: 50% Required Level Of Education: Bachelor\'s degree or equivalent experience Preferred Level Of Education: N/A Relocation Assistance Provided: No #J-18808-Ljbffr Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center