Director, International Design & Constuction

Strategic business leader accountable for evolving CKE's International Carl's Jr. and Hardee's physical footprint to meet future guest needs. This role owns the end-to-end asset strategy: format innovation, capital discipline, and project execution across all international markets, ensuring every new build, remodel, and channel investment strengthens brand equity while delivering franchisee ROI. As the industry shifts from in-premises dining to off-premises, delivery, and digital-first ordering, this leader translates that shift into the brand's physical and operational blueprint.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategic roadmap for restaurant formats, brand evolution, and asset innovation across international markets, partnering with the COO, CMO, CTO, and Regional GMs.
• Lead the shift from in-premises to off-premises/omnichannel formats, translating consumer and channel trends into next-generation prototypes that reduce footprint, accelerate development, and improve unit economics.
• Build the “Restaurant of the Future” capability for International, including digital ordering, kiosk/voice AI, kitchen automation, EV-charger readiness, and multi-lane/pickup-only configurations.
• Champion brand evolution of the physical and digital guest experience, ensuring design decisions reinforce brand identity while remaining economically viable for franchisees.
• Manage the development pipeline: review and approve international new-site and remodel proposals for feasibility, brand compliance, and speed-to-market.
• Drive disciplined execution: oversee schedules, milestones, vendor coordination, and risk mitigation from site approval through restaurant opening.
• Coordinate market delivery: partner with franchisees, architects, and local consultants to keep construction timelines on track with global benchmarks.
• Monitor and translate global QSR trends, adapting concepts like small-footprint restaurants, drive-thru-only prototypes, and dark-kitchen models to international markets.
• Redesign assets for off-premises growth, optimizing restaurant size, layout, and guest flow for delivery, mobile ordering, and drive-thru sales.
• Advance technology-enabled format innovation, including digital ordering infrastructure and kitchen automation to improve speed and competitiveness.
• Plan and benchmark CapEx for new units and remodels, partnering with franchisees to protect ROI and payback periods.
• Establish post-launch feedback loops to capture performance data and apply insights to future prototypes and asset development.
• Report CapEx performance against targets and recommend corrective actions when investment levels or returns deviate from plan.
• Identify prototype and specification changes to lower build cost and shorten construction timelines without diluting brand standards.
• Protect brand consistency: ensure all international restaurant assets meet CKE standards for trade dress, layout, guest experience, and operational functionality.
• Maintain and evolve prototype plans, design manuals, and specification standards to align with market realities and brand strategy.
• Qualify regional execution partners for FF&E, signage, and fabrication to ensure quality, cost competitiveness, and reliable execution.
• Build resilient vendor networks across multiple countries to reduce reliance on single-source suppliers and protect development timelines.
• Lead local-versus-imported sourcing strategy, balancing cost, freight, duties, lead times, and after-sales service to control per-unit CapEx.
• Define vendor qualification criteria for quality, cost competitiveness, delivery reliability, and sustainability.
• Maintain contingency sourcing plans for markets with higher volatility to protect continuity of execution.
• Guide franchisee execution through construction, coordinating with local architects, contractors, and regulators.
• Provide feasibility feedback and recommendations on new restaurant and remodel proposals across diverse international markets.

Success Metrics

• Achieve CKE International’s annual new-restaurant development targets.
• Reduce average CapEx per new unit and remodel year over year while protecting brand equity and guest experience.
• Meet or beat global construction and development benchmarks from site approval through opening.
• Maintain full brand and remodel compliance across approved projects and program schedules.
• Increase adoption of next-generation, off-premises-optimized formats across new development.
• Improve franchisee satisfaction and ROI performance on newly developed and remodeled assets.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, Real Estate, Design, Business, or related field; MBA/PMP preferred.
• 8 to 12+ years of relevant experience in restaurant design, including 6+ years leading multi-country development programs.
• Deep QSR industry acumen: fluent in off-premises growth, digital penetration, drive-thru and delivery economics, and their impact on real estate and format decisions.
• Strategic and financial fluency: strong command of CapEx, unit economics, and ROI to prioritize investment decisions with data.
• Project management excellence: proven ability to lead complex, multi-market development pipelines from concept to opening.
• Innovation mindset: track record of translating emerging technology and consumer behavior into real-world restaurant design.
• Working knowledge of design and construction: comfortable reviewing CAD/design deliverables and construction methods.
• Cross-cultural, multi-market leadership: experience developing brands across diverse international economies and regulatory environments; additional languages are an asset.
• Negotiation and vendor management: skilled in managing architects, contractors, and regional supply partners to deliver on cost and quality.

Schedule

30%–50% international travel required.

Location

Based in the United States (preferred: Franklin, Tennessee).