Director of Franchise Development

Responsive recruiter Ellie Mental Health is seeking a Director of Franchise Development to help expand our nationwide by guiding potential franchisees through the discovery process; from first conversation to signed agreement. This new role is all about connection, communication, and trust. You’ll be the first voice many candidates hear from Ellie, setting the tone for their experience with our brand.

Ellie Mental Health is a fast-growing national franchise dedicated to breaking barriers. Built on the principle of destigmatizing therapy, we partner with passionate entrepreneurs across the country to bring compassionate, high-quality services to their local communities. As the first franchise brand of its kind, we’re leading a movement to make mental health support more accessible. What You’ll Do

• Drive franchise growth by leading candidates through every stage of the discovery journey, from first conversation to signed agreement.
• Deliver compelling presentations that clearly communicate Ellie’s model and guide candidates through the Mutual Evaluation Process (MEP).
• Champion the candidate experience by maintaining momentum, scheduling next steps, and ensuring consistent, proactive communication.
• Own your pipeline of 20–40 active candidates, managing each relationship with urgency, precision, and care.
• Build trusted partnerships with broker groups and respond quickly to territory inquiries and referrals.
• Maintain compliance excellence by ensuring all activities align with FTC and state franchise regulations.
• Oversee critical milestones including FDD distribution, documentation tracking, and franchise agreement execution.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure every new franchisee has a seamless, informed, and positive onboarding experience.
• Up to 25% travel to the corporate office in Mendota Heights, MN and occasionally to broker groups’ events to represent and promote the brand.

What We’re Looking For

• A strong communicator who values relationships and builds genuine connections with others.
• Approaches conversations with authenticity and focused on building trust, understanding candidates’ goals, and helping them make informed decisions.
• Skilled at navigating sensitive or challenging discussions with empathy and confidence.
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Collaborative, results-driven, and genuinely passionate about Ellie’s mission and values.
• Bachelor’s degree or 3+ years of relevant franchise development experience.
• 5+ years of direct experience in franchise development or franchise brokerage required.
• Strong understanding of franchise sales, the FDD process, and compliance requirements.
• High-level CRM proficiency (HubSpot preferred) with meticulous pipeline management.
• CFE designation a plus but not required.

What We Offer: 

• Generous 401(k) match up to 4%
• Medical Insurance with the option to select a $10 mental health office visit copay! 
• Free virtual short-term counseling for the whole family! 
• Free access to virtual urgent care for the whole family! 
• Dental, Vision, Life & Disability 
• Pet Insurance 
• 15 days of Paid Time Off + 8 Holidays 
• Amazing colleagues who are passionate about destigmatizing mental health. 
• Collaborative and dynamic office environment.

Compensation: $68 - 75k annually + commission. Salary is dependent on experience and qualifications. 
 
Ellie Mental Health is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Flexible work from home options available.

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Seeking creative & collaborative humans with a passion for changing mental health care in fun and meaningful ways.

Don’t meet EVERY requirement?

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Ellie Mental Health is devoted to purposefully building an inclusive and diverse workplace where all of our humans can be their authentic selves! (Authenticity is one of our core values, after all…) If you’re excited about the chance to be a change-maker with us, but your past experience doesn’t perfectly align with every single qualification of the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. Our mental health jobs need dedicate