Franchise Operations Manager

Leaf Café & Co.

Location: South Granville Head office. Reports to: General Manager

Position Summary

The Franchise Operations Manager is the custodian of the Leaf Café & Co. guest experience across all current and future franchise locations. This dynamic role splits focus between two critical pillars: leading our group-wide coffee program (including front-bar product development, barista training, and beverage innovation) and providing operational field support to our franchise partners to ensure brand consistency, quality, and profitability.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities
1. Café Setup, Innovation & Front-Bar Management

• Beverage Innovation: Direct the development, testing, and rollout of all coffee, seasonal beverages, and front-bar retail products across the network.

• Operational Readiness: Complete and oversee the daily operational flow of coffee bars, ensuring ergonomics, speed of service, and merchandising meet brand standards.

• New Store Openings (NSOs): Lead the physical setup of front bars and coffee machinery for new locations, working alongside support to seamlessly onboard and train new franchisees and their staff.

• Talent Oversight: Manage the barista network across stores—defining job roles, implementing continuing education, and overseeing performance management, commendations, and discipline protocols.

2. Franchisee Relations & Quality Assurance

• Partnership & Support: Maintain regular, proactive contact with franchisees as a trusted advisor, troubleshooting front-bar challenges and identifying local growth opportunities.

• Technical Compliance: Coordinate the efficient installation, calibration, and maintenance of coffee machinery in conjunction with brand partners.

• Store Auditing: Conduct structured, regular store audits to gauge operational performance, using data to help franchisees diagnose bottlenecks and improve site profitability.

• Centralised Training: Design and execute rigorous barista training modules hosted at the Head Office training facility to maintain network-wide quality.

3. Reporting & Governance

• Data Integrity: Maintain accurate, up-to-date data within franchise management systems to ensure Head Office has clear visibility into store-level performance.

• Compliance Tracking: Generate detailed barista performance and audit reports post-store visits. Ensure all new store baristas pass your formal approval before operating.

4. Issue Resolution

• Proactive Problem Solving: Monitor and resolve store-level operational hurdles and customer experience trends before they impact the brand.

• Escalation Pathways: Act as the first line of defense for franchisee operational issues, promptly escalating matters outside the scope of operations to senior management.

Key Requirements & Qualifications

Requirement Description Experience 3-5+ years in Multi-site Café Operations, Specialty Coffee Management, or Franchise Field Support.

Experience Minimum 2 years experience in at least two of the following areas: multi-site café operations, specialty coffee management, or franchise field support.

Coffee Expertise Advanced barista, sensory, and technical machinery knowledge

Soft Skills Exceptional stakeholder management; the ability to hold franchisees accountable while remaining supportive and consultative.

Mobility Valid driver's license and willingness to travel frequently to various store locations.

Work Rights Australian permanent resident or citizen status required.