Director Travel Retail International
Hello, we’re Pret
Proud makers of freshly made food, organic coffee and big ideas. Across 750+ shops and 20+ countries, our teams are shaping the future of Pret through innovation, inclusion, great customer service and a shared passion for doing the right thing. We’re growing fast on our mission to be the hospitality employer of choice everywhere we operate – so it’s an exciting time to hop on board.
Growing good things
Pret is where passionate, hardworking, wonderful people (like you!) find what they need to shine. Growth is at the heart of everything we do – from supporting our people to grow in confidence and skills to pursue their unique paths, to figuring out how to make our food and coffee even more delicious and accessible.
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for passionate team players to bring joy to our customers every day. As a Director – Travel Retail International you’ll lead Pret's growth strategy across international travel retail channels, with a primary focus on airports, railway stations, metro and transit hubs, ferry terminals, and other high-traffic transport locations
You will build and manage relationships with leading travel retail operators, master concessionaires, airport authorities, transportation companies, and franchise partners across Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and other international markets.
Success in the role will be measured through, new market entries secured, Franchise and concession agreements signed, Travel hub locations opened, Strength of strategic partner relationships, Delivery of the international travel retail growth pipeline, Commercial returns generated from new developments
Key responsibilities
Lead International Travel Retail Development
· Develop and deliver Pret's international travel retail growth strategy across all regions outside the UK and US.
· Identify and secure new development opportunities within airports, rail networks, and other transport environments.
· Build and maintain a long-term pipeline of development opportunities across priority international markets.
· Continuously monitor transport infrastructure investments, terminal redevelopments, concession renewals, and airport expansion projects.
Build Strategic Partnerships
· Establish strong relationships with airport operators, travel hub landlords, concessionaires, franchise partners, and transportation authorities.
· Become Pret's primary commercial representative within the international travel retail sector.
· Develop senior-level relationships with key decision-makers responsible for awarding foodservice concessions and travel retail opportunities.
· Actively expand Pret's network across the global travel retail ecosystem.
Lead Commercial Negotiations
· Lead negotiations for franchise agreements, development agreements, concessions, licences, and commercial partnerships.
Structure and negotiate commercial terms including:
o Franchise fees
o Royalty structures
o Development commitments
o Capital investment responsibilities
o Territory rights
o Revenue share arrangements
o Operating obligations
· Partner closely with Legal and Finance teams to ensure agreements support Pret's long-term growth objectives.
Deliver New Market Entry
· Evaluate new markets and travel hub opportunities through strategic, financial, and operational assessment.
· Develop business cases and investment recommendations for senior leadership approval.
· Present opportunities, deal economics, risks, and growth forecasts to Executive and Board-level stakeholders.
· Support franchise partners through the development and launch process to ensure successful market entry.
· Drive Cross-Functional Delivery
· Collaborate closely with:
o International Operations
o Property & Development
o Finance
o Legal
o Supply Chain
o People Team
o Brand & Marketing
· Support partners through feasibility, design, construction, mobilisation, and opening phases.
· Ensure new opportunities are aligned with Pret's operational and brand standards.
Market Intelligence & Industry Representation
· Maintain deep knowledge of international travel retail trends, passenger developments, concession models, and competitor activity.
· Represent Pret at global industry conferences, aviation forums, railway industry events, and travel retail exhibitions.
· Provide regular updates on pipeline performance, market opportunities, competitor insights, and deal progress.
Experience & Skills Required
· Significant experience in international business development, franchise development, travel retail, airport concessions, retail property, hospitality development, or foodservice expansion.
· Strong track record of securing and negotiating complex commercial partnership agreements.
· Experience working with airports, transport operators, travel retail organisations, concessionaires, franchisees, or multinational hospitality brands.
· Demonstrated success delivering multi-market expansion and growth strategies.
· Experience building and managing senior stakeholder relationships across multiple countries and cultures.
· Strong financial and commercial modelling capability.
· Experience presenting business cases and investment recommendations to executive leadership teams.
· Experience within a QSR, coffee, food-to-go, hospitality, travel retail, franchise, or retail development environment.
· Existing network across international airport authorities, travel concessionaires, railway operators, and travel retail stakeholders.
· Experience leading international franchise partnerships across multiple regions.
· Additional language skills would be advantageous.
· Strong understanding of international franchise development and travel retail.
· Knowledge of franchise, licensing, concession, and partnership models.
· Excellent business development and stakeholder management skills.
· Strong commercial and financial acumen with experience building business cases.
· Exceptional negotiation, influencing, and relationship-building skills.
· Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to drive decision-making.
· Excellent communication and presentation skills with senior stakeholders.
· Ability to balance immediate opportunities with long-term growth priorities.
· Collaborative approach with experience working across multiple functions and markets.
· Results-driven with a proven track record of securing new business opportunities.
· Good understanding of travel retail trends and concession procurement processes.
· Passion for international growth, partnerships, and brand expansion.
Life at Pret
In the office
Our offices are where teams come together to collaborate, connect and bring great ideas to life. Wherever you're based, you'll find:
- Individual ways to grow: fully funded professional qualifications, leadership development and informal and formal mentoring
- Diversity & belonging: Everyone’s welcome at Pret – you’ll be valued for who you are and supported to feel confident in yourself and your skills
- Pace & variety: Build a diverse skillset, meet some new people and learn (a LOT)
- Community & purpose: We work together to creative positive change through the Pret Foundation
Our values
- Be kind, honest and generous: bring genuine warmth and your authentic self to work every day
- Bring your passion: share our passion for food and exceptional customer service
- Spread joy every day: small acts of kindness are a big part of what makes the Pret experience special
The perks
- A Gold Card! That means when you’re in the office, your food and drinks are on us. And when you’re not, you get 5 free drinks a day and 50% off everything else
- 33-38 days of annual leave (increasing with service)
- Free private medical aid cover – with the option to add a loved one
- 4-5% pension contribution (increasing with service)
- Life assurance at 3x your annual salary
- Loyalty awards to celebrate every 5 years you’re with us
- And more – think: a flexible benefits platform, season ticket loans, a healthcare cash plan, mortgage services, financial wellbeing provisions, option to take a sabbatical after 3 years and opportunities to support our incredible charity, the Pret Foundation.
The Pret interview journey
Step one: apply! Please don’t overly rely on the use of AI, we want to get to know you, not a robot.
Then, if we move forward with your application, we’ll start the process with a 30-minute chat, so we can better understand your experience and skills. The next stage is to pop into our Head Office, where you’ll have a one-hour interview with the hiring team.
Those are the basics, but depending on the role, we might ask you to complete a task, spend time in our shops or meet someone else in the team.
Throughout it all, you are entitled to reasonable adjustments if you have a disability. If this is the case, please let us know how we can help make the process more accessible for you.