International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ): Area Manager, LA&C

Company Description

International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ), headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corporation and Dairy Queen Canada, Inc. IDQ develops, licenses, and services over 7,800 DQ restaurants in more than 20 countries. As a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., IDQ is committed to hiring and retaining top talent to create extraordinary fan experiences. We value initiative, strategic thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for an Area Manager of LA&C, based in Southern Florida. This role provides leadership, business insight, and operational support to assigned franchisees to achieve short and long-term Company and Operations objectives. You will serve as the primary business consultant and relationship owner for assigned franchisees, acting as the main strategic and operational advisor. Utilizing strong analytical, financial, operational, and business insight, you will identify performance gaps, diagnose root causes, develop solutions, and guide execution to improve sales, profitability, guest satisfaction, and operating standards while protecting Dairy Queen trademarks and system standards.

This role is responsible for building strong franchisee relationships, establishing clear expectations, leading recurring business routines, proactively identifying risks and opportunities, and partnering cross-functionally to enable sustainable growth and strong operational performance.

Primary Accountabilities Include:

• Serve as the primary business consultant, relationship owner, and first point of contact for assigned franchisees.
• Build strong partnerships with franchise owners and leadership teams, establish clarity of expectations, and act as liaison between the brand and franchisee leadership.
• Analyze franchisee and market performance using Company systems, reports, and tools to identify trends, outliers, risks, and opportunities across sales, profitability, OSAT, labor, operational execution, audits, promotions, and development goals.
• Diagnose business and operational challenges, identify financial and operational levers, model business impact against goals, and guide franchisees in developing and executing action plans.
• Lead recurring business routines with assigned franchisees, including monthly performance reviews, KPI discussions, and follow-up routines.
• Proactively identify emerging issues, performance gaps, and capability needs; coach franchisees and their teams to implement practical solutions.
• Guide franchisees in the consistent execution of approved operational standards, menu compliance, brand guardrails, food safety processes, and system requirements.
• Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Training, FSQR, Product Development, Supply Chain, and other internal teams.
• Support development and reinvestment efforts for franchisees, including remodels, renewals, and new openings.

Qualifications

Education/Experience:

• B.A. or B.S. degree in Management, Business, Finance, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5-7 years of professional experience in restaurant operations, franchising, multi-unit environments, business consulting, finance, FP&A, or related business disciplines.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing employees.
• Experience working within a franchise system, preferably within a QSR brand.

Skills:

• Strong analytical skills to interpret operational and financial data and communicate insights clearly.
• Demonstrated business acumen, including understanding of P&L drivers, operational KPIs, and financial levers.
• Ability to structure problems, identify root causes, model business impact, and recommend practical solutions.
• Relationship-building skills with internal and external clients.
• Ability to communicate complex topics clearly and concisely to drive alignment and action.
• Proven ability to work independently, take initiative, and drive performance.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience building dashboards, performance summaries, and executive-level presentations.
• Experience with digital tools and platforms for productivity and operational efficiency preferred.
• Experience with Smartsheet, AI-enabled platforms, and data management tools preferred; SQL experience is a plus.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize in a deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to collaborate in a team environment.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed.
• Ability to drive an automobile for Operator visits.
• Valid passport with no restrictions for international travel (up to 33% required).
• Verbal and written fluency in both English and Spanish.

Additional Information

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package supports employee and family well-being, including medical, dental, 401K match, paid time off (including volunteer time and parental leave), and more.

Work Environment

Hybrid work schedule (3 collaboration days per week) for most HQ positions. Additional in-office time may be required.

Inclusion & Belonging

We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging where employees bring their authentic selves to work. IDQ is an Equal Opportunity Employer and uses E-Verify. Must be authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship.