Senior Manager of Real Estate bei Nothing Bundt Cakes

Position Summary:

The Senior Real Estate Manager – Franchising is responsible for leading the site selection, lease negotiation, and real estate strategy for new franchise owners and existing Bakery Owners in the Nothing Bundt Cakes system. This role partners closely with franchisees, developers, brokers, and internal teams to ensure market growth aligns with brand standards, financial objectives, and expansion strategies. The Senior Real Estate Manager will analyze markets, secure high-quality locations, and provide expertise to support rapid franchise development and portfolio optimization.

A key function of the Senior Real Estate Manager is to demonstrate success in building relationships and working with executive management throughout the entire real estate process. This is a core role at the front end of the Support Team, Operations, Bakery Owners, and Finance to help lay the foundation for growth goals both short term and long term.

 Accountabilities/Duties:

• Site Selection & Evaluation:
• Lead site selection process for new units, relocations and Territory Re Development for internal Development of Blocked Seeds.
• Perform in-depth analysis of trade areas, competition, co-tenancy, traffic patterns, and accessibility.
• Present site recommendations with detailed analytics to leadership and franchisees.
• Franchisee & Stakeholder Support:
• Partner with franchisees throughout the site approval process, providing guidance and recommendations.
• Collaborate with the Franchise Sales and Development and Construction teams to align real estate strategy with signed franchise agreements.
• Provide market insights to support franchise recruitment and growth.
• Negotiation & Lease Execution
• Lead LOI and lease negotiations to secure favorable terms for both franchisees and the brand.
• Partner with legal, construction, and finance teams to ensure leases meet company standards.
• Manage broker relationships and external real estate partners.
• Portfolio Optimization
• Monitor existing units for performance, recommending relocations, closures, or transfers when necessary.
• Support franchisees with renewals and re-negotiations to optimize long-term success.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Work with Construction, Operations, and Marketing to ensure sites transition smoothly from approval to opening.
• Report pipeline progress and real estate activity to senior leadership.
• Develop and implement real estate strategies for franchise and corporate growth in assigned regions.
• Conduct market planning, trade area analysis, and demographic research to identify prime territories.

Core Values/Leadership Competencies: 

• Servant’s Heart
  • Developer of people
  • Vision casting
  • Lead by example
• Spirit of a Champion
  • Exhibits extreme ownership – 100/0! Mentality – 100% responsibility and zero excuses!
  • Excellence driven, desires feedback and improvement
  • Sound judgement
• Genuine Connections
  • Intensely collaborative 
  • Professional with the ability to influence at all levels
  • Communicates often and openly 

Skills and Abilities:

• Franchise system experience
• Financial modeling / P&L knowledge (financial returns / P&L mechanics)
• Experience with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• An analytical approach, used in a wide range of responsibilities, from owner discussion, territory communications, and feedback to improve the real estate processes
• Ability to lead, communicate, collaborate and influence cross-functionally

Education/Certifications and Work Experience Requirements:

• 5+ years of retail/restaurant real estate experience, ideally in franchising.
• Proven track record of site selection and lease execution in multi-unit growth environments.
• Strong negotiation, analytics, and relationship management skills.

• Excellent negotiation, presentation, and relationship management skills.
• Strong knowledge of market analytics, demographic tools, and retail real estate trends.
• Ability to travel extensively in assigned regions up to 35%.

Why Nothing Bundt Cakes? 

We offer a competitive benefits package including medical/dental/vision insurance, employee life insurance, unlimited PTO, paid holidays, 401(k), and cake and Bundtwear allowances.  Every team member working at the Support Center is eligible for an annual bonus potential.  We provide a casual and collaborative work environment with a focus on increasing your wellbeing through company events, celebrations, and regular volunteer opportunities.