Director of IT

Summary

The Director of IT is responsible for leading the IT team, supporting corporate and restaurant technology, with a focus on building a more efficient, stable, and standardized IT environment. This role will drive root-cause problem solving, systems hardening, automation, and operating cadence improvements that reduce overall ticket volume and prevent recurring issues.

( We use our internal recruiting team, please no emails or call from staffing companies)

Essential Functions and Key Position Accountabilities

• IT Operations & Reliability

• Own day-to-day IT operations across both restaurant and corporate environments, ensuring consistent performance, uptime, and support coverage.

• Lead the transition from reactive support to a proactive, systems-driven IT operating model focused on stability and prevention.

• Establish and enforce structured support processes (intake, triage, escalation, SLAs, on-call coverage).

• Restaurant Technology & Field Operations

• Ensure reliability and standardization of all restaurant technology (POS, networking, hardware, integrations).

• Define and enforce store-level standards (networking, cabling, hardware configurations, readiness checklists).

• Partner with operations to proactively identify and resolve technology friction impacting restaurant performance.

• Corporate IT & End-User Experience

• Own corporate IT systems, including endpoint management, identity and access management, collaboration tools, and SaaS platforms.

• Ensure a high-quality end-user experience for corporate employees through reliable systems and responsive support.

• Implement automation and self-service capabilities to improve efficiency and reduce manual support needs.

• Systems, Security & Infrastructure

• Lead systems hardening efforts across all environments to improve reliability, security, and repeatability.

• Ensure appropriate security controls are in place (access controls, patching, device management, vendor risk awareness).

• Maintain accurate system inventories, documentation, and lifecycle management processes.

• Vendor Management & Cost Optimization

• Own relationships with IT vendors and service providers, ensuring accountability for performance and outcomes.

• Evaluate tools and systems for consolidation opportunities and cost efficiency.

• Partner with leadership to manage IT spend effectively while improving service quality.

• Process, Change Management & Continuous Improvement

• Establish QA and change management practices for all IT-impacting changes (testing, rollout, validation, backout plans).

• Drive root cause analysis and permanent resolution of recurring issues.

• Track and report on key performance metrics (ticket trends, uptime, incident recurrence, service costs).

• Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the IT team with clear expectations, accountability, and performance management.

• Build a culture of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement.

• Align team priorities with company objectives and operational needs.

• Strategic Partnership

• Partner with the CEO and CTO to prioritize IT initiatives and align technology with business goals.

• Support evaluation and implementation of new systems and capabilities that improve operational performance.

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7-12+ years of IT experience, including 3-5+ years leading IT operations in a multi-site environment (restaurant, retail, or similar)
• Proven track record of reducing ticket volume and improving system reliability through standardization, automation, and root-cause resolution
• Experience owning both field/operational IT (e.g., stores, locations) and corporate IT (endpoints, SaaS systems, internal support)
• Strong leadership ability with experience managing teams, setting priorities, and driving accountability in fast-paced environments
• Solid understanding of IT infrastructure fundamentals, including networking, endpoint management, and cloud/SaaS systems
• Experience managing vendors and evaluating systems for performance, scalability, and cost efficiency
• Ability to translate business needs into practical technology solutions and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders