Panera Bread
Director, Real Estate
$208K–$237K
Newton Support Center · Director · Full-time · Posted Sep 29, 2026
- Experience
- Minimum 10+ years in a senior real estate function.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in business administration desired.
About the job
Leads Panera’s real estate strategy and team to expand and optimize bakery-cafe locations across franchise, non-traditional, and company development, while supporting brand and financial objectives.
What you'll do
- Develop regional growth and portfolio strategies with franchise partners, including market planning and territory alignment.
- Lead site selection, negotiations, approvals, and project execution for new cafes, relocations, remodels, and other portfolio actions.
- Manage Real Estate Managers and collaborate with internal teams and external partners to maintain project pipelines, budgets, standards, and performance.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree.
- At least 10 years in a senior real estate function within a best-in-class small-box retailer.
- Broad knowledge of retail real estate, including development, site selection, project management, construction, budgeting, acquisitions, and dispositions.
- Experience leading real estate teams and building consensus with franchise partners and corporate executives.
Nice to have
- Master’s degree in business administration.
- Experience with a fast-casual restaurant concept, preferably with drive-thru.
Pay
USD 207,723 - 236,804 annually (base salary)
Tools
FranConnect, Sitewise
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative