Senior Franchise Development Manager

Bakers Delight; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Bakers Delight in Melbourne is seeking a commercially-minded Franchise Development Specialist to drive network growth across Victoria and New South Wales. You will attract, assess and convert high-quality franchise candidates, manage the recruitment pipeline, and work with Operations, Commercial, Legal and Network Growth teams to deliver measurable growth.

Regular travel within Victoria and occasional travel to New South Wales are required.

Qualifications

• Experience in franchise development, recruitment or consultative sales.
• Ability to manage a sales or candidate pipeline.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen.

Responsibilities

• External franchisee recruitment and candidate attraction.
• Franchise recruitment pipeline management.
• Existing franchisee growth and expansion opportunities.
• Manage to Own (MTO) candidate assessment and progression.
• Franchise resale and recruitment support.
• Stakeholder engagement across Bakers Delight network.
• CRM records maintenance and pipeline reporting.

Skills

Franchise recruitment

Business development

Relationship building

Consultative sales

CRM navigation

Tools

CRM software

Job description

At Bakers Delight our vision is to be the most loved bakery in every community. We've built our business through commitment to the quality of our product, the development of our people and by providing a delightful experience to all of our customers.

At Bakers Delight, our vision is to be the most loved bakery in every community. We've built our business through a commitment to quality, the development of our people and creating a delightful experience for our customers every day.

The Opportunity

This is a franchise recruitment and sales role focused on driving network growth through the attraction, assessment and conversion of high-quality franchise candidates.

You'll own and manage a franchise recruitment pipeline across Victoria and New South Wales, guiding candidates through the franchise selection process, from qualified leads through to conditional approval and business acquisition.

Success in this role comes from your ability to build strong relationships, assess commercial capability, influence outcomes and help people navigate one of the most important business decisions of their lives.

With more than 50 franchise transactions completed each year, you'll thrive in a fast-paced environment where no two days are the same and every successful placement contributes directly to the growth of the Bakers Delight network.

Reporting to the Head of Franchise Development, you will be responsible for:

• External franchisee recruitment and candidate attraction
• Franchise recruitment pipeline management
• Existing franchisee growth and expansion opportunities
• Manage to Own (MTO) candidate assessment and progression
• Franchise resale and recruitment support
• Stakeholder engagement across the Bakers Delight network

This role combines recruitment, business development, relationship management and commercial assessment, making it ideal for someone who enjoys working with people while delivering measurable growth outcomes.

Regular travel throughout Victoria and occasional travel to New South Wales is required.

Are you ready to rise to the challenge and “bake” a difference by:

• Managing franchise candidates from initial discussions through to conditional approval
• Supporting and assessing existing franchisees seeking expansion opportunities
• Building strong relationships across our franchise network
• Identifying and progressing growth opportunities within existing franchisee portfolios
• Working collaboratively with Operations, Commercial, Legal and Network Growth teams
• Managing multiple approval pathways simultaneously within a fast-paced environment
• Maintaining accurate CRM records and reporting on pipeline activity
• Ensuring franchise development processes remain compliant, consistent and commercially sound

Let's Hear About You

We're looking for a commercially minded relationship builder who enjoys helping people make significant business decisions.

You may come from franchise development, franchise recruitment, talent acquisition, business development, retail network growth, property, hospitality, recruitment or another consultative sales environment where you've successfully managed a pipeline and influenced customer decisions.

Most importantly, you'll understand how to build trust, ask the right questions and guide people through a structured sales and recruitment process.

You'll be successful in this role if you have:

• Experience in franchise development, franchise recruitment, business development, talent acquisition or consultative sales
• A proven ability to manage a sales, recruitment or candidate pipeline
• Strong commercial and financial acumen
• The ability to assess opportunities and make sound recommendations
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills
• Experience influencing stakeholders through complex decision-making processes
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Experience using CRM systems to manage candidate or sales pipelines
• A proactive, results-focused approach with a passion for growth

You'll be naturally curious, highly motivated and comfortable building relationships with people from diverse backgrounds. You enjoy balancing commercial outcomes with genuine candidate care and can confidently manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.