National Director (Franchise)

Business Network International; Milano; Hybrid; EUR 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Business Network International seeks a National Director to lead country-level growth, operational excellence, and brand execution for franchised regions in Italy. You will recruit, onboard, and support franchisees and regional leaders, and oversee financial performance to ensure profitable growth.

You will manage the national conference, coordinate cross-functional initiatives, and uphold BNI’s mission and values while delivering a consistent brand experience across the network.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business management or related field or equivalent experience.
• MBA or EMBA from competitive program (preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive franchise leadership experience including leading senior managers or distributed teams.
• Willingness to travel 30-40%.

Responsibilities

• Lead country-level growth, operational excellence, and brand execution across franchised regions.
• Recruit, onboard, and support franchisees and regional leaders; manage P&L for franchised regions.
• Oversee national conference planning, coordination, and profitability.
• Collaborate with Operations, Marketing, HR, Finance, Legal, and Membership teams for alignment.
• Ensure unified brand experience, strong Membership outcomes, and adherence to standards and ethics.
• Coach regional leaders and maintain team spirit across the national network.
• Ensure compliance with systems, policies, and governance across regions.

Skills

Franchise leadership

P&L management

Strategic thinking

Change management

Team leadership

Financial acumen

Leadership development

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business management or related field

MBA or EMBA (preferred)

Job description

The National Director leads country-level growth, operational excellence, and brand execution across franchised regions. This role serves as the primary connector between global strategy and local execution, navigating and supporting teams of sales, operations, Membership, localized marketing and communications, and training resources to strengthen BNI's presence and performance within the country.

The National Director recruits, onboards, and supports franchisees and regional leaders, manages the financial performance of the franchised regions, and ensures the successful delivery of a well-received national conference that engages franchisors, franchisees, and Members. This leader ensures a unified brand experience, strong Membership outcomes, and alignment with BNI’s mission, vision, and core values.

Roles and Responsibilities:

National Growth & Market Development

• Identify, prioritize, and lead Membership growth opportunities across franchised regions, ensuring alignment with national and broader organizational goals.
• Drive market penetration by overseeing national expansion efforts and strengthening brand positioning in collaboration with Operations, Marketing, HR, Finance, Legal, and Membership teams.
• Monitor performance trends across franchised regions and develop targeted strategies to improve Chapter health, retention, and Member satisfaction.
• Manage the P & L for franchised regions, ensuring financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and alignment with growth targets.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance reviews for franchised regions.
• Ensure financial decisions support long-term network health.

National Conference Leadership

• Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of the country’s annual national conference, ensuring it is well‑reviewed, brand‑aligned, and profitable.
• Oversee cross‑functional coordination for programming, logistics, marketing, and attendee experience.
• Ensure the conference delivers value to employees, franchisees, and Members while reinforcing BNI’s mission and brand promise.
• Recruit, onboard, and support franchisees and regional leaders, ensuring they have the tools, training, and guidance needed for success.
• Partner with franchisees and their field leaders to deliver a consistent brand experience and uphold BNI’s standards, systems, and code of ethics.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to regional leaders, providing coaching, accountability, and strategic guidance to drive performance.
• Build and maintain strong Team spirit among Directors and key contributors across franchised regions, reinforcing collaboration, trust, and shared accountability.

Cross‑Functional Coordination & Alignment

• Work closely with global functional leaders (Operations, Marketing, Training, Membership, Technology, Finance) to ensure seamless coordination and alignment of initiatives.
• Collaborate with local communications and marketing teams to ensure clear, timely, and brand‑aligned messaging across the country.
• Partner with membership enrollment and support teams to ensure a high‑quality experience for Members, Directors, and Ambassadors.

Work hand in hand with the National Director in Italy responsible for CORE regions, maintaining full collaboration across all strategic and operational aspects of the position and remaining fully synchronized in communications and engagement with the National Team and regional stakeholders.

Build and maintain strong Team spirit among individuals on the National Team, recognizing this as a key requirement for effective national leadership and execution.

Operational Excellence & Business Performance

• Ensure national compliance with BNI systems, policies, legal requirements, brand standards, and code of ethics across all franchised regions.
• Drive operational efficiency by establishing repeatable processes, optimizing workflows, and ensuring consistent execution across diverse markets.
• Strengthen scalability by implementing systems, tools, and operating rhythms that support sustainable growth, operational consistency, and future expansion.
• Prepare accurate, timely analyses and reporting that communicate business results, trends, risks, and opportunities, enabling data‑driven decision‑making.
• Reinforce adherence to BNI’s operational standards, quality expectations, and performance benchmarks through regular reviews, coaching, and structured follow‑up.
• Cultivate strong relationships with vendors, partners, and external stakeholders to ensure reliable, compliant, and efficient national operations, including events and conferences.

Culture, Leadership Development & Engagement

• Foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning across the country’s franchise network.
• Support leadership development by identifying talent needs, recommending development pathways (including existing and potential leaders).
• Ensure transparent, timely communication with all stakeholders, strengthening trust and alignment across the national network.
• Any additional duties needed to help demonstrate our core values, drive our vision, and fulfill our mission.

Demonstrated Competencies:

• Accountability & Integrity
• Business Acumen
• Communication
• Leading leaders
• Relationship Building
• Resilience
• Strategic Thinking

Required Qualifications:

• Fluency in English
• Fluency in Primary language of country
• 10+ years of progressive franchiseleadership experience, including leading senior managers or geographically distributed teams
• Willingness to travel 30- 40%
• 7+ years of financial management experience including measurable results of P & L management
• Proven track records of change management, expertise, consolidation, and growth
• Bachelor’s degree in business management or a related field or equivalent experience
• Extensive experience in Corporate environment governance, policies, KPI reporting for US based international groups
• 3 - 5 years of experience working within a multinational organization
• Culture of performance

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA or EMBA from competitive program

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

Sedentary work. Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading.

This is a full-time position. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.