Franchisee Recruiter/Franchise Development Manager - Hybrid

Description

This position is open to candidates located in North Carolina and South Carolina only. 

The Franchisee Recruiter / Franchise Development Manager at Hissho Sushi is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and onboarding high-quality franchise partners who can successfully operate sushi bars in grocery stores, universities, hospitals, corporate dining, and other non-traditional venues.

This role is critical to protecting Hissho’s brand, food safety standards, and operational excellence. The ideal candidate understands that franchise recruitment is not sales-driven—it is fit-driven, ensuring long-term franchisee success, compliance, and sustainable same-store sales growth.

Franchisee Recruitment & Qualification

• Identify and screen potential franchise partners through referrals, internal leads, and targeted outreach.
• Conduct structured interviews to assess operational discipline, food safety mindset, financial readiness, and cultural alignment.
• Maintain a high-quality recruitment pipeline focused on long-term operators, not short-term owners.
• Educate candidates on Hissho’s operating model, including:

       -  Grocery-based sushi operations

       -  Data-driven production

       -  Retailer compliance and food safety expectations

       -  Labor management and chef training requirements

Competitive Intelligence & Market Positioning

• Monitor the competitive landscape across key sushi franchisors and grab-and-go sushi providers operating in similar retail channels.
• Analyze competitor franchise models, fee structures, support offerings, and growth strategies to position Hissho as the premium franchise opportunity.
• Develop compelling differentiators and value propositions that highlight Hissho’s superior training, brand standards, and retailer relationships.
• Provide regular market intelligence reports to leadership on competitive threats and opportunities.

Due Diligence & Compliance

• Coordinate background checks, financial verification, and reference checks for all franchise candidates.
• Ensure all recruitment activities comply with FTC Franchise Rule and applicable state franchise disclosure laws.
• Manage Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) delivery timelines and required waiting periods.
• Work with legal counsel to ensure franchise agreements reflect current regulatory requirements.

Onboarding & Transition

• Facilitate a structured onboarding process that prepares new franchisees for operational success from day one.
• Coordinate with Operations, Training, and Supply Chain teams to ensure seamless handoff from recruitment to launch.
• Oversee initial training completion, Transfer or opening schedule.
• Track 90-day post-launch performance metrics to validate franchisee readiness and identify early intervention needs.

Relationship Management & Pipeline Reporting

• Build and maintain strong relationships with prospective, active, and former franchise candidates.
• Maintain accurate records of all prospective interactions, pipeline stages, and conversion metrics.
• Provide weekly pipeline reports and quarterly franchise development forecasts to senior leadership.
• Develop and execute digital recruiting strategies leveraging social media, paid advertising, and other online channels; collaborate with Marketing to create franchisee recruitment materials, webinars, and discovery day events.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in franchise development, franchise recruitment, or multi-unit business development.
• Deep understanding of the franchise sales process, FDD requirements, and franchise regulatory compliance.
• Experience in food service, QSR, or food manufacturing franchise systems strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to evaluate franchise candidates beyond financial metrics—assessing operational capability, cultural fit, and long-term commitment.
• Strong knowledge of grocery retail environments, non-traditional food service venues, or commissary-based food operations.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to build, update, and deliver professional presentations, reports, and franchise development materials to internal and external stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel 25–30% domestically for discovery days, site visits, trade shows, and franchisee meetings.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hospitality, Marketing, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

Preferred

• Prior experience with sushi, Japanese cuisine, or Asia