Specialist, Real Estate

The Zaxby’s Support Center is looking for a Real Estate Specialist to join the Franchise Development team. The Real Estate Specialist is responsible for providing property/asset management and general and specialized administrative support under minimal supervision and direction. He/she will support the restaurant development strategy by influencing the quality of decision making via research, data acquisition, data cleansing analysis with respect to growth and performance in markets in both new store development and asset optimization. This role will also assist with the tracking of real estate activities for Franchise and Corporate projects to support the annual growth plan.

As we continue to grow, our strategies have set us up for success to be the top offering in

Chicken Fingerz, Boneless Wings and Zalads. We’d love to have you as part of our team!

This position is based in Atlanta, GA and allows for a hybrid work schedule that includes 3 in-office days per week.

Benefits Include:

• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance
• Company-paid Short and Long-Term Disability insurance
• Company-paid Basic Life and Critical Illness insurance
• 401K participation
• 50% off meal discount at company-owned locations
• Child Care Assistance Plan
• Education Assistance Program
• Parental Leave
• PTO and Company Holidays

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Essential duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Maintain franchise development pipeline and set deadlines for milestones related to the real estate site approval process
• Verify data and assembles Real Estate Committee (“REC”) packages and presentations for proposed franchise, company and special venue locations
• Work closely with field team to incorporate all changes
• Coordinate and organize REC meetings, takes notes and documents conditions and follow up items, and documents conditions in the company’s internal database
• Support negotiations of easements and licenses needed for new and existing corporate sites
• Work closely with Legal and Construction teams to ensure we are meeting due diligence timeframes within our leases and purchase contracts.
• Coordinate Kick Off Calls with franchisees for new sites
• Support property/asset management relating to:
• Condemnations and temporary construction easements
• Work with Real Estate Managers and condemning authority to negotiate terms of taking with the goal of minimizing the taking and maximizing the settlement on the value of the taking and cost to cure awards
• Partner with Legal and Finance teams to ensure lease options are exercised timely
• Where warranted, support renegotiation of corporate leases to either reduce rent, add additional lease options, purchase leased sites and/or negotiate early terminations
• Work closely with the Director of Real Estate to dispose of excess properties either through leasing the properties then executing sale/leaseback or selling to property with the goal of getting the maximum value for the real estate
• Support Director of Real Estate and Director of Market Planning & Analytics on Lease Administration system; ensure all Corporate Leased sites are abstracted and appropriate documents and uploaded
• Aid in performance assessment of existing assets including, impact from proximate openings, asset optimization/brand strategies such as relocations, remodels and other changes, competitive landscape changes (openings and closings)
• Assist with the coordination of the annual ICSC conference booth and show planning; assist with coordination for other conferences as needed
• Perform basic project research, data validation and mapping projects as requested. Assists with creating training manuals, documenting process and procedure and ensuring adherence to department policies
• Lend support to the Franchise Development and Recruitment teams as necessary

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Adobe Acrobat
• Lease Administration familiarity/experience a plus
• Effective writing skills, including proofreading ability to produce accurate, error-free work
• Organizational acumen; ability to manage several projects at once and manage and meet deadlines
• Basic/intermediate negotiation skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Good communication skills: ability to build and nurture relationships with internal customers and with franchisee community; ability to present data and problems in a concise, simplified, and effective manner
• Willingness to work as a team and identify opportunities to support fellow team members

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES

• Education:         Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Finance or Business; OR equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience:        3 years of experience in real estate, project management or similar field

Zaxby’s Franchising LLC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment decisions based on any factor protected by federal, state or local law.