Company: Pizzaiolo The Pizza Maker’s Pizza
Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Employment: Full-time, permanent
Industry: Quick Service Restaurant and Franchising
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
About Pizzaiolo:
Pizzaiolo The Pizza Maker’s Pizza is a proudly Canadian brand with 70 locations across Ontario. Rooted in tradition and committed to quality, we are entering our next phase of growth and seeking an experienced franchise development leader to recruit the right owners for our expanding network.
The Opportunity:
The Director of Franchise Development will build and convert a qualified franchisee pipeline through active prospecting, disciplined candidate assessment and effective franchise sales. Success means recruiting financially capable, operationally committed owners who meet Pizzaiolo’s standards and progress to successful store openings. Reporting to the COO, this role works closely with the CEO and the Finance, Development, Operations, Marketing and Training teams. The Director owns recruitment from initial outreach through execution of the franchise agreement and maintains coordinated follow-through until opening.
Franchisee Recruitment and Sales
- Personally source and engage prospective franchisees through direct outreach, referrals, brokers, franchise networks, industry relationships, trade shows and digital campaigns.
- Build relationships with qualified existing business operators and prospective owners in priority markets, developing a pool of suitable candidates ahead of planned sites.
- Develop and maintain an ideal franchisee profile and a consistent assessment process covering financial capacity, operating capability, commitment, brand alignment and references.
- Lead discovery conversations, candidate presentations, due diligence and follow-up, moving qualified prospects through clearly defined stages to approved franchise agreements.
- Work with Marketing to develop compelling recruitment materials that communicate Pizzaiolo’s value proposition and attract suitable candidates.
- Assess existing franchisees for additional locations with Operations and Finance, considering historical performance, standards compliance, leadership capacity and financial capacity.
- Work with franchise counsel and the relevant internal teams to ensure recruitment communications, disclosure processes and agreement execution comply with applicable requirements.
- Recommend changes to franchise agreements or recruitment policies when business needs change. Legal drafting and review remain with franchise counsel, with final business approval by authorized leadership.
Pipeline Management and Opening Coordination
- Maintain a current CRM with lead sources, qualification evidence, candidate stage, target market, next action, accountable person and expected decision dates.
- Match approved candidates with suitable opportunities in coordination with Development and Finance; recommend deal structures consistent with financial capacity and operating potential.
- Provide a documented handoff to Development, Operations and Training after signing, including candidate commitments, funding status, outstanding conditions and opening milestones.
- Track recruited franchisees through opening, escalate stalled milestones and coordinate resolution with the responsible teams. Development retains responsibility for site delivery; Training and Operations retain responsibility for training and operational readiness.
- Review recruited franchisees’ performance after opening with Operations and Finance, using agreed checkpoints to improve candidate selection and recruitment practices.
CEO Performance Expectations
Quarterly and annual targets will be agreed with the COO and CEO based on the growth plan, available sites, recruitment budget and opening capacity. Candidate quality and adherence to approval standards remain essential.
The following outlines select measures of success for this role:
- Qualified candidates added and progressing, with financial qualification and suitability documented.
- Approved candidates available for each priority market and signed franchise agreements against target.
- Conversion rates and time spent at each recruitment stage, supported by clear next steps for stalled opportunities.
- Recruitment channel effectiveness.
- Openings arising from recruited candidates against the agreed plan, tracked jointly with Development and Operations.
- Post-opening franchisee performance and standards compliance, reviewed with Operations and Finance.
Experience and Qualifications
- At least five years of relevant franchise recruitment or franchise development experience, with a proven record of sourcing qualified candidates and closing franchise agreements.
- Demonstrated personal responsibility for franchise sales results, including evidence of recruitment sources, completed agreements, resulting openings and subsequent franchisee performance.
- Experience in QSR, restaurant or comparable multi-location franchise businesses preferred.
- Strong prospecting, relationship-building, presentation, negotiation and closing skills, combined with sound judgment in candidate selection.
- Ability to assess candidate financial capacity and operating capability in collaboration with Finance and Operations.
- Strong CRM discipline, pipeline forecasting, analytical and project management skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively across teams.
- Working knowledge of franchise recruitment and disclosure processes, and experience collaborating with franchise counsel.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary.
- Health and dental benefits.
- The opportunity to shape Pizzaiolo’s growth by recruiting strong franchise partners and building a disciplined franchise development function.
