Job Description
RaceTrac Company Overview
The Director, Franchise Operations is the senior field leader responsible for driving operational excellence, franchisee success, and profitable growth across the RaceWay network. Leading a team of five District Managers supporting more than 100 stores, this role serves as the primary escalation point for franchise operations and is a critical partner in shaping the future of the RaceWay brand.
This leader will balance strategy and execution—building strong franchisee relationships, driving accountability, and helping the business continuously improve. The ideal candidate is humble, hungry, and smart: someone who leads with credibility, thrives in a fast-paced environment, challenges the status quo, and inspires results through influence rather than authority alone.
RaceWay operates with speed and agility, requiring a leader who can quickly pivot, solve problems, and confidently navigate both planned initiatives and unexpected challenges. The ideal leader is humble enough to listen, hungry enough to drive results, and skilled at building trust with franchisees, field leaders, and business partners alike.
Travel approximately 75–80% is required, typically three weeks in the field and one week focused on home-office responsibilities. Candidates should reside within the territory, with Atlanta strongly preferred.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead operational strategy and execution across a multi-state franchise network spanning more than 100 stores.
Directly lead and develop a team of District Managers, creating accountability, consistency, and operational excellence across the business.
- Serve as the primary escalation and support leader for franchisees, balancing business needs with relationship management and long-term partnership success.
- Drive sales, profitability, guest experience, and operational performance improvements throughout the franchise system.
- Partner with franchisees and field leaders to identify opportunities, solve complex business challenges, and implement sustainable solutions.
- Champion new initiatives, operational improvements, and change management efforts across the network.
- Collaborate closely with Real Estate, Construction, Maintenance, Fuel Pricing, Legal, Risk Management, Finance, and Franchise Development teams.
- Analyze operational and financial performance trends to identify opportunities for growth, efficiency, and market expansion.
- Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement while ensuring alignment with RaceWay brand standards.
- Operate effectively in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment where priorities can shift quickly and leaders are expected to step in wherever needed.
Success Measures (First 6–12 Months)
- Establish credibility and strong partnerships with franchisees, District Managers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Drive measurable improvements in store performance, franchisee engagement, and operational consistency.
- Build trust as the go-to leader for complex operational issues and franchisee escalations.
- Strengthen leadership capability and accountability across the District Manager team.
- Successfully implement key strategic and operational initiatives across the franchise network.
- Identify opportunities to improve processes, challenge existing approaches, and elevate overall franchise performance.
Who You'll Work With
You'll lead a team of five District Managers supporting more than 100 franchise locations and partner closely with franchisees throughout the network. You'll work cross-functionally with leaders across Franchise Development, Real Estate, Construction, Maintenance, Fuel Pricing, Legal, Finance, Risk Management, and Accounts Receivable while serving as a key operational partner to senior leadership.
Responsibilities:
- Manages Franchise Development team and insures that all franchise sales activities are conducted within the approved policies and procedures.
- Leads, trains, and develops District Managers to provide them with the appropriate tools needed to support their individual regions.
- Maximizes profits and assets and is responsible for short and long term planning in areas of budgeting, goal setting, and personnel development.
- Collaborates with Franchisee candidates, RaceWay Sales Teams and Accounts Receivable departments as well as Real Estate, Construction, Maintenance, Fuel Pricing, Risk Management and Legal departments to ensure the highest quality of convenience stores. Serves as the representative for RaceWay in various cross-functional meetings and committees.
- Establishes and drives annual business objectives and ensures RMs are accountable for making progress towards operational goals and strategy.
- Serves as a direct point of contact for escalated issues relating to Operations.
- Creates and implements strategies and awareness programs to recruit for the highest quality Store Operators.
- Serves as the gateway between the field and SSC Operations by overseeing all RaceWay initiatives related to Operations and providing recommendations and feedback.
- Adopts new ideas, strategic learning technologies, and approaches.
- Assesses current RaceWay Operations processes and procedures and develops solutions to increase efficiency and lower costs.
Qualifications:
Required Skills & Experience
- 10+ years of leadership experience in franchise operations, convenience retail, restaurant, fuel, hospitality, or other multi-unit operating environments.
- Proven experience leading large-scale field operations across multiple markets and geographic regions.
- Demonstrated success coaching and developing multi-unit field leaders.
- Strong strategic thinking skills coupled with a hands-on, execution-oriented leadership style.
- Experience serving as a trusted business partner to operators, franchisees, or independent business owners.
- Exceptional organizational and time-management skills with the ability to effectively lead across a broad territory.
- Proven ability to influence, build relationships, and drive results through others.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and responding to rapidly changing business priorities.
- Willingness and ability to travel extensively (75–80%).
Preferred Skills
- Significant experience operating within a franchise business model.
- Convenience store, fuel, restaurant, or retail operations leadership experience.
- Experience supporting franchise growth, development, or market expansion initiatives.
- Strong financial acumen with experience managing operational performance through KPIs and business metrics.
- Experience leading organizations through operational change and business transformation initiatives.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment with RaceTrac without regard to their race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.
