Director of Information Technology & Business Systems

Position Summary The Director of Information Technology & Business Systems is a key member of the Company's Leadership Team responsible for developing and executing the organization's technology strategy while ensuring the reliability, security, scalability, and effectiveness of all technology systems across the enterprise. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), this position serves as a strategic partner to executive leadership, aligning technology investments and initiatives with the Company's operational, financial, and growth objectives. This is a hands-on leadership role (50 / 50 split) that combines strategic planning with active involvement in the execution and support of technology solutions. As the Company's most senior technical leader, the Director is expected to provide executive-level guidance while also serving as the highest-level escalation point for complex technology, infrastructure, systems integration, and cybersecurity issues. The Director leads a team of three IT professionals supporting corporate and field operations and oversees a blended support model that includes 24x7 managed service providers, third-party help desk partners, consultants, contractors, and technology vendors. The role is responsible for developing the internal team, establishing clear priorities and service standards, and ensuring strong performance across both internal and outsourced technology resources. This role plays a critical leadership position in the successful implementation, integration, and ongoing optimization of key enterprise platforms, including Back-of-House (BOH), Point-of-Sale (POS), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Additionally, the Director oversees the strategic roadmap and operational performance of the Company's customer-facing mobile technology ecosystem while championing the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies across the organization. The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise, business acumen, and leadership capabilities to drive innovation, operational excellence, cybersecurity, and long-term organizational success within a fast-growing, multi-unit operating environment. Responsibilities Strategic Leadership Develop and execute a comprehensive technology strategy aligned with the Company's business objectives and growth plans. Serve as a member of the Leadership Team, contributing to organizational planning, business initiatives, and strategic decision-making. Partner closely with the CFO and executive leadership team to evaluate technology investments, risks, and business opportunities. Create and maintain a multi-year technology roadmap supporting operational efficiency, scalability, security, innovation, and growth. Advise business leaders on technology solutions, trade-offs, risks, and opportunities that improve organizational performance. Establish enterprise technology standards, governance frameworks, policies, and documentation. Communicate technology priorities, project updates, risks, and opportunities to executive leadership. Technology Operations & Infrastructure Lead, mentor, and develop a team of three IT professionals, establishing clear priorities, performance expectations, service standards, and accountability while fostering professional growth and technical capability. Oversee managed 24x7 service providers (MSPs), third-party help desk providers, consultants, contractors, software partners, and technology vendors to ensure service levels and business objectives are achieved. Establish and manage an effective support model across internal and outsourced resources, including escalation procedures, service standards, and accountability measures. Serve as the highest-level escalation point for complex infrastructure, network, identity, application, and security-related issues. Oversee enterprise infrastructure, including networks, cloud services, telecommunications, hardware, software, security systems, identity management, endpoint management, and end-user support. Ensure the stability, reliability, security, and performance of all enterprise technology systems. Own IT service delivery standards, help desk performance metrics, ticket management processes, and escalation procedures. Manage technology asset lifecycle planning, licensing, hardware refresh strategies, and inventory management. Create and maintain technical documentation, operational runbooks, system standards, and network diagrams. Ensure business continuity through effective backup, disaster recovery, and incident response planning, including regular testing and validation. Field Operations & Multi-Unit Technology Support Lead technology deployment and support activities for new store openings, remodels, relocations, and major technology rollouts. Establish and maintain technology standards, equipment specifications, and lifecycle strategies across company-operated and franchise locations. Support franchise operators through approved technology standards, support processes, and escalation pathways. Coordinate field service vendors, installation partners, and technology providers to ensure consistent execution across a geographically distributed operating environment. Travel as necessary to support key operational initiatives, technology deployments, and field support requirements. Enterprise Systems & Digital Transformation Lead the selection, implementation, integration, and ongoing support of enterprise technology solutions. Provide executive leadership and oversight for major technology initiatives, including BOH, POS, and ERP implementation and optimization. Build and maintain integrations between enterprise applications and business systems while ensuring data integrity and operational performance. Collaborate with Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Marketing, and other departments to maximize system effectiveness and user adoption. Ensure seamless integration and performance across enterprise applications and business systems. Develop reporting, dashboards, analytics, and technology capabilities that enhance organizational decision-making. Mobile App Own the strategic roadmap, vendor relationship management, operational availability, enhancement prioritization, and overall performance of the Company's third-party developed mobile application. Partner with Operations, Marketing, and development partners to deliver digital capabilities that improve guest engagement, operational efficiency, and business performance. Monitor mobile application performance, availability, user experience metrics, and integration effectiveness while driving continuous improvement. Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technology Champion the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence technologies across the organization. Identify, evaluate, pilot, and implement AI-enabled solutions that improve productivity, automation, data insights, and decision-making. Establish AI acceptable-use standards, governance structures, and data protection controls. Prioritize evaluation and adoption of AI capabilities embedded within existing enterprise platforms before pursuing standalone solutions. Develop employee education, training, and adoption plans supporting responsible and effective use of approved AI technologies. Cybersecurity & Risk Management Develop and maintain cybersecurity policies, controls, standards, and procedures. Oversee vulnerability management, patch management, endpoint protection, email security, identity security, and security monitoring programs. Proactively identify and mitigate technology and information security risks. Ensure the protection of Company and guest data through appropriate security controls and risk management practices. Lead incident response planning and technology recovery initiatives. Maintain compliance with applicable regulatory, privacy, and industry requirements. Lead and maintain the organization's PCI-DSS compliance program, ensuring the security of payment processing environments and successful completion of audits and assessments. Develop employee cybersecurity awareness and training programs. Monitor evolving cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and industry best practices. Project Management Lead enterprise technology projects from planning through implementation, adoption, and ongoing support. Establish project governance, timelines, budgets, resource plans, and success metrics. Coordinate cross-functional teams, implementation partners, and external vendors to ensure successful project execution. Lead testing strategies, user acceptance testing, deployment readiness, training, and adoption activities. Drive organizational change management and user adoption efforts associated with new technologies. Manage project risks and communicate status updates to executive stakeholders. Financial & Vendor Management Develop and manage the annual IT operating and capital budgets. Evaluate technology investments and ensure alignment with organizational priorities. Negotiate contracts and manage relationships with technology vendors, consultants, managed service providers, and development partners. Monitor vendor performance and service-level agreements and address performance gaps. Identify opportunities to optimize technology expenditures and improve operational efficiency. Develop business cases and ROI analyses supporting technology investments. ____________________________________ Qualifications Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field preferred. Equivalent experience may be considered. Minimum of six (6) years of progressive information technology experience. Minimum of two (2) years of leading and developing small, high-performing technology teams while coordinating the efforts of managed service providers, outsourced support partners, and technology vendors. Demonstrated success leading complex technology implementations and organizational change initiatives. Proven experience implementing and supporting ERP, POS, and BOH systems. Experience supporting multi-unit restaurant, hospitality, retail, franchise, or other distributed operating environments strongly preferred. Experience leading PCI-DSS compliance programs in a franchise environment and securing payment processing environments required. Experience supporting guest-facing mobile applications, loyalty solutions, digital ordering platforms, or third-party software development partnerships preferred. Experience managing managed service providers, outsourced support organizations, and third-party technology vendors required. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Strong understanding of IT infrastructure, networking, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, and enterprise applications. Ability to balance strategic leadership responsibilities with hands-on technical execution and problem solving (50 / 50 split). Demonstrated experience with PCI-DSS compliance, cybersecurity controls, audits, and risk mitigation. Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills across infrastructure, systems integrations, applications, and business technologies. Experience managing customer-facing digital platforms, mobile applications, and third-party software development relationships. Understanding of Artificial Intelligence technologies, governance principles, and business applications. Strong knowledge of project management methodologies and technology implementation best practices. Ability to translate technical concepts into actionable business recommendations for executive and operational audiences. Excellent leadership, coaching, and team development skills. Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities. Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills. Ability to influence and collaborate effectively with executive leadership, franchise operators, and cross-functional teams. Preferred Qualifications Experience within the restaurant, quick-service restaurant (QSR), hospitality, beverage, or retail industries. Experience supporting franchised or multi-location operating environments. Project Management Professional (PMP), ITIL, CISSP, Microsoft, Azure, Security+, Network+, CCNA, or other relevant certifications. Experience with business intelligence, systems integrations, data analytics, labor management, loyalty platforms, and reporting solutions. Experience supporting new store openings and large-scale technology rollouts. HTO EMP., LLC.is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances. HTO EMP., LLC is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. 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