VP, Development

About Us Cotti Foods is a growing multi-brand restaurant franchisee operating more than 200 restaurant locations across six states. Our portfolio includes nationally recognized brands such as Taco Bell, Wendy's, and 7 Brew. As we continue to expand, we are looking for an experienced and results-oriented Vice President of Development to lead the daily operations of our Development Department and oversee the successful execution of new restaurant development, remodel, and capital development programs. Job Summary The Vice President of Development will serve as the operational leader of the Development Department and manage the development program from initial site evaluation and due diligence through entitlements, design, procurement, construction, closeout, and turnover to Operations. Reporting directly to the Chief Development Officer, this leader will translate the company’s growth strategy into an organized, accountable, and results-driven development program. The role owns departmental priorities, team performance, project execution, capital budgets, schedules, consultant and contractor performance, and cross-functional coordination. By assuming responsibility for the department’s day-to-day leadership and execution, this position will enable the Chief Development Officer to focus on broader business strategy, market expansion, capital planning, executive relationships, and long-term organizational growth. Supervisory Responsibilities: Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to the Development Department, including the Director of Construction, Construction Managers, Procurement Manager and other direct and indirect team members responsible for development, construction, procurement, and related project functions. Translate the Chief Development Officer's business strategy into organized, measurable execution through clear priorities, accountable owners, defined milestones, and timely follow-through. Duties/Responsibilities: Department Leadership and Management Lead the day-to-day operations of the Development Department and convert strategic objectives into actionable plans, priorities, schedules, and deliverables. Provide direct leadership, coaching, and performance management to the Director of Construction and oversee the assignments, priorities, and professional development of the broader team. Establish clear roles, decision authority, accountability, and escalation protocols throughout the department. Conduct regular department meetings, project reviews, and performance discussions; evaluate workload and recommend staffing or external resources based on the development pipeline. Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, responsiveness, safety, and continuous improvement. Development Program Oversight Oversee the complete development lifecycle, including due diligence, entitlements, permitting, design, pre-construction, bidding, procurement, construction, closeout, and turnover to Operations. Maintain executive-level visibility into active and planned projects and ensure each project has an approved scope, budget, schedule, and accountable project leader and clear reporting of opening dates, risks and key decisions. Oversee ground-up construction, conversions, relocations, remodels, refreshes, equipment upgrades, and other capital projects across multiple brands and jurisdictions. Identify and communicate cost, schedule, quality, entitlement, and operational risks early, together with practical mitigation plans. Lead the development and execution of annual and multi-year new-store and capital improvement planning in partnership with the Chief Development Officer and executive leadership. Pre-Construction, Due Diligence, and Entitlements Oversee site due diligence, including zoning, access, utilities, environmental conditions, geotechnical investigations, surveys, title matters, easements, and related site-development considerations. Direct entitlement, permitting, and governmental approval str…

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