Location: Markham, Ontario

Job Description:

Job Summary
Pet Valu Canada is seeking a strategic and experienced Vice President of Franchise Operations. This role will be responsible for all activities to grow and support our franchise network, including store growth, franchisee relationships and engagement, sales & revenue growth and financial results. Key areas of focus will be to develop & deliver strategic plans to improve customer & franchisee experience while delivering overall business for both the company and its franchisee network. This role supervises Regional Directors with teams of Franchise Business Consultants who support our franchisees and their business success as well as strong program execution, company brand standards and overall company success.

Key Responsibilities

Franchise Support:
•Interact with Canadian Franchise Council and engage in franchise relationships with support from the field leadership team.
•Responsible for the Operations Sub Committee.
•Act as the escalation point of contact for the Franchise community for operational questions, concerns and discussions, if unresolved with Franchise Business Consultant and Regional Director
•Responsible for escalating Franchise community concerns to the broader cross functional partners and drive actions to resolve those concerns, follow up with action plans and resulting changes.
•Responsible for maintaining the highest level of customer service to our Franchise community through strong customer relationships, regular communication and attendance of annual meetings.
•Accountable to ensuring Franchisee store details are updated with all cross functional partners and internal systems.
•Works with Regional Directors to support ongoing Franchisee relief programs and communicates with Chief Retail Officer for approval and guidance. Responsible to partner with Finance on financial follow up on Franchisee store debt and reconciliations.

Delivers Operational Excellence:
•Leads the day-to-day field operations in partnership with the field teams
•Regularly works with Operations Support and Corporate Operations to provide the leadership and stewardship to generate and sustain the necessary momentum, decide when to stay the course or make necessary adjustments, and successfully implement large-scale corporate initiatives within approved budgets and timeframes.
•Holds the Pet Valu brand to the highest standard and expectation within the Franchise community with a balance to allow for entrepreneurial spirit of our Franchise Community.
•Knowledge of the Franchise Disclosure Document and Operations Manual.

Drive Retail Sales for Franchise Operations:
•Develop strategic plans and influence consistent execution within the Franchise community.
•Hold the field leadership team accountable to delivering results to sales budget and EBITDA growth
•Conduct regular analytics of results and build go to market plans with strong tactical direction to the field leadership team to consult, support and deliver on results.

Drive Wholesale Revenue:
•Collaborate with the Category Merchandising and Pricing & Promotions functions to have compelling offers, deals and pre-books with a consistent focus on the wholesale program.
•Drive everyday wholesale shipments through field visits, Franchise community interactions and emphasis on delivering results through in stock positioning
•Accountable to driving the wholesale program in partnership with Merchandise

Team Leadership and Development:
•Mentor, coach, and develop direct reports, fostering a high-performance, results-oriented culture.
•Lead succession planning efforts and provide training opportunities to support career development.
•Ensure the team is empowered with the skills and tools needed to support and be able to influence franchisees.

Stakeholder Collaboration:
•Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including Operations Support, Loss Prevention, Category Merchandising, Marketing, Digital, Supply Chain, Finance, IT and Corporate Operations, to support the successful launch of national, existing and new programs and processes through assessment, decision recommendation and implementation.
•Shares best practices, successes and opportunities with the organization.
•Regularly advises Chief Retail Officer of potential Franchisee

Skills, Experience, Education, Certifications

Canadian Franchise Experience:
•Minimum 10 years’ experience working in retail operations (Corporate or Franchise) and a minimum of five years working in a senior leadership role within franchising operations
•Deep awareness of Franchise laws and managing franchise operations with a store network of over 100 stores.
Leadership Skills:
•Strong leadership, mentoring, and collaboration skills, with experience managing cross-functional teams.
•Proven ability to lead high-performance teams while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
Education:
•Post-secondary education in Business, or a related field (university or accredited college) or equivalent experience.
Other:
•Excellent oral and written communication skills coupled with an ability to make clear, concise presentations
•Ability to recruit and motivate people, instill accountability, and achieve results