Chief Operating Officer (Retail)

We are seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) who brings strong implementation, operational, and profit/loss management experience from which to draw while leading our national brand to accelerated growth, heightened profitability, and substantiated revenues.  The COO is responsible for the efficiency of the business, which includes maintaining control of the business operations and establishing and following a set of policies and processes.

This experienced leader is distinguished as a positive, collaborative, high-impact executive with a strong work ethic and business acumen.   The COO role is a high-visibility position, requiring strong communication skills and the responsibility of being called upon to positively represent the brand in the community and in the media.  The COO exhibits strength delivering increased value to, and maintaining positive relationships with executive team, supporting team and franchisees. 

This person will become the face of our brand to existing and prospective franchisees.   Our new leader is authentic and passionate about improving the world for our franchisees and their clients by delivering world class systems in existing franchise operations and innovative new services. 

By setting comprehensive goals for performance and growth, the Chief Operating Officer leads employees and encourages maximum performance and dedication. The COO must maintain the highest level of integrity and lead by example in all areas.

The primary objectives are to (1) drive organic growth and improve the unit economics of existing franchisees and (2) continue the aggressive efforts to recruit and develop new franchisees. 

Responsibilities:

• Provide consultative communication and assistance to franchisees, directly and through the dedicated brand support team, in driving revenue growth, conducting business analysis, business development, ensuring quality operations and “brand" promotion/representation.
• Collaborate with the executive team in setting and driving organizational vision, operational strategy, and hiring needs.  Develop and execute a strategy to strongly differentiate your brand.
• Oversee company operations and employee productivity, building a highly inclusive culture ensuring team members thrive and organizational outcomes are met
• Create and execute annual operating plans.  Responsible for driving the company to achieve and surpass sales, profitability, cash flow and business goals and objectives
• Adhere to company, federal, state, and local business requirements, enforcing compliance and act when necessary
• Overall P&L responsibility including year-over-year growth to targets. Develop and implement annual financial strategies.
• Evaluate market opportunities and establish partnerships, alliances, joint ventures and other strategic relationships to accelerate growth of the brand and company financial results.
• Evaluate KPIs and leverage accordingly.
• Build partner and vendor relationships ensuring the capital investment, contracts and expenses related to the brand achieves targets relative to growth and profitability.
• Maintain and build trusted relationships with key customers, clients, franchisees, and stakeholders
• Drive development of new units.
• Drive increased franchisee satisfaction.
• Leader of the Franchise Advisory Counsel and Franchise Network.
• COO will look for ways to implement best practices and take advantage of synergistic opportunities in support of the Authority Brands platform. 

 Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or related experience
• MBA, post-graduate work or comparable industry experience and results preferred
• 5 years of Franchise experience in trades, home services or like business
• Vice President or higher responsibility over multiple functional areas at one time
• Demonstrable impact on revenue growth, system growth and efficiencies and sustained profitability
• Experience running multiple business units and measuring using data analysis and performance/operation metrics
• Demonstrated success of strong operational background, including strategic planning and business development
• Experience in implementing an operating methodology that delivers and supports our franchise owners with consistent results
• Demonstrated success attracting, coaching, and developing strong leadership teams in a high growth, fast-paced and respectful culture
• Aptitude in sound decision-making and problem-solving in pressure situations
• Strong communication skills, including ability to motivate team and articulate vision of the brand.
• Willingness to travel 25-30%

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven success leading a system-wide revenue franchise organization, division or entity
• Proven track record of profitable growth in a franchised company.
• Experience growing a young franchise brand to at least 350 units, with preference to experience of growth and/or management of 500+ unit franchise brand.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver strong P&L results in franchise industry
• Extensive experience building corporate infrastructure within the franchise industry.
• Broad knowledge of franchise best practices, including marketing, training, franchise support, technology, health care and finance.

Physical Requirements:

Sedentary work - Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met. May be required to sit for extended periods of time.

Essential Physical requirements:

• Talking
• Seeing 
• Hearing 
• Fingering/Keyboarding
• Visual Acuity
• Ability to navigate public locations without assistance on all modes of transportation including train, planes, automobiles, and watercraft.   

Equipment and Tools:

General office equipment including computers, telephones, copy machines, fax machines   

Physical Conditions & Work Environment:  

Office environment including open offices, cubicle locations or remote office.

We believe our greatest assets are our employees, we offer competitive salaries and a full benefits package to include, PTO, paid holidays, 401(k) and more.

Authority Brands Inc. conducts drug screens and background checks on applicants who accept employment offers. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions however we do not sponsor Visa’s at this time.