Ready to make your next big professional move? Join us on our journey to achieve our big dream of building the most loved restaurant brands in the world.
Restaurant Brands International Inc. is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with nearly $49 billion in annual system-wide sales and over 33,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories.
RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, POPEYES®, and FIREHOUSE SUBS®. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees and communities for decades. Through its Restaurant Brands for Good framework, RBI is improving sustainable outcomes related to its food, the planet, and people and communities.
RBI is committed to growing the TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, POPEYES® and FIREHOUSE SUBS® brands by leveraging their respective core values, employee and franchisee relationships, and long track records of community support. Each brand benefits from the global scale and shared best practices that come from ownership by Restaurant Brands International Inc.
The function of the Senior Manager, Real Estate is to help Tim Hortons US franchisees find, secure, and build restaurants in their markets. Reporting to the Director, Development Execution, this role is critical to enabling the brand to achieve its ambitious net restaurant growth (NRG) and new image targets. The Real Estate Senior Manager acts as a hands-on partner to franchisees, guiding them through site evaluation, REAC approval, lease and purchase negotiations, and due diligence, and working with design and construction teams to move sites into development. The Senior Manager also supports lease and portfolio matters, including renewals, relocations, and closure mitigation, to protect the long-term health of the system. The Senior Manager works cross-functionally with franchisees, market planning, development execution, design, construction, legal, and operations to ensure sites are approved, secured, and delivered on time. This role is a key contributor to the maintenance and growth of the Tim Hortons US restaurant system.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Partner directly with franchisees to help them find, secure, and build restaurants in their markets, supporting them from site identification through lease execution and handoff to construction.
- Work with market planning and franchisees to identify and prioritize white space and sites that support Tim Hortons US net restaurant growth (NRG) and new image targets.
- Review site submissions from franchisees, assess them against brand criteria, and provide timely, practical feedback so strong sites keep moving and weak ones are reworked early.
- Conduct site and market analyses (demographics, traffic, competitive set, sales forecasts, and returns) and present clear recommendations to the Real Estate Approval Committee (REAC).
- Guide franchisees through lease and purchase negotiations, advising on key terms, landlord asks, and risk, and coordinating with internal and outside legal counsel on lease review, amendments, and assignments.
- Support the real estate due diligence process, including title, survey, zoning, environmental, and permitting feasibility, to confirm sites are ready for design and construction.
- Administer tenant inducement (TI) and other landlord and developer incentives, and track milestones and funding from approval through opening.
- Partner with the field and franchisees to identify at-risk restaurants and develop creative real estate solutions (relocation, lease restructuring, or renegotiation) that keep restaurants operating.
- Work closely with Development Execution, design, construction, legal, finance, and operations to keep sites on track toward opening and remodel targets, and escalate risks early with proposed solutions.
- Coach and educate franchisees on the Tim Hortons real estate process, site criteria, and approval requirements, and adherence to development agreement commitments.
- Maintain accurate site and lease records in the project management system and other tracking tools, and produce routine and ad hoc reporting on pipeline, lease portfolio, and site performance.
- Identify opportunities to improve real estate processes, including using automation and AI to find efficiencies, and contribute to playbooks, templates, and standards for the broader team.
Skills:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Real Estate, Finance, or a related field.
- 6-10 years of relevant experience in commercial real estate, retail or restaurant development, site selection, or franchise development. Franchise or QSR experience is an asset.
- Proven ability to build trusted relationships with franchisees and external partners, and to act as a practical advisor who helps them get restaurants built.
- Working knowledge of commercial lease structures, site selection methodologies, and real estate due diligence.
- Strong analytical and financial acumen, including the ability to evaluate site economics and sales forecasts and translate them into clear recommendations for senior leaders.
- Demonstrated negotiation and influencing skills, with the confidence to manage competing priorities across franchisees, landlords, and internal partners.
- Strong business acumen to build and maintain relationships with internal design, construction, development, and operations teams, internal and outside legal counsel, and other departments across the brand.
- Effective oral and written communication skills, with strong organization and the ability to multi-task and prioritize to meet deadlines.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and improve processes, including using automation and AI to find efficiencies.
- Advanced in Microsoft Suite (especially Excel and PowerPoint). Experience with project management software and mapping or site analytics tools is an asset.
- High level of problem-solving skills and creativity.
- Willingness to travel to markets and sites as required.
- Honesty, high integrity, personal accountability, and a passion for the success of the brand, the team, and personal career growth.
#TimHortons
Benefits at all of our global offices are focused on physical, mental and financial wellness. We offer unique and progressive benefits, including a comprehensive global paid parental leave program that supports employees as they expand their families, free telemedicine and mental wellness support.
Restaurant Brands International and all of its affiliated companies (collectively, RBI) are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers that do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, provincial or federal laws, rules, or regulations. RBI's policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment. Accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities upon request.
