Vice President of Technology

VICE PRESIDENT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

OVERVIEW

               Title:                                    VICE PRESIDENT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

               Department:                     IT

               Reports to:                         CIO

Reporting to the CIO, the Vice President of Information Technology will be a critical member on the Cicis leadership team to ensure the practical and innovative application of technology to enable and support business strategies. This individual will partner with operations, marketing and other business leaders to execute overall brand strategy. This role will work with the CIO to create the long-term strategic plan for the brand comprised of business process re-engineering, technical architecture, and integrated digital platforms to accelerate brand growth. This leader will be responsible for all corporate, restaurant, support, infrastructure and digital technology systems. This role needs to have prior experience building and leading technology teams, strategic vendor partnerships, internal alignment, and best practices across the business and technical platforms. This role requires a strong background in both IT and cross-functional leadership, major project implementation, organizational development, and executing the vision for digital transformation across a multi-unit restaurant/hospitality/retail organization. Experience with ERP systems and Data architecture while improving data connectivity/organization and streamlining data is required.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Development:

• Talent management should be a core competency. This includes the proven ability to evaluate, recruit and develop talent, set expectations and manage performance, and set the training agenda for the technology team.
• Proven success as a change agent and passionate champion that has led technology and business transformations through their teams.
• Collaborates with leadership to develop, support, and align Information Technology strategy and plan (roadmap) to company goals.
• Participates in annual budget process for technology needs, develops annual IT operational and capital budgets, develops and maintains the IT plan.

Digital Transformation:

• Promote the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.
• Drive emerging technology initiatives that increase ROI thru incremental sales or lowering overall costs for corporate and franchisees.
• Responsible for enterprise platforms including all infrastructure, ERP and Business Intelligence, restaurant operating platforms (POS, Back Office, Reporting), digital platforms (Loyalty, online / mobile ordering, integrations to POS and Security Compliance (PCI).

IT Operations Management:

• Responsible for enterprise platforms including all infrastructure, ERP and Business Intelligence, restaurant operating platforms (POS, Back Office, Reporting), digital platforms (Loyalty, online / mobile ordering, integrations to POS and Security Compliance (PCI).

·        Lead the technology architecture to ensure security and scalability as well as full integration across the technology stack to create an automated framework that ensures data integrity, bullet-proof ordering, accurate and reliable reporting, and system availability.

IT Governance       

• Engages with all departments on prospective initiatives and vendors ensuring proper governance thru management of the Vendor Risk Security Assessment Program.
• Create efficiency and accountability across the enterprise and work with CIO to provide security, regulatory compliance as well as continued provisions for disaster recovery and business continuity.
• Drive Change Management instilling adoption across all areas of the business and ensuring all partners adhere to latest change relative to compliance and security best practices.  
• Oversee the implementation of company-wide technology standards spanning both applications and infrastructure and ensure compliance with company policies and standards aimed at maximizing effectiveness and minimizing costs related to the acquisition, implementation, and operation of IT systems.

Strategy

• Partner with leadership team to identify opportunities to increase revenue, control costs, and improve restaurant operating margins through tighter system integrations, real-time visibility to performance metrics by ops and business leaders, tools to communicate and course correct timely, and consistent reliable data and reporting across all platforms.
• Lead initiatives for new technology (hardware, software and services) needed to support the company, adopt restaurant industry standard best-in-class strategies, and drive technology to position the brand for growth.

Budgeting and Vendor Management:

• Accountable to maintain IT capital planning and budgets.
• Oversee procurement and IT asset management.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required in information technology information systems, computer science or related field preferred. Advanced degree a plus.
• 8-10 years in a technology leadership role required with at least 5 years in multi-unit restaurant, hospitality, or retail businesses.
• Significant recent relevant digital technology experience.
• Strong background in PMO implementation across all aspects of IT
• Strong leadership, influencing, project management, negotiation, and planning skills.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills including the ability to present complex subjects in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability to adjust quickly to changing priorities and conditions and to cope effectively with complexity and change.
• Prior management of mission-critical vendor relationships.
• Proven success leading and developing IT teams and building strong vendor partnerships.
• Extensive experience working cross-functionally, building collaborative working relationships and interfacing effectively with all levels of the business.
• Prior experience planning and executing successful processes relative to IT governance and compliance.
• DFW-Based.