Job Description

Department: New Business Development / Expansion
Reports To: Head of NBD / CEO
Location: Based in South Africa with frequent national travel and occasional regional travel across Africa.The New Business Leasing Specialist is responsible for driving strategic expansion through targeted lead generation, lease negotiations, and relationship management with landlords and franchisees. This role plays a critical part in securing prime restaurant locations across South Africa and assist in the broader African region. The Specialist will identify and secure strategic lease opportunities, including lease takeover, white box conversions and lease renewals, ensuring alignment with the companys growth strategy.Key Responsibilities:
xc3x98 Lead Generation & Site identification
xc2xb7 Generate at least five high-potential leads within the first three months.
xc2xb7 Create and maintain a dynamic list of target sites for new development bearing in mind the different brands within the portfolio.
xc2xb7 Conduct market research to identify upcoming opportunities in malls, busy streets, and developing urban nodes and match them with the different brands.
xc3x98 Lease Negotiation & Site Acquisition
xc2xb7 Lead lease negotiations for new store locations, takeover of existing leases, and renewal of existing leases.
xc2xb7 Evaluate white box and iconic site opportunities for strategic growth.
xc2xb7 Collaborate with operations, compliance and finance teams to structure lease terms aligned with business objectives.
xc3x98 Stakeholder Relationship Management
xc2xb7 Build and sustain strong relationships with key landlords (e.g., Redefine, Old Mutual, Liberty, Attacq).
xc2xb7 Maintain ongoing communication and trust with franchisees throughout the leasing and site selection process.
xc2xb7 Serve as the key liaison between landlords, developers, and internal project teams.
xc3x98 Franchise & Expansion Support
xc2xb7 Support franchisees with site feasibility assessments and location strategies.
xc2xb7 Align new site selection with brand positioning and demographic targeting.
xc2xb7 Host monthly New Business development seminars/conferences with landlords, potential and current franchisee and other stakeholders.
xc3x98 Financial and Feasibility Analysis
xc2xb7 Collaborate with finance and operations teams to assess ROI, sales projections and occupancy costs.
xc2xb7 Conduct feasibility studies to ensure selected site meets the criteria for the suggested brand.
xc2xb7 Ensure lease terms align with the companys strategic and financial goals.
xc3x98 Reporting & Analysis
xc2xb7 Attend and contribute to weekly development team meetings.
xc2xb7 Provide monthly progress reports on new business activities.
xc2xb7 Deliver quarterly board updates on development performance and pipeline.
xc2xb7 Maintain updated restaurant leasing files for each location.
xc3x98 Travel
xc2xb7 Travel extensively within South Africa for site inspections and stakeholder meetings.
xc2xb7 Potential travel to other African countries for regional expansion opportunities.Key Performance Indicators:xc3x98 Site visits:
xc2xb7 Minimum of 15 site visits per month.
xc3x98 Lead Generation:
xc2xb7 A minimum of 5 qualified leads per month.
xc3x98 Lease Agreements:
xc2xb7 Closed and secured a minimum of 4 leases per quarter.
xc3x98 Franchise engagement:
xc2xb7 Full franchisee engagement and participation in lease discussions.
xc3x98 Stakeholder meetings:
xc2xb7 A minimum of 3 engagements with current landlords per month and presenting key insights from the landlords to internal stakeholders.
xc3x98 Reporting:
xc2xb7 Timely submission of weekly, monthly reports and board reports
xc3x98 Expansion pipeline:
xc2xb7 Maintain and update a rolling 12-month pipeline of new sites.

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