Director of Franchise

Emma Sleep
Lisbon, Portugal
Hybrid

Who this role is best for

A natural match if you have experience building franchise models in European markets.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with a background in scaling franchise operations across multiple European markets
    — “building and scaling multi-market franchise operations, ideally in France or Germany”
  • Individuals who have led high-performing teams in fast-paced, high-growth environments
    — “Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including other managers and senior individual contributors”
  • Professionals with a strong track record in refining franchise economics and support programs
    — “Review, refine, and continuously evolve the franchise model, including economics, fee structures, growth strategy, market prioritization, compliance, and franchisee support programs”

Things to consider

  • Regular travel across Europe is expected as part of the role's responsibilities
    — “Travel regularly across Europe to support franchise partners, business development activities, and market expansion initiatives”
  • The role demands a high level of financial responsibility and performance accountability
    — “Own the European Franchise P&L, delivering against revenue and contribution margin targets”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience in creating processes and frameworks for franchise scaling
    — “Builder mentality with experience creating processes, frameworks, and operating models from the ground up”
  • Emphasize your ability to manage franchisee relationships and align them with business goals
    — “Build strong, long-lasting franchisee relationships, creating alignment around a shared vision for growth and profitability”
  • Showcase your cross-functional leadership in aligning teams behind common goals
    — “Strong cross-functional collaborator who can align Retail, Marketing, Operations, Product, and Business Development teams behind common goals”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Company

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • successful franchise expansion
  • strong commercial results
  • high-performing franchise team
Typical background
10+ years of relevant experienceproven track record in franchise growth

Skills & requirements

Required

Franchise DevelopmentMulti-market Franchise OperationsCommercial NegotiationsFinancial AcumenBuilder MentalityAdaptability

Preferred

LeadershipTeam Management

Stack & domain

Franchise DevelopmentPartner ManagementCommercial NegotiationsFinancial AcumenBuilding ProcessesAdaptabilityLearning AgilityHands-on OperationLeadershipCollaborationContinuous Knowledge SharingStrong Financial AcumenData-driven Decision MakingSleep IndustryFranchise BusinessMulti-market Operations

About the role

Original posting from Emma Sleep via Lever

Ready to lead, disrupt and reinvent the sleep industry?

We are Emma – The Sleep Company. Founded in 2015, we have grown into the world’s largest direct-to-consumer (D2C) sleep brand, with a presence in over 20 markets and more than 35 Emma stores across Europe. 

Our mission is simple: to develop sleep comfort products that empower our customers to awaken their best every day. Today, our products are trusted by millions and recommended by leading consumer associations worldwide. 

It’s our people who bring this mission to life. At Emma, you’ll join a driven, international team that values ownership, collaboration, and continuous knowledge sharing. With colleagues from over 70 nationalities, we combine diverse perspectives with a shared ambition to learn, grow, and create lasting impact, together. 

Ready to awaken your best with us? 

As Director of Franchise, you will own the development and expansion of Emma's European franchise business. You will be responsible for refining our franchise model, accelerating network growth, and building the organisational capabilities needed to scale successfully across markets while delivering strong commercial results.

What You’ll Do::

  • Lead the next phase of Emma's franchise expansion strategy, building the structure, capabilities, and operating model required to support ambitious growth across Europe.
  • Review, refine, and continuously evolve the franchise model, including economics, fee structures, growth strategy, market prioritization, compliance, and franchisee support programs.
  • Own and scale a high-performing Franchise team, developing existing talent while growing the organization to support future expansion.
  • Design and implement the processes, governance, and operating frameworks required to scale the business efficiently.
  • Lead the transition of Emma's existing network of partner-operated stores into a structured franchise model, ensuring successful adoption and long-term sustainability.
  • Drive the expansion of Emma's franchise footprint across Europe by identifying, recruiting, and developing high-quality franchise partners.
  • Build strong, long-lasting franchisee relationships, creating alignment around a shared vision for growth and profitability.
  • Own the European Franchise P&L, delivering against revenue and contribution margin targets.
  • Partner closely with Retail, Marketing, Operations, Product, Finance, Legal, and other key stakeholders to accelerate franchise growth.
  • Act as a key member of Emma's Offline Leadership Team, reporting directly to the VP Offline Europe.
  • Travel regularly across Europe to support franchise partners, business development activities, and market expansion initiatives.

What We Are Looking For::

  • 10+ years of relevant experience, with at least 2+ years driving franchise growth or franchise scaling.
  • Proven track record of building and scaling multi-market franchise operations, ideally in France or Germany
  • Deep expertise in franchise development, partner management, and commercial negotiations
  • Strong financial acumen with experience owning P&Ls, evaluating business performance, and making data-driven investment and growth decisions
  • Builder mentality with experience creating processes, frameworks, and operating models from the ground up
  • Demonstrated adaptability and learning agility, with the ability to challenge past assumptions and build solutions tailored to new business environments
  • Hands-on operator who is comfortable moving between strategy and execution in a fast-paced environment
  • Ability to bring structure and executional rigor to a rapidly scaling franchise organisation
  • Strong cross-functional collaborator who can align Retail, Marketing, Operations, Product, and Business Development teams behind common goals
  • Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including other managers and senior individual contributors
  • Background in high-growth, international, and performance-driven environments 

Become an Emmie

We are on a mission to become No.1 in the world of sleep, and we’re looking for driven, ambitious people to help us shape what’s next. If you’re curious, hands-on, and ready to challenge the status quo, you’ll find the space here to make things happen and create real impact.  

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to building an inclusive workplace. We celebrate diversity and consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age. 

Our aim is to get back to you within a few days. Due to the high volume of applications, there may be slight delays, but we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Source: Emma Sleep careers (Lever)

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