Director, IT Operations, Restaurant Systems

Job Summary The Director, IT Operations, Restaurant Systems is responsible for establishing the strategic vision, operational excellence, and service delivery standards for all restaurant technology platforms supporting corporate and franchise restaurant operations. This role provides leadership for Application Support, Release Engineering, Service Delivery, Incident Management, Store Technology Deployments, and Buy/Sell/New Store Opening activities. The Director will lead multiple technical teams responsible for ensuring the availability, reliability, security, and scalability of critical restaurant systems, including Point-of-Sale (POS), Digital Ordering, Back Office, Delivery Integrations, Loyalty Platforms, Restaurant Networks, and supporting applications. The position serves as a strategic partner to business and technology leaders while driving continuous improvement, operational efficiency, and exceptional customer experiences for stores, franchisees, and corporate stakeholders. This position operates with significant autonomy and is responsible for strategic planning, operational governance, vendor management, resource planning, and organizational development across Restaurant Systems operations. This position may support domestic and international restaurant operations. Key Responsibilities Technology Operations Leadership Establish and execute the strategic direction for Restaurant Systems Operations, Application Support, Release Engineering, and Store Technology Deployment functions. Lead teams responsible for operational support of restaurant applications and technology platforms across corporate and franchise locations. Ensure high availability, performance, security, and reliability of mission‑critical restaurant systems. Develop and maintain operational standards, policies, procedures, and governance frameworks supporting restaurant technology services. Build and maintain a culture focused on customer service, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. Security & Compliance Responsibilities Partner with Information Security, Infrastructure, Application, and Compliance teams to maintain secure restaurant technology environments and ensure operational practices align with corporate security standards. Ensure restaurant system support, release, deployment, and incident management processes follow approved security, access control, change management, and compliance requirements. Support risk identification, remediation planning, and operational response for vulnerabilities, audit findings, security events, and compliance gaps impacting restaurant systems. Promote secure operating practices across Restaurant Systems teams, vendors, and implementation partners supporting corporate and franchise locations. Application Support & Service Management Oversee Tier 2 and Tier 3 application support teams responsible for troubleshooting, incident resolution, root cause analysis, and problem management. Establish operational metrics and service level objectives (SLOs) for application performance and support effectiveness. Drive major incident management processes while ensuring timely communication and resolution of business‑impacting issues. Lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce production incidents, improve service quality, and enhance customer satisfaction. Develop knowledge management practices and support documentation to improve issue resolution efficiency. Release Engineering & Production Readiness Provide operational oversight for software release planning, deployment governance, change management, and production readiness activities. Partner with Product, Development, Quality Assurance, and Infrastructure teams to ensure successful software deployments. Establish release management standards, deployment controls, rollback procedures, and risk mitigation processes. Ensure all production releases are completed in accordance with corporate policies, security requirements, and operational standards. Drive automation initiatives that improve deployment quality, reliability, and operational efficiency. Restaurant Deployment & Lifecycle Management Direct technology activities supporting new restaurant openings, relocations, remodels, acquisitions, and ownership transfers. Ensure technology readiness and execution for Buy/Sell activities, franchise ownership changes, and restaurant conversion projects. Coordinate cross‑functional teams responsible for restaurant implementation timelines, equipment readiness, connectivity, configuration, and production support. Develop scalable deployment processes supporting domestic and international growth initiatives. Monitor execution metrics and continuously improve store deployment effectiveness. Vendor & Partner Management Manage relationships with strategic technology vendors, service providers, and implementation partners. Evaluate vendor performance and ensure contractual obligations and service expectations are met. Collaborate with business partners, franchisees, and operational leaders to align technology services with organizational goals. Recommend operational improvements and technology investments that improve business outcomes. Budget Planning & Financial Governance Participate in annual budget planning and financial governance for Restaurant Systems operations, vendor services, technology investments, and operational support needs. Monitor operating expenses, vendor spend, support costs, and project‑related financial commitments to ensure alignment with approved budgets and business priorities. Partner with Finance, Procurement, Technology, and business leaders to evaluate investment needs, prioritize funding requests, and support cost‑effective technology decisions. Provide leadership with financial insights, operational metrics, and recommendations that support responsible planning, forecasting, and resource allocation. Leadership & Organizational Development Lead, coach, mentor, and develop managers and technical professionals across multiple functional teams. Establish organizational goals, performance expectations, and development plans. Build succession plans and identify emerging leaders within the organization. Foster collaboration across Technology, Restaurant Operations, Customer Service, Finance, and Franchise Business Services. Promote a culture of innovation, accountability, transparency, and continuous learning. Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement Develop operational dashboards and reporting to monitor service delivery, incident trends, deployment success rates, customer satisfaction, and business performance. Drive root cause analysis and corrective action initiatives for recurring operational issues. Identify automation opportunities that reduce manual effort and improve support efficiency. Establish governance processes that ensure compliance, security, financial accountability, and operational integrity. Lead strategic initiatives supporting modernization and scaling of restaurant technology operations. Role Expectations and Core Competencies Strong knowledge of IT service management principles, operational governance, and support processes. Proven ability to build strong relationships with business leaders, franchisees, vendors, and technology partners. Demonstrated analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to make sound business decisions. Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non‑technical audiences. Experience managing multiple concurrent priorities within a fast‑paced operational environment. Demonstrated success driving process improvements and operational efficiencies. Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or related field. Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of formal education. Minimum of ten (10) years of experience managing a technical support team with seven (7) years of experience in a user‑supported service‑oriented environment. Minimum of three (3) years of experience working with Microsoft Windows client. Previous experience leading and managing technical staff, including coaching, employee development, performance management, and succession planning. Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or related field or equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of formal education. Experience supporting Point‑of‑Sale (POS), Digital Ordering, Delivery Platforms, Loyalty Systems, Back Office Systems, or Restaurant Technology platforms. Experience supporting franchise operations and multi‑unit retail or restaurant environments. Knowledge of release automation, DevOps practices, and deployment governance. Experience with ITSM platforms, monitoring solutions, and operational analytics. Experience supporting international restaurant operations and multi‑country technology deployments. Working Conditions Works in a normal office or remote office environment. Requires availability during evenings, weekends, and holidays for critical operational events and major production incidents. Moderate travel, including travel to restaurant locations, franchise meetings, and technology conferences. May participate in on‑call escalation processes supporting critical restaurant systems. Disclaimer Disclaimer: The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements All items listed above are illustrative and not comprehensive. They are not contractual in nature and are subject to change at the discretion of Blue Line Distribution. Blue Line Distribution is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to that individual’s race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship or any other characteristic protected by law. The Company will strive to provide reasonable accommodations to permit qualified applicants who have a need for an accommodation to participate in the hiring process (e.g., accommodations for a job interview) if so requested. This company participates in E-Verify. #J-18808-Ljbffr Ilitch Charities, Inc.