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Operations-Senior Associate

Atlanta

Roark is an Atlanta-based private equity firm with over $41 billion in assets under management. Roark focuses on investments in consumer and business service companies, with a specialization in franchise and franchise-like business models.

Roark prides itself on being a trusted partner for management and business owners. We believe that successful partnerships begin with providing a compelling value proposition to all business constituencies. A win‐win‐win approach leads to a positive business environment where all stakeholders – customers, employees, franchisees, strategic partners, service providers, management and shareholders – share in the growth and success of our businesses. We want to partner with entrepreneurs and executives who share this vision.

Roark brands generate approximately $97 billion in annual system revenues from 112,000+ locations located in 50 states and 121 countries.

Our portfolio companies span multiple industries including food, restaurants, consumer and business services, health, wellness and fitness, and education and youth activities. We are best known for our portfolio companies such as, Dunkin', Jimmy John’s, Jamba, Orangetheory, Mathnasium, Drybar just to name a few.

The Opportunity:

Roark is seeking a growth-oriented individual with a comprehensive understanding of the full development life cycle to join our Operations Team. The Senior Associate will focus on initiatives that enable Roark’s portfolio companies to accelerate new unit development by providing best-in-class resources and support. Functional areas of engagement will include operational topics, with a focus on new unit development. A qualified candidate will have experience in multiple of the following areas: franchise development, consulting, business strategy, or commercial real estate. Experience managing vendor relationships a plus.

Key Responsibilities:

Drive growth acceleration outcomes in the portfolio by collaborating with deal teams, management teams, and 3rd parties

    1. Build and maintain strong relationships with deal team members and leaders in the portfolio to understand their needs and how best Roark can support
    2. Aligning with deal teams and management teams on the best ways to deploy tools and resources
    3. Staying current on the latest development trends and gathering and synthesizing industry and market data for deal teams and portfolio management teams
    4. Creating new capabilities and tools for deal team and company usage and making judgement of when to build internally versus buy externally, both in value creation and diligence
    5. Bringing new ideas, practices, technology and innovations related to operations to the team; Increase understanding of key development concepts across Roark

Supplement Development Playbook: 

    1. Compile top resources currently used by portfolio companies (site selection tools, general contractors, value engineering firms, etc.)
    2. Research new / innovative resources related to development
    3. Maintain info-sheets on existing development resources
    4. Build relationships with third parties and develop recurring touch points with key resources
    5. Oversee vendor selection, bid processes, contract execution, change order controls, and schedule management to drive consistency, uptime, and cost efficiency

Contribute to Portfolio-wide Development Reporting:

    1. Track new unit development metrics for portfolio companies to drive quarterly reporting / scorecards
    2. Run analysis to identify trends and generate insights that aid our investment teams
    3. Provides executive-level visibility into project status, risks, and financial exposure

Support Due Diligence:

    1. Conduct analysis to facilitate deal team recommendations, examples include pipeline analysis, ULE benchmarking, and build cost / development timeline opportunities
    2. Create and maintain tools related to new unit development diligence

Support Forums and best-practice sharing:

    1. Assist with planning / hosting forums focused on new unit development
    2. Share information and collaborate with portfolio development leaders on various topics
    3. Match company opportunities to best practices, vendors, and tools to enable them to accelerate new openings

Requirements:

  • 7+ years of experience as an analyst, consultant, or similar role, preferably working on development and/or growth-oriented strategies and topics
  • Strong business judgment on supporting growth-related initiatives
  • Strong analytical, problem solving, critical thinking and decision-making skills, with a sense of urgency to deliver under tight deadlines
  • Excellent communication, writing, editing, and presentation skills
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
  • Strong presentation and PowerPoint building skills
  • Experience with Microsoft Suite Products, Tableau, Alteryx
  • Experience with Franchise Management Software (e.g., FranConnect, FRM, Tango, etc.)
  • Restaurant, and/or multi-site, development experience
  • Collaborating with franchise owners, is a plus
  • Bachelor's Degree in a related field

Characteristics:

  • Ability to offer highly collaborative business partnership support and client services, with exceptional capabilities to lead through influence and take a low ego approach
  • Ability to structure the opportunity/initiative, prioritize what matters, deploy solutions and track results
  • An operator’s mind-set and approach with a track record of creating practical, meaningful and scalable solutions for top-line growth
  • High energy and a passion for development topics, networking with industry growth leaders and finding news way to improve company performance and EBITDA
  • Strong analytical, problem solving, critical thinking and decision-making skills
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and a diversity of backgrounds
  • Thought partner to deal teams on the best ways to think through development (opportunities, tools, resources)
  • Builds and maintains strong relationships with leaders in the portfolio to understand their needs and how best Roark team can support.
  • Thrives in a fast-paced, high-demand environment; self-starter / self-directed with a sense of urgency to deliver under tight deadlines
  • A simplifier - Able to de-complicate & translate development concepts
  • Fly at altitudes - Able to engage with CDO’s as well as managers and directors

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