Director - Restaurant Experience Technology

Role Summary

The Director of Restaurant Experience Technology (RET) is accountable for maximizing the value of technological investments in restaurant operations and enhancing the customer experience. This position acts as the crucial interface between Technology teams and Restaurant Operations, overseeing technology uptake, operational preparedness, deployment quality, support mechanisms, and ongoing refinement.

Primary Duties

• Develop and implement the RET strategic plan aligned with restaurant operational goals.
• Represent restaurant operations in IT discussions to ensure alignment.
• Create roadmaps for technology adoption and operational excellence from a tech viewpoint.
• Partner with Product Teams to integrate software journeys with in-store operational challenges.
• Optimize hardware positioning within restaurants to maximize impact.
• Eliminate operational impediments caused by technology.
• Lead pilot programs and prepare for full-scale technology deployments.
• Collaborate with Operations Excellence teams to facilitate technology training and adoption efforts.
• Establish governance protocols for technology rollout processes.
• Apply industrial engineering concepts alongside Operations Excellence to optimize processes and throughput.
• Utilize Lean and Six Sigma methodologies for continuous improvement initiatives.
• Enhance service reliability and lead root cause analyses of technology-related issues.
• Steer operational governance and drive service excellence protocols.
• Forge strong partnerships with operations leaders and maintain robust feedback loops from the field.
• Manage change effectively to ensure smooth technology integration.

Technology Scope

• Point of Sale (POS) systems
• Self-order kiosks
• Kitchen display solutions
• Drive-thru technology
• Digital menu boards
• Payment processing systems
• Workforce management tools
• Mobile platforms for restaurant operations
• AI-driven restaurant technologies

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in fields such as IT, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Engineering, Computer Science, or related disciplines. An MBA is preferred.
• A minimum of 10 years' experience in restaurant technology or leading digital transformation initiatives.

Essential Skills and Competencies

• Expertise in restaurant journey and customer flow design collaborating with product teams.
• Proven ability in managing in-store technology rollout, adoption, and organizational change in partnership with operations excellence.
• Strong background in industrial engineering and process optimization practices.
• Proficiency in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Knowledge of technology service management principles.
• Strong stakeholder and vendor management skills.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the core liaison connecting restaurant operations with technology teams to convert operational needs into effective technological solutions.
• Collaborate with Operations Excellence for process redesign, throughput enhancement, labor utilization optimization, and identifying technology-driven process improvements.
• Work with Product Management to guide feature prioritization and ensure technology roadmaps meet operational and customer experience goals.
• Engage with Design teams assessing customer and crew journeys to improve usability and adoption of restaurant technologies.
• Partner with Engineering throughout solution life cycles, addressing operational requirements, gathering field feedback, and supporting deployment improvements.
• Lead technology discovery, pilot testing, and rollout initiatives to guarantee operational readiness.
• Maintain continuous feedback mechanisms between restaurants and Product, Design, and Engineering teams to foster innovation and enhancements.
• Act as the primary escalation point for operational tech issues, enabling swift coordination across business and technology units.