Director Restaurant Technology (QSR / FOH / BOH / Menu Pricing)

Director of Restaurant Technology (QSR / FOH / BOH / Menu Pricing)
DETAILS
Location: Remote
Position Type: Direct-Hire
Hourly / Salary: to $225K+ base + 25% bonus + annual RSU equity grants
Travel: ~25% travel (1-week monthly / potentially more depending on planning and design sessions)

• Accelerate Learning Curve: Meet teams and participate in workshops, etc.
• Team Alignment: Front of House (FOH) and ½ of POS / Menu teams are in the San Diego office 3days per week | Back of House (BOH) is remote but will align for joint San Diego sessions.
• Ongoing Travel Expectations: Travel will continue beyond ramp-up (more frequent than once per quarter) for key planning sessions, design workshops, and strategic initiatives over the next 2–3 years.
• All-Hands Meetings: 1–2 times per year, entire IT team flies into San Diego, CA.
• Fit Considerations: Candidates that are unwilling or unable to travel regularly (especially early on) are not a good fit.
• Location Flexibility: Role is primarily remote / national once ramped, but San Diego, CA travel is non-negotiable for success in the first 6–12 months and key project phases.

JOB SUMMARY
Vaco is currently seeking a Director of Restaurant Technology (QSR / FOH / BOH / Menu Pricing) for a Direct-Hire opportunity that is remote with 25% travel to San Diego. The Director of Restaurant Technology will immediately step into a high-visibility role providing both visionary strategic leadership and hands-on operational management of the entire restaurant technology stack across all corporate and franchised locations.  The Director of Restaurant Technology will have direct oversight over 3 key strategic leaders and ~5-10+ indirect reports (Systems Analysts / BOH Systems Engineers / POS Data Systems Admins).

• Solution Architecture / Design – Designing Complex Engineering Solutions Covering End-to-End Integration / Platform Architecture / Scalability / Availability / Performance / Reliability / Stability / Administration
• Architecture Documentation / Planning – Documenting Designs (Topologies / Hardware Specifications / Server Configs / Capacity Planning / Availability / Performance / Operational Metrics / Network and Client Impacts)
• Requirements Analysis / Solutioning – Assessing Customer Requirements / Analyzing Business Events/Data Architecture / Evaluating Solutions / Determining Optimal Technical Approach
• Strategic Technology Alignment – Partnering with Technology / Operations Leadership to Identify / Deliver Optimal Restaurant Technology Solutions
• Risk Management / Mitigation – Assessing System Risks / Recommending Mitigation Strategies | Ensuring Stability / Security
• Process Optimization / Future Planning – Re-Engineering / Maintaining Processes to Improve Efficiency with a 3-5year Future-Focused Strategy Minimizing Impact to Corporate / Restaurant Teams
• Domain Expertise / Systems Ownership – SME for Front-of-House (FOH) Systems (Architecture / Features / Integrations) and Complementary Platforms
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Working Closely With Operations / Marketing / Finance to Design and Deliver Solutions That Meet and Exceed Business Requirements
• Vendor / Integration Management – Collaborating With External Vendors and Internal Teams to Integrate Programming / Hardware / Networking / Operational Requirements
• Product Evaluation / Innovation – Participating in Product Reviews / Testing / Pilots With IT, Business Partners, and Customers
• Executive Partnership / Strategy – Partnering With Executive Leadership to Define Long-Term Goals, Strategies, and Process Improvements
• Project Leadership / Delivery – Guiding Technology Initiatives From Inception Through Implementation
• People Leadership / Performance Management – Driving Team and Individual Goal Setting / Performance Monitoring / Coaching / Evaluation
• Mentorship / Talent Development – Mentoring 3 Direct / ~5-10 Indirect Reports Towards Excellence / Growth

About the Project: The ideal leader must possess extensive expertise within QSR (menu / POS / pricing platform focus) with 5-7+ years of experience within a management and/or leadership role.  It is essential that the Director of Restaurant Technology possesses the ability to “drink from the fire hose” and ramp quickly within the first 90days. Ideal Directors will possess strong thought leadership, proven success implementing new systems (using formal SDLC), strategic re-engineering, and a results-oriented track record.  This is a hybrid role with significant early onsite presence required in San Diego for rapid onboarding, team integration, and cross-functional collaboration.  This Director must blend strategic vision with tactical execution to accelerate menu / pricing modernization, maintain operational stability, support franchisee success, and position their restaurant technology for long-term scalability and growth. The role is ideal for a hands-on, diplomatic, QSR-experienced technology leader who thrives in a fast-paced, franchisee-focused environments and is ready to make an immediate impact.

