Executive - Location Development
CEYLON COLD STORES PLC
Executive - Location development – New Projects – Consumer FOODS Sector
Ceylon Cold Stores PLC (CCS), manufacturer of Elephant House Soft Drinks and Ice Creams is a leading consumer food company in Sri Lanka. CCS is a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings PLC.
The company is seeking a suitable candidate to fill the position of Executive - Location Development – New Projects – Consumer Foods Sector. The position exists to proactively identify, qualify, and develop a pipeline of potential restaurant locations across Sri Lanka by conducting field scouting, preliminary site evaluations, catchment research, and landlord engagement, thereby supporting the Company's expansion objectives and ensuring a continuous flow of viable locations for detailed evaluation and lease negotiations.
Job Responsibilities
Location Scouting & Lead Generation
- Conduct regular field visits across Colombo and other key cities.
- Identify potential restaurant sites that meet the Company's location selection criteria.
- Proactively search for vacant properties, redevelopment opportunities, and upcoming commercial developments.
- Build relationships with landlords, property brokers, developers, shopping mall operators, and property management companies.
- Maintain awareness of competitor expansion activities and emerging commercial hotspots.
Initial Site Qualification
- Gather preliminary information on potential locations, including:
- Rental expectations
- Lease availability
- Site dimensions and floor area
- Parking availability
- Utility availability
- Visibility and accessibility
- Estimated handover timeline
- Obtain and organize preliminary documentation, including:
- Certificate of Conformity (COC)
- Building approvals
- Floor plans
- Ownership information
- Existing lease information (where available)
- Conduct preliminary site assessments against approved location selection criteria.
- Capture site photographs, videos, and observations to support internal evaluations.
Catchment Analysis & Market Intelligence
- Conduct basic catchment assessments to understand the commercial viability of potential locations.
- Visit nearby competitor outlets to observe customer traffic patterns and overall business activity.
- Gather insights on customer movement within trade areas and identify key demand generators.
- Monitor competitor openings, closures, relocations, and promotional activity.
- Identify emerging trade areas, new developments, and future growth corridors that may support expansion.
- Provide regular updates on market rental trends and location availability.
Pipeline Management
- Maintain and regularly update the Company's location database.
- Record all leads, landlord contacts, site information, photographs, and supporting documentation.
- Categorize opportunities based on viability and readiness.
- Track the status of each lead from identification through handover for detailed evaluation.
- Prepare weekly pipeline reports highlighting new opportunities, key observations, and recommended next steps.
Person Specifications
- Diploma or Degree in Business Management, Marketing, Real Estate, Property Management, or related field.
- 1–3 years’ experience in sales, business development, property, retail operations, leasing, or a field-based commercial role.
- Experience dealing with landlords, brokers, or commercial properties is advantageous.
- Understanding of retail and restaurant location requirements.
- Basic understanding of commercial leasing and property documentation.
- Awareness of trade area dynamics and customer traffic patterns.
- Understanding of competitive retail and QSR environments.
- Knowledge on Site evaluation methodologies, Commercial property fundamentals, Catchment and trade area analysis, Property documentation requirements (COC, approvals, plans, ownership documents) Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and database management.
- Strong relationship building, networking, negotiation, and communication skills, coupled with excellent analytical and organizational abilities. The ideal candidate should be capable of working independently, managing data collection and reporting activities, and be willing to travel extensively across Sri Lanka.
If you are confident that you possess the above requirement, please send your cv, which includes the names of two non-related referees. Click on the advert now to join our team via Elephant House Careers site.