Hartswater: Area Coach (Succession Pathway) posted by TradeOn

Location: Northern Cape Region
Initial Deployment: KFC Hartswater (Training Phase)
Future Scope: Douglas, Kathu, Upington, Schweizer, Kalahari Mall

Overall Purpose of the Position:
The Area Coach (AC) is the primary people developer and performance leader for a portfolio of restaurants. The AC will be responsible for coaching and enabling Restaurant General Managers (RGMs) to build strong teams, deliver a brand-consistent customer experience, and achieve sustainable sales growth and profitability. The AC will drive employee engagement and retention, embed operational routines and standards, and lead the local execution of TradeOns brand initiatives. The AC champions ORIGINALS culture to create a workplace where people feel confident, valued, and empowered to succeed.
This role forms part of a structured succession pathway, starting with a supervised training phase at Hartswater before assuming full AC responsibilities. Successful progression depends on passing all required training modules and certification assessments.

Key Performance Areas (KPAs) & Responsibilities include, but not limited to:
Build People Capability:
Leadership: Coaching and mentoring restaurant leaders to lead high-performing teams; role-model inclusive, values-led leadership and effective on-the-floor coaching.
Succession & benching: Identifying and accelerating high-potential talent; maintaining a healthy pipeline of Team Leaders, RMs and RGMs.
Engagement & retention: Partner with People Capability Leader (PCL) and operational leaders to design employee engagement plans (recognition and growth pathways) that improve retention.
Performance management: Ensuring clear goals, timely feedback, and result management; closing skill gaps through targeted development and training certification.
Wellbeing & compliance: Safeguarding safe staffing levels and balanced rosters; upholding safety, security and labour practice standards.
Performance Indicators: Employee Engagement Score, Bench Strength & Internal Promotions, Training Completion & Certification

Deliver a Consistent Customer Experience:
Standardisation: Auditing and coaching CHAMPS (Cleanliness, Hospitality, Accuracy, Maintenance, Product Quality, Speed of Service), ROCC (Restaurant Operations Compliance Check), and CSL (Champs Standards Library) standards; ensuring brand-consistent service, quality and efficiencies across all restaurants.
Operational routines: Driving daily/weekly operational routines (CHAMPS checks, shift huddles, line checks, food safety, cash controls) and closing gaps with action plans.
Optimizing financial performance: Managing of food, staffing or staff resources, and overhead costs proactively, ensuring agreed service times, effective deployment profitability.
Risk & compliance: Ensuring H&S, food safety, security and cash handling compliance; reducing loss, waste and operational variance.
Continuous improvement: Sharing best practices; leading root-cause problem solving with operational leaders to drive sustainable improvements.
Performance Indicators: CHAMPS/ROCC Audits, Customer Complaint Resolution Rate, Operational Routine Compliance

Grow the Brand, Sales & Profits
Strategic Brand Activation: Driving initiatives that translate to the broader brand strategy and embedding them for local success within your region.
Sales building: Guiding store marketing, delivering optimisation, product & promo execution; ensuring visibility and operational readiness.
Commercial discipline: Reviewing P&Ls with Operational Leaders(RGMs, RM and SS); driving cost/productivity initiatives and margin improvement.
Initiative leadership: Piloting, embedding and sustaining new ways of working; tracking post-initiative KPIs and scaling what works.
Cross-functional collaboration: Partner with PCL, Operational Leaders, Training Facilitators and fellow ACs to deliver impactful training and culture initiatives.
Performance Indicators: Sales Growth vs Budget, Restaurant Profitability, Brand Initiatives Executed Success

Ideal Requirements
Diploma/degree in supply chain, hospitality and/or related field (Advantageous)
Minimum 5 years management experience in leading large teams, across multiple locations, with a strong understanding of the complexity that comes with it in Quick Service Restaurant (QSR), and/or FMCG/retail industry
Proven track record managing 5+ high-volume restaurants/stores achieving operational KPIs and team development goals
Passion for coaching, mentoring, and succession planning to foster growth and leadership within your teams
Strong commercial acumen; advanced Excel; GAAP/POS proficiency; data-driven decision-making
Valid drivers license and willingness to work weekends and travel extensively to restaurants within your designated area.

Key Personal Inherent Characteristics
Customer-Obsessed Leadership; Champion a customer-first culture by empowering teams to deliver consistent, high-quality service and proactively addressing feedback.
Resilient & Results-Driven; Maintains focus and accountability under pressure; drives performance through structured problem-solving and clear priorities.
Inclusive People Developer; Passionate about coaching and mentoring; fosters a culture of growth, recognition, and team pride across diverse teams.
Operational Excellence Mindset; Executes with precision in fast-paced environments; ensures standards, routines, and compliance are consistently upheld.
Strategic & Hands-On; Balances long-term goals with daily execution; adapts plans, solves problems, and follows through with discipline.
Credible Influencer & Collaborator; Builds trust across levels; partners effectively with RGMs, PCL, and support teams to embed culture and drive results.

Important Information for Candidates
Initial Training: All successful candidates will undergo a structured training program at Hartswater for 9 months
Passing Requirement: Progression to AC level requires passing all training assessments. Failure to do so may affect continued employment.
Mobility Requirement: Frequent travel across all Northern Cape restaurants is required.
Succession Plan: Typically, 612 months depending on performance, readiness, and business needs.

Join Our Team at TradeOn!

Please include the job title in your application

If you do not receive feedback within one month of your application, please consider your application unsuccessful.

TradeOn reserves the right to withdraw this advertisement or not fill the vacancy at any stage of the recruitment process.

We are committed to achieving our employment equity goals, which will be considered throughout the recruitment process.

Why Join Us
Transparent career pathway from Trainee Area Coach to Area Coach.
Structured training and certification support.
Opportunities for multi store and regional leadership growth.

By submitting your application, you consent to TradeOn processing your personal information for recruitment purposes. This includes consideration for the advertised role and other suitable opportunities within the organisation. TradeOn complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and your information will be used solely for lawful and legitimate recruitment activities.