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!
Benefits Include
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Company-Paid Disability, Critical Illness, and Basic Life Insurance
- 401K with Company Match
- 50% Off Meal Discount at Company-Owned Locations
- Parental Leave
- Child Care Assistance
- Education Assistance Program
- PTO and 9 Company Holidays + 2 Floating Holidays
DEFINITION
The Franchise Training Program Manager is responsible for the successful execution, consistency, quality, and continuous improvement of the company’s franchisee training programs. This role oversees the initial training experience for new franchisees and their management teams, manages the network of certified training facilities, monitors individual trainee progress, and continuously improves manager training programs to ensure franchise management teams meet established training milestones and readiness requirements.
The Franchise Training Program Manager also manages the company’s Franchisee Manager Training Program, which enables qualified franchisees to train and certify their own restaurant management teams. This includes evaluating franchisee readiness to participate in the program, onboarding and supporting designated Organization Training Managers (OTMs), delivering OTM certification training at the Support Center, and monitoring program performance through Learning Management System (LMS) reporting.
This role serves as a key connection point between franchisees, trainees, certified training facilities, OTMs, Field Operations, and Learning & Development. The position requires strong program management, relationship management, data analysis, and accountability skills, as well as the ability to use LMS reporting to identify training progress, gaps, and opportunities for coaching and intervention.
The ideal candidate combines knowledge of restaurant operations, instructional design, and adult learning with strong organizational skills and the ability to influence and hold stakeholders accountable across a geographically dispersed franchise network.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Essential duties may include but are not limited to the following:
Franchisee and Trainee Training Management – 50%
- Manage the initial training experience for new franchisees and their management teams, including training curriculum, training plans, tools, schedules, assignments, milestones, assessments, and certification requirements for each manager role.
- Serve as the primary training point of contact for trainees, maintaining regular communication with trainees and training facility managers to monitor progress and address barriers.
- Monitor trainee progress against established Manager Training Program criteria and proactively identify and escalate trainees who are at risk of falling behind.
- Partner with franchisees, Operations, and training facility leaders to resolve training issues and ensure trainees successfully complete program requirements on time.
- Lead the design and ongoing maintenance of training plans for non-traditional restaurants, tailoring them to each venue’s menu and dayparts, layout, equipment, staffing, hours, service channels, technology, and partner requirements.
Certified Training Facility Management – 25%
- Manage the network of certified training facilities, including identifying, evaluating, onboarding, certifying, and supporting new facilities.
- Conduct periodic audits and performance reviews to ensure facilities consistently meet training standards, program requirements, and quality expectations.
- Monitor facility performance, trainee outcomes, capacity, and compliance; develop action plans and provide coaching when standards are not met.
- Partner with Franchise Development, Operations and field leadership to ensure appropriate training capacity and consistent execution across the franchise network.
Franchisee Managed Training Program – 10%
- Evaluate franchisee readiness to participate in the Franchisee Manager Training Program and partner with Field Operations to ensure program requirements are met.
- Facilitate the OTM certification program at the Support Center, preparing designated franchisee training leaders to effectively train and certify restaurant management teams.
- Provide ongoing coaching and support to OTMs and monitor program participation, trainee progress, and compliance.
- Use LMS reporting and program data to identify training gaps, performance issues, and opportunities for intervention or additional support.
LMS and Program Analytics – 5%
- Leverage the LMS to monitor trainee progress, completion, certification status, and compliance across training facilities and franchisee-managed programs.
- Build, run, and interpret standard and ad hoc LMS reports to identify overdue training, milestone gaps, stalled learners, and other performance trends.
- Translate training data into actionable insights for franchisees, OTMs, training facility managers, Operations, and L&D leadership.
- Maintain accurate training records and partner with LMS administrators to address reporting or system issues and improve program visibility.
Program Quality and Continuous Improvement – 5%
- Ensure consistent execution of franchise training programs through standardized processes, training requirements, audits, documentation, and performance expectations.
- Monitor key program metrics, including completion rates, time-to-completion, milestone attainment, assessment results, facility performance, OTM performance, and training exceptions.
- Update all programs and materials when procedures, systems, equipment, menu items, food safety requirements, or business priorities change.
- Gather feedback from trainees, franchisees, OTMs, training facility managers, and field leaders to identify opportunities to improve the training experience and program effectiveness.
- Identify and implement best practices, process improvements, and tools that strengthen management readiness and operational execution.
Cross-Functional Partnership – 5%
- Partner closely with Franchise Operations, Franchise Development, Learning & Development, and field leadership to align franchisee training with operational and business needs.
- Communicate trainee, training facility, OTM, and program performance, risks, and exceptions to appropriate stakeholders.
- Build strong relationships with franchisees and training partners while maintaining accountability to company training standards.
- Serve as a subject matter resource for franchise training requirements, readiness, certification, and program execution.
KEY COMPETENCIES
- Strong project management, analytical, communication, and relationship-management skills
- Experience managing training programs, multi-site initiatives, or field-based teams
- Experience navigating an LMS and using reporting and data to monitor learner progress and program performance
- Ability to coach, influence, and hold stakeholders accountable without direct authority
- Knowledge of restaurant management roles and operational practices
- Experience with train-the-trainer programs, certification programs, or adult learning
- Experience with LMS administration, reporting, dashboards, or learning analytics
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business, Hospitality, Education, or related field; OR equivalent combination of education and experience
- Experience: 3–5+ years of experience in training, learning and development, restaurant operations, franchise operations, or a related field; QSR, restaurant, hospitality, retail, or franchise experience preferred
PAY RANGE
$85,000 - $110,000
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.