• Leadership Over 3 Teams: 1.) Front of House (FOH) Hardware / Software, 2.) Back of House (BOH) Inventory / Labor Systems, and 3.) POS / Menu / Pricing Team
  • Direct Reports: 3 Total | 1.) System Engineering Manager, 2.) Senior Manager of POS Data Systems, and 3.) Restaurant Technology Manager
  • Indirect Reports: ~5-10 Total | 1.) Systems Analysts, 2.) BOH Systems Engineers (3-5), and 3.) POS Data Systems Administrators
• Menu / Pricing Transformation (Top Priority): The current manual, error-prone menu / pricing environment is a significant pain point. The Director will drive the shift to a self-service model through the implementation of Syndigo as the Product Management system, incorporating AI validation and automation to reduce errors and increase speed-to-market.
• FOH Stability: The Front of House environment is currently stable with a strong manager and the Qu POS system. The Director will maintain this foundation while continuing to oversee POS configuration, KDS, kiosks, payments, and related hardware / software.
• BOH Strength: Back of House systems, including inventory and labor / timekeeping, also benefit from strong manager support.  Familiarity in HARVEST (Harry) and R365 being highly valued / preferred.
• Strategic Roadmap / Future-Proofing: Develop and execute a 2–3 year re-engineering plan with a 3–5 year forward-looking mindset, including architecture, integrations, scalability, risk assessment, vendor management, new technology evaluations, and pilots.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Industry Experience / Leadership – Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) and/or Related Industry (9+ years) | Management and/or Leadership Roles (7+ years)
• Process Re-Engineering / Transformation – Leading Strategic Process Re-Engineering Initiatives Driving Operational Efficiency / Business Improvement
• Systems Implementation / SDLC – Delivering New System Implementations while Managing Project Pipelines using Structured SDLC Methodologies
• Executive Influence / Communication – Demonstrating Proven Ability to Influence Change / Communicate Effectively with Senior Leadership / Cross-Functional Stakeholders
• Strategic Initiatives / Delivery – Driving End-to-End Strategic Initiatives from Concept through Implementation / Ongoing Support
• Mentorship / Team Development – Mentoring Teams Across Technology / Non-Technology Functions | Directly Engaging with Technology Leadership
• Results Orientation – Delivering Measurable / Quantifiable Business Outcomes via Technology / Process Improvements
• Enterprise Technology Exposure – Leveraging Experience Across Data Processing / Hardware Platforms / Enterprise Applications / Outsourced Systems
• Business / Technology Alignment – Applying Technology Solutions to Solve Complex Business Problems
• Analytical / Problem Solving – Utilizing Advanced Analytical / Evaluative / Problem-Solving Capabilities
• Communication / Presentation – Presenting Technical Concepts in Business- / User-Friendly Language
• QSR Technology / Industry Knowledge – Applying Knowledge of QSR-Specific Technologies / Strategic Industry Roadmaps
• Leadership / Strategic Execution – Leading Cross-Functional Teams / Strategic Planning / Process Improvement Initiatives
• Project Management (Enterprise Scale) – Managing Large-Scale Projects from Vision through Execution (Internal Teams / Contractors / Vendors)
• Technical / Operational Expertise – Strong Understanding of IT Systems / Operational Process Controls
• Compliance / Regulatory Knowledge – Applying Knowledge of Industry Standards (PCI-DSS / GDPR) within Retail Technology Environments
• Infrastructure / Networking – Understanding Networking / Database Management / Server Infrastructure within QSR Environments
• IT Governance / Operations – Applying Knowledge of IT Governance Frameworks and Operational Best Practices
• M365 Proficiency – Utilizing M365 Tools (Word / Teams / Excel / PowerPoint / Outlook) for Collaboration / Reporting

PREFERRED (not required)

• HARVEST (Harri / FOH) / R365 (Cloud / BOH) Restaurant Technologies: Selecting / Implementing / Integrating / Optimizing Systems Across Locations to Drive Efficiency / Control Costs / Support Scalable Growth

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual’s skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.