Franchise Manager

To strengthen and grow the AutoZone franchise network and promote the AutoZone business channels, key services, products, and brands we offer in our basket of quality auto parts.

This individual needs to build strong, lasting relationships with franchisees, develop marketing and brand strategies to generate new business leads, drive incremental sales, corporate brand awareness and reputation, and oversee marketing department staff. The incumbent will also be required to manage marketing budgets and analyse trends that can be leveraged within the basket portfolio to drive business growth across the franchise network.

Manage, support and grow the franchise store network

• Oversee the day-to-day relationship and performance of all franchise stores, ensuring they operate in line with AutoZone standards, systems and brand requirements.
• Conduct regular franchise store visits and reviews to identify opportunities, address challenges and support franchisees in achieving their sales and growth targets.
• Ensure franchise stores are correctly branded, merchandised and stocked in line with the national marketing and brand strategy.
• Monitor franchise store performance against agreed targets and implement action plans to drive growth, sales and profitability.
• Support new franchise store openings, including branding, marketing launch activities and franchisee onboarding.
• Ensure franchisees adhere to franchise agreements, operating standards and compliance requirements. Build, strengthen and grow franchisee relationships and communication
• Act as the primary point of contact between the business and its franchisees, building strong, trusted and lasting relationships.
• Communicate all marketing activities, promotions, campaigns and business initiatives clearly and timeously to franchise stores via the appropriate channels (e.g. road shows, forums, team meetings, playbook, WhatsApp, etc.).
• Facilitate regular franchisee engagement through meetings, road shows, forums and feedback sessions to strengthen collaboration and alignment.
• Gather and channel franchisee feedback into the business to improve support, products, promotions and service.
• Drive franchisee buy-in and participation in national marketing campaigns and promotions to grow the network.
• Resolve franchisee queries and concerns promptly to protect and strengthen the relationship and the brand. Manage and develop internal comms calendar and activity
• Develop and manage the annual events calendar, incorporating an Omni-channel marketing approach for all promotions and activities.
• Work together with internal stakeholders to deliver key activities in the business to build staff – WhatsApp, Motorhead.
• Communicate all marketing activities that are in place and current to all stakeholders in the business (operations, marketing, stores and merchandise) via the appropriate channels e.g. road shows, team meetings, playbook, etc.

Run, develop and manage key business strategic projects

• Compile briefs and obtain approval from Executive on new projects, plans etc.
• Manage outputs on all marketing projects so that jobs are delivered in an accurate and timely manner.
• Communicate progress on plans to relevant stakeholders. Manage agencies and key supplier relationships
• Brief agency on monthly promotions.
• Manage website and social media with agency based on key projects and strategies to generate leads and drive brand reputation.
• Together with key internal stakeholders, manage and develop strategic and tactical partnerships and supplier activities to generate sales and leverage our brand basket with our key targeted segments.
• Coordinate and support the business functions' initiatives and strategic requirements. Manage and develop key research to develop growth within the business
• Identify market and customer research opportunities that add value to the business and marketing strategies.
• Manage market and customer research projects.
• Derive actionable and value-adding insights from research projects.
• Implement tactics from the insights provided and track competitor activity.
• Keep informed of marketing strategies and trends. Manage all promotions across all business channels for all stores to drive growth, sales and new business leads
• Arrange promotions.
• Ensure promotions fit within the national marketing strategy and have clearly defined objectives. Ensure that store specific promotions and below the line marketing activities are organised and that they fit within the national marketing strategy. Build the corporate brand
• Increase brand awareness and market share.
• Ensure that the corporate identity is appropriately & effectively reflected for everything that has brand livery on it (including published media, corporate gifts, uniform, external & internal signage, internal stationery).
• Ensure that a brand CI Manual is applied appropriately on all mediums ATL & BTL.
• Develop key brand building campaigns. Agility and multitasking across the variable business needs
• Manage any ad hoc marketing jobs / projects that fit with the national marketing strategy.
• Ensure that no jobs / projects conflict.
• Produce a monthly report which reflects effectiveness of spend for all brand activities, competitor activity & recommendations to the business, as well as planned actions to address any issues raised. Future proof the marketing plans and strategies based on insights and key trends to deliver the brand focus and growth
• Produce and include monthly / quarterly deliverables and task tracking and status, hurdles / issues / successes.
• Include recommendations and planned action to address any issues raised in the reports.
• Use relevant reporting measures such as return on investment (ROI), etc.
• Budget management and promotional analyses.
• Develop monthly reports to improve business function. People management
• Ensure that the team structure is resourced by motivated & empowered staff.
• Engage in Talent Management.
• Develop Individual Development Plans to enable employee career plans.
• Manage non-performance.
• Manage Team Delivery based on performance plans.
• Ensure that the training, development and motivation of staff are implemented.
• Ensure optimum staffing levels are maintained.

Required experience, qualifications and skills:

• Relevant management experience.
• Franchise, retail or multi-store management experience (advantageous).
• 5 years' experience in Marketing or Branding.
• Leadership skills.
• Relationship and stakeholder management skills.
• Strategic orientation.
• Communication skills.
• Influencing skills.
• Networking.
• Commercial orientation.
• Trends in the global market.