International Real Estate Manager

Overview

The International Real Estate Manager is a field-based, individual contributor role supporting the Sr. Director of International Real Estate in executing the brand's global growth strategy. This is a hands-on position with 60-70% of time spent in market, working alongside international franchisees to drive quality site selection, validate market opportunities, and build the development pipeline.

This role is the hands-on expert responsible for franchisee site visits, white space analysis, competitive canvassing, and current market insights. When not in market, the Manager is conducting data-driven market plan reviews, pipeline reporting, and cross-functional coordination to ensure international development milestones are met. This position operates with a high degree of independence and accountability to deliver results across multiple countries and time zones. This role will cover the North American, Puerto Rico, and Panama markets specifically.

The ideal candidate currently resides near a major international airport anywhere in the United States, has a valid passport, clean driving record, and the ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 70% of the time (including travel to the Hampton, NH and Boston, MA offices). The ideal candidate is bi-lingual in both written and verbal English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Field-Based Site Selection & In-Market Execution (60% In-Market)

• Spends most of the working time within international markets conducting site visits, trade area tours, and competitive canvassing alongside franchise development teams
• Evaluates prospective sites firsthand, assessing physical trade area characteristics, visibility, access, co-tenancy, parking, and local foot traffic patterns that data alone cannot fully capture.
• Leads franchisee site review meetings in market, providing real-time feedback, brand criteria guidance, and go/no-go recommendations with documented rationale for Sr. Dir. approval.
• Conducts site walks and trade area assessments for mandatory relocations, renewals, and territory adjustments, presenting findings with clear recommendations.
• Maintains a market visit calendar ensuring each active franchise territory receives regular in-person coverage aligned with ADA deadlines and development activity.
• Builds and maintains on-the-ground relationships with local brokers, landlords, shopping center managers, and developers in each assigned territory to surface off-market opportunities.
• Documents all field visits with structured reports including site photography, competitive observations, traffic counts, and site scoring against brand criteria, with a clear recommend, conditional, or pass decision for each site toured.
• Coordinates with internal departments, operations, construction, marketing, legal, and finance, to align site selection decisions with overall international store development

Market Planning, White Space Analysis & Competitive Intelligence

• Owns and regularly refreshes market development plans for all assigned international territories, incorporating updated demographic data, unit performance trends, competitive shifts, and franchisee expansion capacity.
• Conducts recurring white space analysis (at minimum quarterly) as units open and the competitive landscape evolves, identifying net-new opportunities and flagging oversaturated or underperforming trade areas.
• Presents updated market plans and white space findings to the Sr. Dir. on a regular cadence, translating data into clear, actionable development priorities.
• Identifies cannibalization risks proactively as the pipeline advances, presenting trade area impact analyses before site approvals are finalized.

International Franchise Pipeline Management

• Partners directly with international franchisees, guiding them through the full site selection process from initial market entry through lease execution.
• Aligns with the Manager of International Development to ensure field findings and site activity are consistently reflected in monthly pipeline reviews, tracking ADA milestones, projected opening timelines, and country-specific risks. Participates in pipeline review meetings in a supporting capacity, contributing field insights when called upon
• Validates and escalates to the Sr. Dir. all site recommendations, FA/ADA renewals, mandatory relocations, and territory realignment requests consistent with international RE guidelines.
• Identifies franchisee groups at risk of missing development deadlines early and presents actionable resolution plans to the International Sr. Dir of RE.

External Relations & Industry Events

• Develops and manages external relationships with international brokers, landlords, developers, and other third-party partners; evaluates and filters incoming opportunities to ensure only qualified sites are passed along to franchisees
• Ensures global real estate networks, REITs, brokerage communities, and landlords recognize the brand as a tenant-of-choice in target markets.
• Supports international trade show and event participation (e.g., MAPIC, ICSC, and regional real estate events) by identifying relevant opportunities, coordinating attendance logistics, and representing the brand professionally in market.

Qualifications

• Willing and able to travel up to 70% of the time, including nights and weekends
  • Currently resides near a major international airport in the United States
  • Valid passport and driver's license
  • Clean driving record
  • Able to travel throughout North America, Puerto Rico, and Panama specifically
• Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Finance, Business, or a related field; advanced degree or international business coursework a plus
• 5+ years of hands-on real estate site selection experience with a national or international franchise or retail developer, direct field work in multiple countries preferred
• 3+ years of experience within a Real Estate department, preferably with a QSR, fitness, or multi-unit retail brand operating across multiple international territories
• Demonstrated track record of conducting site visits, market tours, and franchisee field work, not solely desk-based analysis
• Experience working directly with international franchise operations strongly preferred
• Strong international market analysis skills with hands-on experience in GIS/mapping tools, foot traffic platforms, and real estate analytics software
• Solid understanding of cross-border real estate processes, international lease structures, and multi-currency financial modeling
• Proven ability to conduct competitive analysis, white space modeling, and trade area impact assessments across diverse international markets
• Demonstrated project management skills with the ability to independently manage multiple markets and workstreams simultaneously with minimal supervision
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite; experience with GIS/mapping and real estate data platforms (e.g., Esri, Placer.ai, CoStar, or equivalents) preferred
• Multilingual ability is an asset; cultural competency and experience working across diverse international markets is essential
• Self-starter with a high degree of independence, ownership mentality, and the drive to operate effectively across time zones without day-to-day direction
• Comfortable making field-level site recommendations with confidence, balancing data with firsthand market observation
• Excellent attention to detail, efficient, and organized with an ability to establish priorities and objectives
• Excellent presentation and communication skills along with the ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization
• Able to establish and maintain effective, collaborative work relationships with diverse individuals, internally and externally
• Creative, progressive, thought leadership with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization
• Dedicated learner with a natural curiosity for consistent growth
• Exhibits comfort, ease, and flexibility working in an extremely fast-paced ever-changing, deadline-driven environment
• Cooperative team player with an upbeat, positive, "can-do" attitude!

Travel Requirements

This role requires 60% domestic and international travel, including extended multi-week market trips, overnight stays, and occasional weekend travel. The Manager is expected to be embedded in assigned markets on a regular cadence; conducting site visits, franchisee field support, competition assessment, and broker/landlord meetings. Travel schedules are planned in advance but must flex to respond to time-sensitive development activity and franchisee needs across multiple countries and time zones.

Perks

Planet Fitness cares about you and your well-being. We offer a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees which includes the core medical, dental, vision, life and disability as well as supplemental accident, hospital and critical illness coverage options. In addition, we are proud to offer eligible employees a generous time off program (including volunteer time), childcare reimbursement, paid parental leave, pet care reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, free Black Card membership, learning and development programs and a whole host of engagement activities. We offer a 401(k) Plan with safe harbor employer matching and an employee stock purchase plan. This role is also eligible to participate in an annual corporate bonus incentive program based on company financial and personal performance.

The salary for employees hired into this role will be aligned with the range below. This is a good faith estimate, and the amount of base salary will correspond with a candidate's professional experience, qualifications and internal equity.

Annual Base Salary Range: $125,000-$150,000

Note to Applicants: We have been made aware of an increasing number of hiring fraud schemes across numerous platforms. Planet Fitness never requires advance payments of any kind for computer equipment or any other purpose at the start of employment. Any request for you to provide payment information during the application process is part of a fraud scheme. Further, we recommend that you do not provide sensitive personal information (SSN, DOB, driver's license number) as part of the initial application process.