Director, Franchise Operations - United Central

Job Description Summary:

Job Description

The Director, Franchise Operations is responsible for driving business results and disciplined marketplace execution across the full Coca-Cola portfolio within Coca-Cola United’s Central Region. Reporting to the Senior Director II, Franchise Operations, the role translates aligned South Region and commercial priorities into territory operating plans and works directly with United Central regional operations teams to deliver volume, revenue, transactions, share, and profitable growth objectives. The role connects planning with frontline execution, maintains a regular in-market cadence to validate results and learn from frontline teams and customers, and leads follow-through on agreed corrective actions within the assigned territory. The Director operates as an experienced individual contributor, influences through bottler relationships, and escalates material risks, resource needs, and trade-offs with clear recommendations.

What You’ll Do for Us 

• Drive performance across the full Coca-Cola portfolio within Coca-Cola United Central Region, with responsibility spanning all categories, brands, and packages in the assigned geography, supporting profitable volume, revenue, transactions, and share growth through clear territory priorities and accountable execution with bottler partners.

• Expand territory potential through Share of Visual Inventory (SOVI), Cold Drink Equipment (CDE), day one minute one innovation execution, and strong conversion of aligned category and commercial plans into outlet-level results.

• Strengthen the United Central operating partnership by aligning Region, Division, Sales Center, and frontline teams on agreed priorities across customers, channels, brands, and packages.

• Lead the Franchise Operations contribution to the United Central business plan, translating aligned South Region priorities into territory execution plans, milestones, bottler commitments, and measurable outcomes.

• Assess differences in market potential and performance within United Central; recommend priorities, resource needs, and execution interventions to the Senior Director II, and implement agreed choices. 

• Participate in weekly and monthly performance routines, integrating revenue, volume, share, transactions, and execution indicators into clear diagnoses, named actions, and follow-through for United Central. 

• Identify root causes of performance gaps with bottler regional operations teams, agree on corrective actions, track recovery, adjust territory plans, and escalate unresolved risks with clear recommendations. 

• Manage assigned discretionary budgets within approved authority, balancing territory needs, expected returns, and bottler execution capacity; recommend investment trade-offs and additional resource needs. 

• Lead territory deployment of aligned commercial strategies and initiatives, partnering with Commercial and other functional teams to establish operational readiness, clear sequencing, ownership, and adoption within the assigned geography. 

• Develop and activate contingency plans with bottler and cross-functional partners to protect annual business plan delivery across revenue, volume, share, net outlets, SOVI, and pricing execution; monitor recovery milestones and results. 

• Build execution capability with United Central regional operations teams through targeted training, effective scorecards, disciplined routines, and adoption of successful market practices. 

• Partner with Franchise Commercial leaders in the bi-monthly planning process, integrating customer, channel, marketing, finance, and supply-chain inputs into a coherent territory execution agenda with clear bottler commitments. 

• Maintain a regular in-market cadence with United Central regional operations and frontline teams to validate outlet execution, learn from customers and frontline employees, identify barriers firsthand, and bring the voice of the market into territory plans and performance routines. 

 

Qualifications & Requirements  

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Management, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred. 

• 7 or more years in a CPG organization across sales, key account, franchise management, or operations, including responsibility for business execution within an assigned market or geography. 

• Demonstrated success translating annual strategies into territory operating plans, forecasting performance, managing customer or distributor relationships, and leading corrective actions that improve business results. 

• Strong commercial and financial judgment, including experience with revenue and operating P&Ls, resource prioritization, selling, and negotiation in a complex franchise or entrepreneurial environment. 

• Strong understanding of channel marketing, customer and outlet execution, syndicated research, and competitive analysis, with the ability to combine data and frontline insights to identify execution priorities. 

• Proven ability to influence bottler leadership, regional operations teams, and cross-functional partners without direct authority. 

• Demonstrated commitment to spending significant time in market and using frontline learning to improve plans, execution, and business performance. 

The Coca-Cola Company will not offer sponsorship for employment status (including, but not limited to, H1-B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require The Coca-Cola Company's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.

Skills:

Annual Business Planning, Business Plan Implementation, Capacity Planning, Channels Strategy, Contract Management, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Distribution Operations Management, Financial Performance Management, Negotiation, Strategic Leadership, Teamwork

Pay Range:

United States: 145,000 - 169,000 USD

Base pay offered may vary depending on geography, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position, is offered.

Annual Incentive Reference Value Percentage:

30

Annual Incentive reference value is a market-based competitive value for your role. It falls in the middle of the range for your role, indicating performance at target.

Location(s):

United States of America

City/Cities:

Atlanta

Travel Required:

26% - 50%

Relocation Provided:

No

Job Posting End Date:

November 5, 2026

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. When we collect your personal information as part of a job application or offer of employment, we do so in accordance with industry standards and best practices and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.