Franchise Support Specialist
Job Description
<p><strong>Position</strong>: Franchise Support Specialist (FSS)</p><p><strong>Reporting Line</strong>: Franchise Manager</p><p><strong>Location</strong>: Dubai – UAE</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Company Overview</strong></p><p><br></p><p>House of Pops is an award-winning company that produces a wide range of plant based, allergen free ice cream made with natural, clean label ingredients. House of Pops has a multichannel route to market with a successful franchising model and is present across the region. We are committed to sustainability, health, and wellness. More than 90 people work in House of Pops and share the vision of becoming the number 1 Health & Wellness ice cream company in the region and beyond. We have a well experienced top management team driving this vision, with more than 100 years of combined relevant experience, and we’re looking for a Franchise Support Specialist to join us who shares these values and can contribute to our continued growth and success. </p><p><br></p><p><strong>As a Franchise Support Specialist, you will be a primary point of contact for support and service to a designated franchised country(ies) and/or brand(s)</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Scope of work</strong>: </p><p>• Inside UAE with frequent national travels between all the emirates </p><p>• Outside UAE with frequent international travels</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Responsibilities</strong></p><p>Act as a country(ies) and/or brand(s) operations support supervisor, whereby you will implement a yearly country plan and manage the day-to-day tasks and follow up on all requirements to be implemented by the HOP brand. These tasks include but are not limited to: </p><p>1. Establish a good rapport and maintain a trustful and credible professional relationship with the franchisee’s operations teams. Act as a brand ambassador </p><p>2. Provide substantive services, support and value to franchisees and their teams</p><p>3. Support in site selection and evaluation</p><p>4. Site layout knowledge and design implementation follow up </p><p>5. Units pre-opening and opening procedures, tasks, follow-ups and timelines </p><p>6. Operations improvement (trainings, meetings, guest service and satisfaction techniques to improve guest feedback, inventories and stock control, food safety and quality control, sales targets achievement, …) </p><p>7. Achieve support and audit visits (announced and unannounced) and report in timely manner</p><p>8. Marketing plan, implementations and follow ups </p><p>9. Maintain accurate up to date data on performance of the designated country(ies) in terms of sales and targeted sales performance, mystery shopper reports, guest feedback, inventories stock availability, marketing activities, evaluations of team members, and any other information requested from other departments </p><p>10. Meet and listen carefully and actively to franchisees’ teams, gather data, solve issues and follow up accordingly in due time </p><p>11. Train franchisees staff on all standard operating procedures (SOPs) and follow-up on implementation and organize and schedule franchisee team member’s trainings regularly </p><p>12. Reply to calls and emails from franchisees’ team in the appropriate manner and in a timely fashion without neglect </p><p>13. Evaluate franchisee staff and performance and communicate relevant actions to be taken </p><p>14. Evaluate problems arising from franchised operations and report them to the franchise manager</p><p> 15. Communicate and update franchisees’ team with new products, rollouts, procedures, documents, manuals, forms and all other approved materials </p><p>16. Coordinate orders and requests arising from franchisees with the appropriate department and follow up. Act as a key communication point between franchisees team and franchisor departments 17. Gather important and sensitive data and assist in analyzing the data collected and provide and update the franchise manager with all requests from Franchisees</p><p> 18. Assist the franchise department in different tasks and procedures</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Requirements</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Education:</strong> A high school diploma or equivalent</li><li><strong>Experience in F&B or Retail operations</strong>: 6 years+ of proven experience in a similar role of which at least 3 years in a managerial position</li><li><strong>Knowledge of the franchise industry:</strong> Previous experience in a similar role or familiarity with the concepts and operations of franchising, including an understanding of franchise support processes, brand standards, operations audits and franchisee relationships. </li><li><strong>Hands on person: </strong>With strong operations understandings, skills, knowledge and implementation </li><li><strong>Communication skills:</strong> Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential to effectively interact with franchisees, address their concerns, and provide support. Strong interpersonal skills are also important for building positive relationships.</li><li><strong>Customer service orientation:</strong> The ability to provide exceptional customer service to franchisees, addressing their inquiries, resolving issues, and maintaining a positive and professional attitude.</li><li><strong>Organizational and time management skills:</strong> Able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, such as managing franchisee documentation, coordinating support requests, and maintaining accurate records. </li><li><strong>Teamwork and collaboration:</strong> Able to work closely with cross-functional teams, and collaborate effectively with others to contribute to team goals.</li><li> <strong>Problem-solving abilities: </strong>Able to analyze issues, identify solutions, and assist franchisees in resolving problems. Should be proactive in addressing challenges and finding effective resolutions. – Attention to detail: Having a keen eye for detail and ensuring accuracy in maintaining compliance with brand standards, tracking support requests, and franchisee documentation. </li><li><strong>Adaptability and resilience:</strong> The ability to adapt to changes in priorities, work under pressure, and handle multiple deadlines is crucial in a dynamic franchise support environment. </li><li><strong>Computer proficiency:</strong> Proficiency in standard office software (such as Microsoft Office) and the ability to quickly learn new software systems used for franchise support and documentation management</li><li><strong>Able to drive and travel frequently</strong></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Good to Have</strong></p><ul><li><strong> </strong>Certified trainer </li><li>Presentation skills </li><li>A bachelor’s degree in business administration, hospitality management</li><li> Regional experience in the GCC and understanding of its unique business dynamics</li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Role Key Performance Indicators</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Support Response Time:</strong> Track the average time taken to respond to franchisee inquiries or support requests.</li><li><strong>Support Ticket Resolution Rate:</strong> Monitor the percentage of support tickets or issues resolved within a specified timeframe. </li><li><strong>Rollouts and New Procedures Implementation Rate:</strong> Measure the percentage of franchisees that implemented any new rollouts or procedures in timely manner. </li><li><strong>Training Completion Rate:</strong> Measure the percentage of franchisees that complete required training programs or modules. </li><li><strong>New Unit Opening Support Effectiveness & Timeliness: </strong>Evaluate the effectiveness of the support provided to franchisees during the opening process of new units & measure the time it takes to successfully open new franchise units from the agreement signing to the actual opening</li><li> <strong>Audit and Support Visit: </strong>Measure the frequency, the urgency, the reporting and the outcomes of the visits. </li><li><strong>Compliance with Brand Standards:</strong> Assess franchisee compliance with brand guidelines, operational procedures, and quality standards. </li><li><strong>Franchisee Performance Metrics:</strong> Monitor specific performance metrics, such as revenue per location, customer satisfaction scores, or operational efficiency indicators, to assess the success of individual franchisees and identify areas for improvement. </li><li><strong>Franchisee Satisfaction:</strong> Measure the satisfaction levels of franchisees through surveys, feedback mechanisms, or regular check-ins.</li></ul><p></p>
