Growth Lead, Franchises

About Pilot Pilot provides bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services powered by software—helping companies operate with better financial visibility and confidence. We’re building the modern finance back office. We’re early in building our franchise channel and are looking for someone to help us figure it out from the ground up. About the Role We’re hiring a Growth Lead to build Pilot’s franchise channel from scratch. This is a high-ownership individual contributor role . You’ll operate like a mini–GM, staying deeply hands-on—running experiments, talking to operators and franchisors, launching campaigns, and driving pipeline yourself. This role is a strong fit for someone early in their career who wants to own a real business problem end-to-end . What You’ll Do Figure Out the Franchise Motion (0 → 1) Understand how franchise systems buy (corporate vs franchisee vs both) Identify high-potential segments (e.g., QSR, fitness, home services, multi-unit operators) Test different entry points (top-down via franchisor vs bottom-up via operators) Run Fast Growth Experiments Launch scrappy tests across channels (events, outbound support, partnerships, content, paid) Try different GTM motions (corporate deals, multi-location bundles, pilot programs) Use results to determine what scales Be Close to Customers Talk directly to franchise owners, operators, and corporate teams Understand operational pain points (unit economics, reporting, cash flow, multi-entity complexity) Translate insights into messaging and acquisition strategies Execute End-to-End Build landing pages, write emails, run outreach, and launch campaigns yourself Stand up webinars or events tailored to franchise operators Move quickly with minimal process or support Own Pipeline Be accountable for generating qualified opportunities and contributing to revenue Partner closely with Sales to refine positioning and improve conversion Focus on what drives deals across different buyer types Build Early Partnerships Identify and engage franchise ecosystems (POS systems, franchise consultants, associations) Run co-marketing or co-selling experiments Help Pilot become relevant within franchise networks What We’re Looking For You Might Be a Fit If: You’re early in your career but have strong business judgment You’ve taken ownership of something ambiguous before You’re excited to do the work yourself—not just design strategy You’re comfortable navigating messy, multi-stakeholder environments Experience 2–5 years of experience in consulting, banking, startups, GTM roles, or similar MBA or equivalent experience is a plus, not required Exposure to SMBs, multi-location businesses, or operations-heavy industries is helpful How You Work High ownership: you take responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks Scrappy: you find ways to get things done with limited resources Analytical: you use data to guide decisions and prioritize Clear communicator: you can tailor messaging to different audiences (operators vs HQ) Why This Role You’ll own a new growth channel with real revenue impact You’ll work across Sales, Partnerships, and Product You’ll gain exposure to complex GTM problems (multi-entity buyers, channel strategy) You’ll help define how Pilot wins in a large, underpenetrated market What Success Looks Like (First 6–12 Months) Clear signal on whether top-down (franchisor) or bottom-up (operator) motion works best 2–3 channels consistently generating qualified pipeline Early wins with franchise groups or multi-unit operators Initial repeatable plays for acquiring and expanding within franchise systems About Pilot Pilot launched in 2017 to bring the back office into the modern era. Pilot provides small businesses with dedicated finance experts - which Pilot hires as full-time, U.S.-based employees - who learn the ins-and-outs of their business. Pilot integrates directly with the billing, banking, expense, and payroll systems customers already use. With a special blend of custom software and expert bookk