Ben & Jerry's Senior Contract Franchise Relations & Development Manager

Job Title: B&J's Senior Contract Franchise Relations & Development Manager

The Ice Cream division at Unilever is preparing to stand on its own, aiming to become an independent, EUR 8.3 billion publicly listed company by the end of 2025. We’re on a mission to create the ultimate snacking company.​ A place where growth, innovation, founder and ownership mentality, and performance are cultivated and rewarded. And where we craft extraordinary ice cream experiences - transforming ordinary moments into lasting memories.​ Because we know, life tastes better with ice cream.​

About Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., started in 1978 in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, USA, founded by childhood friends and dedicated activists Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. In 2000 Ben & Jerry’s became a wholly owned autonomous subsidiary of Unilever with a unique governance structure that provides for an independent Board of Directors vested with primary responsibility for advancing Ben & Jerry's social mission and ensuring the essential integrity of the brand.

Now owned by The Magnum Ice Cream Company, Ben & Jerry’s is one of its most valuable and iconic brands, with annual turnover exceeding €1 Billion, and with high ambitions to double the business, and expand its impact throughout the world. Central to the mission of Ben & Jerry's is the belief that all three parts of its mission must thrive equally. This translates into a high-paced growth environment without compromising our grassroots and activist spirit. That is how we remain a true purpose-led organization with a connected 3-part mission, which you will find reflected in our KPI’s.

Ben & Jerry’s 3-Part Mission:
Social mission: We initiate innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally, and internationally specifically on Climate Justice, Social Justice, Racial Justice, and Economic Justice
Product mission: We make and distribute the finest quality natural ice cream and euphoric concoctions.
Economic mission: We operate our Company for sustainable, Profitable financial growth.

About the role:
The Senior Contract, Franchise Relations & Development Manager creates strategies and an environment to develop an effective working relationship with Franchisees that minimizes legal risk, maximizes business opportunity, and clearly establishes roles and expectations for both the Franchisor and Franchisee. This includes coordination with franchisees, internal Ben & Jerry’s staff, legal support (internal and external) and the broader collective community including vendors, distributors, TMICC stakeholders and supporting staff. The Senior Manager operates with only general supervision and has discretion and latitude to use individual judgment and company resources within broad guidelines to resolve issues of moderate complexity or risk to the company.  The role will require compliance with franchising laws and protocols.

The Senior Manager will manage the contract process to ensure contract status is current and change management activities (amendments, disclosures, transfers, renewals, etc.) are completed on a timely basis. Will also provide leadership level input to determine if renewals or amendments meet the business needs, legal requirements, and are in keeping with our mission and values as a company. They will provide guidance and partner with the Global Head of Scooping and NA Associate Director with contributing to development strategies, candidate communication platforms and recruiting tactics and play a key role in the larger goals of the retail organization in creating a diversified community of franchisees.

Who you are & what you’ll do:
Communicates company needs, concerns or complaints to franchisees, that have been escalated from other areas (i.e. Operations, Marketing, IT, Consumer Affairs).

Facilitates resolution of franchisor/franchisee issues within the parameters of the company, corporate operating structure, company values and other pertinent guidelines. Ensures the company’s contractual obligations to franchise are met.

Knowledge and skill set to train others across retail staff on best practices regarding communications and maintaining positive working relationships with the franchise community (especially on topics that may be considered contentious).

Actively participate in identifying strategies and tactics to meet the needs of a diverse franchise population and future evolutions of unlocking programs.

Leads the contracted renewal process and is an active participant in advising on renewal candidacy.

Serve as a primary point of contact and interface appropriately with a broad array of internal and external stakeholders of all levels, including franchisees, retail operations team, legal team, outside counsel, and other franchise support resources or cross functional teams to effectively execute responsibilities.

Partner with the retail team on compliance by identifying, researching, and assessing potential violations of brand’s policies and procedure.

Perform legal research, review and interpret contracts.  General contract support for all business segments. Upholds strict adherence to policies and procedures, ensuring required documentation, reviews, and approvals are obtained

Support departmental records, data management and retention efforts. Drive relevant changes with global legal team on data retention & management system.

Legal support for projects, contracts, and input across Global B&J Company and business.

Support and influence franchise development processes across Prospective Franchisees, Strategy & Assessment of where we want to develop (Site Evaluations, Territories etc.), and decision making across development processes.

What you’ll need to succeed:
Experience: BA with a minimum of 10 years of experience in contract management, legal transactional work, knowledge and application of enforcing contractual obligations.

Ability to maintain calm, professional demeanor in difficult or contentious situations, with ability to assess and solve problems expeditiously, at times without complete data.

Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.

Industry Knowledge: Corporate structures and understanding of relationships to the franchise community.

Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic plans through contract negotiations and development that align with business objectives.

Demonstrated ability to interface with business and legal organizations in complex, highly litigious situations successfully.

Cultural Competence: Experience working in a global environment and understanding of cultural differences and their impact on business operations.

Core Values: Commitment to integrating Ben & Jerry’s core values into all aspects of the role, ensuring alignment with the company’s mission and vision

Work environment:
Hybrid office environment (2-3 days a week in office).

Travel required approximately 10-15% of the time.

LEADERSHIP
You are responsible for delivering to the highest standards. You must be resilient so you can lead others to deliver with passion through uncertainty and create opportunities through the core and beyond. You must be able to flex your style and your plans to guide others through difficult times.

Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviors:
• PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results. Generates intensity and focus to motivate people to deliver results at speed.
• PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Has emotional intelligence to take feedback, manage mood and motivations, and build empathy for others.
• PURPOSE & SERVICE: Has humility, understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside The Magnum Ice Cream Company.

#TMICC

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Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. 

For more information about your Federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination isIllegal and Pay Transparency Non discrimination Provision.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.