New Restaurant Opening

Based in Pasadena, California, Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), through its subsidiaries, franchises restaurants under Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar®, IHOP® and Fuzzy's Taco Shop® brands. With over 3,500 restaurants combined in 18 countries and 354 franchisees as of December 31, 2023, Dine Brands is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world. For more information on Dine Brands, visit the Company's website located at www.dinebrands.com.

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented New Restaurant Opening (NRO) Project Analyst to support the strategic and tactical aspects of new restaurant development. This critical role is responsible for creating, managing, and tracking project timelines and deliverables for new restaurant openings nationwide.

The Project Analyst will act as a central hub for all pre-opening activities, ensuring seamless coordination between various internal teams and external partners.

This individual will work closely with Franchise Owners, Operations, Learning & Development, and Senior Leadership to drive the successful and timely opening of new restaurants by providing essential project management support and data-driven insights.

Key Responsibilities:

• Project Management & Tracking: Manage and support the full lifecycle of new restaurant openings, from pre-construction to grand opening. Develop and maintain project timelines, status reports, and key calendars to ensure all project milestones and deliverables are completed accurately and on time. Proactively identify, document, and escalate project risks in a timely manner, collaborating with stakeholders to develop and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Strategic Collaboration: Facilitate effective communication and collaboration among cross-functional teams (e.g., Franchisees, Operations, L&D, Marketing, IT) through weekly pre-opening support calls and meetings. Develop agendas, take and distribute notes, and ensure all action items are clearly assigned and tracked.
• Data Analysis & Reporting: Create, maintain, and update project assets, including trackers, dashboards, and checklists using project management software. Analyze data to identify potential risks, issues, or delays in the opening process and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Process Improvement: Participate in a culture of continuous process improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance the NRO project management process. Contribute to the development and maintenance of standardized tools, resources, and templates to improve efficiency and consistency across all new openings.
• Resource Coordination: Assist in determining resource requirements for new initiatives and provide support to gain alignment from senior leaders. Manage and prioritize project requests to ensure the most critical tasks are completed on schedule.
• Cross-Functional Support: Support the team by offering insights on scheduling, training, and operational needs based on project timelines and readiness assessments.
• Adherence to Standards: Consistently uphold company policies, professional standards, and foster a respectful and productive work environment.

Qualifications:

• Experience:
  • Minimum of [3+] years of professional experience in a project analyst or project coordinator role.
  • Experience in the restaurant, retail, or hospitality industry is highly preferred, especially in a multi-unit or franchise environment.
  • A background in new business development and/or construction is strongly preferred.
  • Demonstrated experience managing project timelines and collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Education, Communications, Hospitality Management, or a related field, OR equivalent proven professional experience.
• Skills:
  • Exceptional organizational skills and a high attention to detail.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively facilitate meetings and communicate with stakeholders at all levels.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, capable of identifying and resolving project issues.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is required. Expert-level Excel skills are a must, including complex formulas, conditional formatting, and data analysis.
  • Experience with project management software (e.g., Smartsheet, SharePoint, Asana) is essential.
  • Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Familiarity with web-based meeting and/or instructional platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WebEx).
  • Proven ability to create professional training tools and as
  • Base salary target $90-$105k

• Travel:
  • Ability to travel nationally, up to 25%, to support new restaurant openings, meetings, and assessments.
  • Must have a valid Driver's License.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

• This role requires flexibility to work in both an office environment and active restaurant settings.
• Physical demands include prolonged periods of standing and walking, and the ability to lift up to 25 pounds occasionally, consistent with restaurant operational requirements.
• The employee must be able to utilize a keyboard, prepare and analyze data, view a computer terminal, and engage in extensive reading.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Dine Brands Global strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, veteran status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act and/or other applicable laws and regulations in other jurisdictions.

Dine Brands reviews criminal history in connection with a conditional offer of employment. The following is a list of all material job duties which Dine Brands reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: conduct necessary due diligence on business opportunities and transactions; analyze and handle franchisees’ personal and financial information; and facilitate frequent and close interactions with franchisees and franchisee employees.  

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