Franchise Business Development Manager

About the role

The Franchise Business Development Manager leads market entry, franchisee prospecting, partner qualification and deal execution to drive regional expansion. The role covers the full franchise lifecycle, from target market mapping and lead generation through contract negotiation, joint venture or master franchise structuring, and initial store deployment oversight.

Key responsibilities

• Identify, qualify and recruit regional franchise partners, master franchisees and joint venture candidates, and manage the full BD pipeline from lead generation and screening to commercial pitches and due diligence.
• Structure commercial terms such as franchise fees, royalty models, marketing funds and unit development schedules.
• Work with Legal, Finance and Corporate Strategy to draft, negotiate and finalise franchise agreements, master franchise agreements and LOIs.
• Run market feasibility assessments, competitive benchmarking and unit-level economics modelling, and assess partners' financial standing, real estate portfolios and supply chain readiness.
• Define phased 3- to 5-year multi-unit development schedules aligned with corporate expansion milestones.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Strategy, Finance or a related field; MBA is a strong plus.
• 5+ years in business development, franchise recruitment, strategic partnerships or corporate strategy, preferably in QSR, retail chains, F&B or multi-unit hospitality.
• Proven track record of closing complex multi-unit franchise, master franchise or JV agreements in APAC or international markets.
• Business fluency in English; Mandarin fluency is highly advantageous for HQ coordination.
• Willingness to travel regionally about 25% for partner visits, site evaluations and negotiations.

Required skills

• Financial modelling, valuation and unit economics analysis.
• Negotiation and deal-making with executive-level stakeholders and regional investors.
• Project management across legal, finance, supply chain and retail operations teams under tight deadlines.