Chief Development Officer

• Start: ASAP
• Languages: German and English fluent

The Role

I am looking for a Chief Development Officer who will be responsible for the full restaurant development lifecycle in Germany – from site acquisition and network planning through construction, refurbishment, and ongoing asset maintenance.

This role leads the expansion of the QSR portfolio, ensures that all new builds and refurbishments comply with German law and brand standards, and optimises the long-term value and performance of the restaurant estate.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and lead the national development strategy for Germany, including new openings, relocations, refurbishments, and closures.
• Identify, evaluate, and secure new restaurant locations (high street, retail parks, travel hubs, drive-thru, mixed-use) through market mapping, feasibility studies, and commercial analysis.
• Own the end-to-end construction process: planning, design, permitting, tendering, fit-out, handover, and post-opening snagging.
• Oversee repairs, maintenance, and technical facilities, ensuring restaurants remain safe, compliant, and on-brand while optimising lifecycle costs.
• Ensure full compliance with German building codes, planning regulations, environmental and fire safety standards, and all relevant legal requirements.
• Lead all real estate and agreement negotiations (lease, purchase, franchise, JV, option agreements, renewals, and exits) in partnership with Legal and Finance.
• Manage portfolio planning and ABI (average box income / average business income) development to maximise sales density, profitability, and return on investment across the network.
• Develop robust business cases for all development projects, including CAPEX planning, ROI calculations, and risk assessments for board approval.
• Build and manage strong relationships with landlords, developers, brokers, municipalities, and external partners (architects, engineers, contractors, facility management providers).
• Establish and continuously improve processes, standards, and reporting for development, construction, and portfolio performance.
• Lead, inspire, and develop a multidisciplinary development team (real estate, construction, maintenance, project management).
• Candidate Profile
• Senior experience in development, real estate, or expansion leadership within QSR, system gastronomy, retail, or hospitality in Germany.
• Deep technical understanding of construction, fit-out, refurbishment, and building maintenance for multi-site operations.
• Strong knowledge of German building, planning, and tenancy law, and proven experience working with authorities and permitting processes.
• Demonstrated track record in site acquisition, network planning, portfolio optimisation, and commercial real estate negotiations.
• Solid financial acumen with experience in P&L thinking, CAPEX management, ABI development, and ROI-driven decision-making.
• Proven leadership skills, able to manage and develop high-performing cross-functional teams and coordinate multiple stakeholders.

• Languages

• German: fluent / business-proficient.
• English: fluent (spoken and written).
• High willingness to travel across Germany and occasionally within Europe.
• Personal Characteristics
• Entrepreneurial, hands-on, and execution-driven, with a strong sense of ownership.
• Confident negotiator and communicator, able to represent the brand credibly with landlords, partners, and senior internal stakeholders.
• Structured, analytical, and detail-oriented, while remaining pragmatic and solution-focused under time pressure.