Director Corporate Development

Job Summary:

We are seeking a driven and experienced Corporate Development & Real Estate Director to lead the expansion of our Lone Star Market, C-store, and Church’s Chicken footprint in the Texas market. This role is responsible for overseeing all aspects of real estate development and market growth—including site identification, lease negotiations, construction coordination, and acquisitions. The ideal candidate is a dynamic, relationship-focused professional who can work cross-functionally with brokers, vendors, internal teams, and M&A stakeholders to bring new locations to life and drive strategic takeovers of existing sites.

Key Responsibilities:

Market Expansion & Site Development:

• Identify and pursue new development opportunities to expand the Church’s Chicken, C-store and Lone Star Market brand presence across Texas.
• Analyze trade areas, demographics, and traffic patterns to determine optimal site selection for new builds, lease locations, or renovations.
• Work closely with real estate brokers to source and evaluate potential locations.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with local, regional, and national brokers to stay informed on market opportunities.
• Negotiate LOIs and support lease negotiations in collaboration with legal and leadership teams.

Project Coordination & Oversight:

• Oversee the full lifecycle of real estate development projects including new builds, remodels, reimaging, and acquisitions.
• Coordinate between brokers, landlords, architects, contractors, permitting agencies, and the internal back-office team to ensure timely execution.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between the field and internal teams for status updates, timelines, and issue resolution.
• Track and manage project milestones, ensuring each project remains on budget and on schedule.
• Conduct regular site visits to assess progress and maintain accountability among contractors and vendors.
• Conduct meetings with contractors, vendors, architects, engineers, etc.

Internal Team Leadership:

• Lead and manage the internal development coordination team (back office) by assigning priorities, aligning resources, and maintaining project flow.
• Provide regular updates to executive leadership on market growth, project statuses, and development pipeline metrics.
• Ensure alignment between real estate strategy and overall brand growth objectives.

Relationship Management & Market Intelligence:

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key vendors, general contractors, engineers, architects, and municipal contacts.
• Stay current on zoning, permitting, and other regulatory changes in key Texas municipalities.
• Attend industry events, trade shows, and networking functions to stay connected with real estate trends and broker networks.
• Maintain a pulse on the competitive landscape, identifying opportunities for growth or repositioning.

Qualifications:

• 5 years of experience in real estate development, preferably within retail, QSR (quick-service restaurants), or multi-unit franchise development.
• Strong understanding of site selection, lease negotiations, permitting, and construction processes.
• Proven experience managing multiple real estate projects from concept to completion.
• Exceptional project management, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to travel frequently throughout Texas to visit sites, meet with brokers, and manage projects.
• Self-starter with strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office; experience with project tracking tools and real estate software is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business, Construction Management, or related field.
• Familiarity with the Texas real estate landscape and established broker/vendor relationships in the region.
• Experience working with franchise brands or QSR industry.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is a plus.
• Lead M&A efforts to identify and evaluate potential acquisition targets, including existing gas stations, C-stores, or QSRs for conversion or rebranding.
• Collaborate with legal, finance, and executive teams to structure and close acquisition deals.