Team Leader, Franchise

JOB PURPOSE:

Lead the end‑to‑end planning, mobilisation, and delivery of the Americana Joint Venture (AMR JV) within Franchise Operations. Serve as the primary focal point between internal functions and the partner, translating JV strategy into executable roadmaps and measurable outcomes. Drive unit openings, operational readiness, and cross‑functional synergies (marketing, loyalty, fuel, supply chain) to achieve the JV’s P&L targets and long‑term growth plan. Ensure disciplined governance, stakeholder alignment, and continuous improvement throughout execution.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

JV Strategy & Planning

• Define the JV strategy and translate corporate and partner objectives into annual and 5-year operating plans with clear milestones and KPIs. Ensure strategic coherence across development, operations, and commercial drivers.

• Lead cross-functional planning forums to synchronise inputs from development, engineering, finance, operations, supply chain, and marketing. Create one integrated master plan.

• Establish governance rhythms (steering committees, reviews, stage gates) that enable timely decisions, risk visibility, and portfolio reprioritisation. Maintain a single source of truth.

• Prioritise greenfield and brownfield opportunities to maximise asset utilisation and market coverage. Use data-driven criteria for site selection and sequencing.

• Maintain an integrated synergy plan covering marketing, loyalty, fuel supply, and operations

excellence. Monitor benefit realisation against P&L targets and customer outcomes.

Project Management & Execution

• Own end‑to‑end mobilisation for unit openings, coordinating timelines, dependencies, and readiness criteria across internal teams and the partner. Drive on‑time launches.

• Standardise project controls (scope, schedule, cost, risk, change) and institute disciplined reporting to senior leadership and the partner PMO. Escalate blockers early.

• Direct resolution across design, fit‑out, permits, commissioning, and handover. Maintain delivery velocity and quality through structured issue management.

• Implement stage gates and readiness checklists covering technical, operational, and commercial requirements. Enforce entry/exit criteria.

• Track execution KPIs (on‑time opening %, readiness score, defects closure rate) and run corrective action plans where thresholds are missed.

Governance, Contracts & Approvals

• Coordinate contracting frameworks with Legal, drafting and endorsing NOCs, addenda, and approvals. Ensure auditability and compliance with policy and JV standards.

• Maintain a comprehensive approvals matrix spanning capex, layout, branding, and operations. Keep decision traceability and documentation complete.

• Chair governance reviews to validate scope, commercial terms, and operational commitments. Resolve variances and maintain alignment with strategic intent.

• Embed regulatory and policy controls throughout all phases. Conduct periodic compliance checks and rectify non‑conformities promptly.

• Keep contractual obligations visible to delivery teams via registers, dashboards, and briefings. Prevent scope creep and non‑compliant changes.

Commercial & Financial Delivery

• Lead JV business case development, coordinating feasibility studies, CAPEX/OPEX inputs, rentals, and sensitivity analysis. Support investment decisions with robust data.

• Translate P&L targets into operational metrics (traffic, conversion, basket, NPS) and cascade performance expectations to delivery teams. Monitor weekly run‑rates.

• Quantify synergy benefits from marketing and loyalty programs, fuel logistics, and supply chain optimisation. Track realised value against baseline.

• Implement cost governance and value‑engineering practices across design and operations. Protect ROI and accelerate payback without compromising standards.

• Prepare periodic performance reports for leadership and partner executives. Highlight variances, risks, and recovery actions with clear owner and due dates.

Operations Excellence & Launch Readiness

• Define operations excellence standards and toolkits to sustain service quality, safety, and customer satisfaction post‑launch. Institutionalise SOPs and audits.

• Lead readiness assessments covering staffing, training, systems, logistics, and contingency plans. Close gaps before handover to operations.

• Establish defect management and stabilisation plans for the first 90 days after opening. Monitor run‑rate achievement and stabilisation KPIs.

• Partner with QA & Food Safety to embed compliance controls and traceability aligned to JV and regulatory requirements.

• Drive continuous improvement using performance analytics and customer insights. Scale best practices across units for consistent outcomes.

Stakeholder & Partner Management

• Act as the primary interface with the partner (Americana). Maintain transparent communication, trust, and joint decision‑making at executive and working levels.

• Facilitate forums with Development, Engineering, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Marketing & Loyalty. Remove silos and accelerate delivery.

• Manage structured escalation paths and resolve cross‑functional conflicts. Keep priorities and risks visible through agreed dashboards.

• Develop and execute stakeholder communication plans, ensuring timely updates and clear actions. Capture and action feedback loops.

• Represent the JV in internal/external reviews and site visits. Uphold brand, safety, and customer experience standards consistently.

Job Specific Accountabilities

Generic Accountabilities

Supervision

• Plan, supervise and coordinate all activities in the assigned area to meet functional objectives.

• Train and develop the assigned staff on relevant skills to enable them to become proficient on the job and deliver the respective section objectives.

Budgets

• Provide input for preparation of the Section / Department budgets and assist in the implementation of the approved Budget and work plans to deliver Section objectives.

• Investigate and highlight any significant variances to support effective performance and cost control

Policies, Systems, Processes & Procedures

• Implement approved Section / Department policies, processes, systems, standards and procedures in order to support execution of the Section’s / Department work programs in line with Company and International standards.

Performance Management

• Contribute to the achievement of the approved Performance Objectives for the Section / Department in line with the Company Performance framework.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Design and implement new tools and techniques to improve the quality and efficiency of operational processes.

• Identify improvements in internal processes against best practices in pursuit of greater efficiency in line with ISO standards in order to define intelligent solutions for issues confronting the function.

Health, Safety, Environment (HSE) and Sustainability

• Comply with relevant HSE policies, procedures & controls and applicable legislation and sustainability guidelines in line with international standards, best practices and ADNOC Code of Practices.

Reports

• Provide inputs to prepare Section MIS and progress reports for Company Management.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal

• Business development Division

• Engineering & Projects Division

• Format Development Department

• Finance Division

• Operational excellence Department

• Marketing Group

• Retail Operations

External

• Americana JV Partner Teams

• Contractors & Vendors

• Regulatory Authorities & Government Bodies

• Third-Party Service Providers

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

Minimum Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field; Master’s degree is an advantage.

Minimum Experience & Knowledge & Skills

• 10 years of experience in multi‑site retail, QSR/franchise operations, or energy retail; at least 5 years leading cross‑functional programs or partnerships.

• Proven delivery of complex JV or partnership programmes including contracting, governance, and multi‑function approvals.

• Demonstrated success in unit openings, operational readiness, and synergy realisation (marketing, loyalty, fuel supply).

• Strong financial acumen in feasibility, CAPEX/OPEX modelling, P&L accountability, and performance analytics.

• Experience operating within regulated, safety‑critical environments and adhering to corporate policies and audit standards.