Vice President of Development

Here's What We Need

The Vice President of Development brings the Torchy's brand to life in every new market it enters. This role sets the vision for how and where Torchy's grows, uniting real estate, design, and construction into one engine that fuels the company's next chapter of expansion. It is where ambitious growth targets become real restaurants ready to serve Damn Good food.

What You'll Be Doing

• Development Strategy - You will set and own the long-range development plan, building a disciplined pipeline that aligns growth targets, capital investment, and market opportunity across existing and new markets.

• Real Estate & Site Selection - You will oversee real estate strategy and site selection, bringing a data-driven approach to evaluating markets, trade areas, and sites that positions Torchy's for long-term, high-performing expansion.

• Lease & Deal Negotiation - You will oversee the negotiation of leases, purchase agreements, and related deal terms, stewarding key landlord, broker, and developer relationships to land favorable terms.

• Lease Administration & Disposition Strategy - You will lead efforts related to restaurant closures, lease assignments, subleasing, lease buyouts, landlord negotiations, and terminations, minimizing financial exposure while maximizing asset value recovery.

• Restaurant Design & Prototype - You will oversee the design and ongoing optimization of restaurant prototypes and formats, applying value engineering to improve efficiency and cost while protecting the brand experience.

• Construction & Project Delivery - You will oversee construction end to end, holding teams and partners accountable for quality, budget, and schedule so restaurants open on time.

• Budget & Capital Planning - You will own the development budget and capital plan, manage project costs and partner with finance to forecast and steward the company's investment in growth.

• Development Approval Committee (DAC) & Board Presentations - You will lead the preparation and presentation of real estate, development, and capital investment recommendations to executive leadership, the Development Approval Committee, and the Board of Directors, delivering clear, concise, and influential business cases that support informed decision-making, site approvals, and alignment on growth initiatives.

• Analytics & Forecasting - You will advance the analytics and planning tools behind development, strengthening forecasting and decision-making to identify future growth opportunities across the country.

• Cross-Functional Partnership - You will coordinate with operations, culinary, IT, legal, and marketing to make sure new restaurants are fully ready to open and operate from day one.

• External Partner Management - You will set the standard for how outside brokers, architects, engineers, and contractors are managed, building the relationships that keep the pipeline moving.

• Team Leadership & Development - You will lead, coach, and grow the teams responsible for real estate, design, and construction, setting clear expectations, developing talent, and building a culture that delivers results.

• Additional Responsibilities - You will perform other duties as assigned to support the team and the company's success.

How You'll Do It

• Strategic Vision - Seeing where the brand should grow next, and building the disciplined plan to get there, keeps expansion deliberate rather than reactive.

• Negotiation - Landing strong real estate and construction deals directly protects margins and the long-term health of every restaurant.

• Executive Presence & Communication - Translating complex real estate, design, and construction recommendations into clear, confident presentations that earn trust and buy-in from executive leadership and the board.

• Collaboration - Development only works when real estate, design, construction, operations, and finance are pulling in the same direction.

• Accountability - Owning outcomes across budgets, timelines, and outside partners is what keeps a fast-moving pipeline on track.

QUE-SO... Here's What You'll Need

Minimum Qualifications
• 12+ years of experience in real estate, development, or a related field, including significant leadership experience, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Bachelor's degree in real estate, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Proven experience leading multi-unit development in a growing, multi-state environment
• Experience owning a capital budget and managing project costs at scale

Preferred Qualifications
• Deep experience in real estate planning, site optimization, and brand development strategy, with a track record of shaping how and where a multi-unit restaurant or retail brand grows
• Experience scaling a brand into new markets across multiple states
• Experience managing design and construction functions, even if your background was built primarily in real estate or strategy rather than within design or construction itself

Location: Austin, TX

Hybrid