As a Senior Manager of New Restaurant Opening, you will lead and develop a team of New Restaurant Opening Training Managers and partner with regional and national leadership to shape and execute the brand’s training strategy. You will be responsible for driving performance through strategic initiatives, fostering a culture of excellence across franchisees, and using data-driven insights to optimize training effectiveness. Your leadership will directly impact operational readiness, guest experience, and brand consistency, in close collaboration with cross-functional partners across Operations, Marketing, and Franchisees.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership(50%)

• Assists in development and drives long-term new restaurant training strategy aligned with brand goals.
• Leads, coaches, and develops a team of the NRO Field Training Managers to ensure consistent execution and professional growth.
• Owns NRO training KPIs and uses data to drive continuous improvement.
• Significant influence on regional and national training decisions and long-term brand goals.

Execution & Facilitation(30%)

• Oversee all training activities for new initiatives, including product rollouts, guest service initiatives, processes, technology, and systems
• Facilitate virtual and in-person training experiences consistently using effective adult learning principles
• Communicates content during regional meetings and training sessions with Franchisees and the Above Restaurant Leader audience
• Implement tools and disciplines to execute project processes, including risk management, issue resolution, change management, quality assurance, and document management.

Cross-Functional Collaboration(20%)

• Serves as a key liaison between the NRO Training team, Field Training, Operations, and Business Development teams to ensure alignment and execution.
• Drives engagement in support of the initiative to influence franchisees to embrace the brand standards and operations within their new network
• Actively partners to build relationships with cross-functional team members, franchisees, and their above restaurant leaders to influence the adoption of training principles. 
• Collaborates with the field team to diagnose root causes for knowledge gaps, operational and training problems, and articulates potential solutions
• Consults as a trusted advisor for franchisees and their Above Restaurant Leaders for brand initiatives.
• Participates in meetings with franchisees and cross-functional teams to strategize market and network plans, provide expertise and consulting as needed

Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree and/or equivalent experience in restaurant and/or retail management with Training, Human Resource, or multi-unit management experience

Years Of Experience

• 5-7 Experience in restaurant and/or retail Training, Operations, multi-unit management, and/or leading people.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS or ABILITIES

Leadership & Strategic Thinking

• Coaches and develops team members to achieve performance and career growth goals
• Translates brand strategy into actionable training plans
• Applies sound business acumen to make data-informed decisions aligned with brand strategy
• Demonstrates strategic thinking with strong problem-solving skills
• Navigates ambiguity and leads through change with resilience and adaptability
• Drives innovation in training design and delivery; continuously improves processes
• Leads risk mitigation strategies and ensures project alignment with business goals

Collaboration & Influence

• Builds and sustains strategic relationships across all levels of the organization
• Exceptional communication skills, including executive-level presentations and stakeholder engagement
• Ability to influence and persuade without authority
• Understands franchise business dynamics and tailors training to diverse operational models

Execution & Facilitation

• Facilitates high-impact training sessions and strategic meetings, both virtually and in-person
• Strong presentation skills
• Project management skills
• Strong organizational, planning, and time management skills
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and prioritize tasks accordingly
• Ability to work in a fast-paced setting

Technical & Analytical

• Uses data and analytics to measure training effectiveness and inform future strategy
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and learning management systems (LMS); comfortable with data visualization tools
• Change management expertise

Travel Required

• Approximately 75-85% travel will be required in support of the position’s responsibilities. 

Salary

• $102,915 - $202,018 per year

The salary range above represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual placement within this range will vary based on various factors including but not limited to experience, education, training, and location.

 

Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,000 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide.

We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company. We’re a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a staple—it’s an experience. At Inspire, that’s our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.