Senior Director, Technology PMO

Cajun Operating Company; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel up to 20%

Job summary

Church's Texas Chicken is seeking a Senior Director, Technology PMO to lead planning and delivery of the most strategic technology programs. You will own portfolio strategy, governance, and risk, while mentoring a team of PMs and reporting to the CTO.

You will build executive relationships with franchise leaders and business-unit presidents, ensuring delivery excellence and board-ready communications across the technology portfolio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business, Hospitality Management, or related field.
• MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of combined restaurant business and technology leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Personally lead planning and delivery of the organization’s largest, most complex programs and projects.
• Conduct rigorous project planning and structured alternatives analysis.
• Mentor and develop project managers in core PM disciplines.
• Own portfolio strategy, governance, and risk tolerance frameworks.
• Build executive relationships with franchise leaders and senior executives.
• Prepare and deliver board-ready presentations on portfolio performance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Executive governance

Stakeholder management

PMO governance

Mentoring

Vendor governance

Board presentations

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT/Business

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Job description

Church’s Texas Chicken Employee Job Description

Job Title: Senior Director, Technology PMO

Reports To: SVP, Chief Technology Officer

Department: Technology

Revised: September 2026

Responsible for the strategic leadership and executive governance of the Technology Program Management Office (PMO), setting the direction, decision‑making framework, and standards that govern how the IT organization prioritizes, resources, and delivers programs and projects across Church’s Texas Chicken’s restaurant operations, infrastructure, and enterprise back office portfolios. This is fundamentally a player‑coach role — the Senior Director does not lead from a distance. They personally lead planning and delivery of the organization’s largest, most complex, and most critical programs and projects: developing project plans, running structured alternatives analysis on major decisions, and staying hands‑on through execution, while simultaneously setting portfolio strategy and exercising autonomous decision‑making authority over risk tolerance and resourcing trade‑offs on behalf of the CTO. The Senior Director is accountable for the overall health, predictability, and business value of the technology portfolio, from strategic direction through hands‑on, in‑the‑work execution of its highest‑priority initiatives. Serves as the organization’s senior‑most PMO leader and primary interface between Technology and the business, independently building and managing relationships with the most senior stakeholders — including franchise leaders and business‑unit executives — without requiring escalation. Comfortable and capable of representing the technology portfolio directly to the Board of Directors and executive leadership team when called upon, translating portfolio performance, risk, and investment trade‑offs into clear, decision‑ready narratives. As a player‑coach, also serves as the organization’s foremost mentor in project management practice — regularly and directly coaching project and program managers in planning, estimation, alternatives analysis, and delivery rigor. Leads a team of program and project management professionals, including Senior Managers, and reports to the SVP, Chief Technology Officer.

Key Duties/Responsibilities

• Player-Coach Program & Project Leadership — Personally lead planning and delivery of the organization’s largest, most complex, and most critical programs and projects — directly developing project plans and schedules, owning scope, budget, and stakeholder outcomes — while simultaneously setting strategic direction for the broader technology portfolio. This is a hands‑on, in‑the‑work role, not a purely oversight function.
• Project Planning & Alternatives Analysis — Personally conduct and lead rigorous project planning and structured alternatives analysis (e.g., build‑vs‑buy, vendor and solution options, sequencing, and resourcing trade‑offs) for the organization’s highest‑stakes programs and projects, ensuring major investment and delivery decisions are grounded in disciplined, well‑documented option analysis before resources are committed.
• Project Management Mentoring & Capability Building — Serve as the organization’s foremost mentor in project management practice — regularly and directly coaching project and program managers, including those outside direct reporting lines, in planning, estimation, risk management, alternatives analysis, and delivery execution, raising the overall project management maturity of the organization.
• Portfolio Strategy & Decision Authority — Own the strategic direction and executive governance of the technology PMO — setting portfolio priorities, decision rights, and risk‑tolerance frameworks, and exercising final decision‑making authority over program and project approval, resourcing, and prioritization trade‑offs on behalf of the CTO.
• Executive & Franchise Stakeholder Management — Autonomously build and manage executive‑level relationships with the organization’s most senior stakeholders, including franchise leaders and business‑unit presidents — representing Technology’s delivery commitments, negotiating competing priorities, and resolving conflicts at the highest levels without requiring escalation.
• Board & Executive Presentation Readiness — Serve as a credible, board‑ready presenter for the technology portfolio — capable of preparing and delivering clear, decision‑ready presentations to the Board of Directors and executive leadership on portfolio performance, risk, and investment trade‑offs when called upon.
• Enterprise Program & Project Recovery — Serve as the final escalation point and ultimate decision authority for troubled or at‑risk programs and projects across the portfolio — personally stepping in as a hands‑on player‑coach to determine recovery strategy, resourcing, and go/no‑go decisions, and engaging the most senior stakeholders when delivery confidence is at risk.
• PMO Governance & Standards — Define, own, and continuously evolve enterprise PMO standards, governance frameworks, project planning methodologies, and portfolio intake/prioritization models, exercising sole authority over the methodologies, tools, and reporting cadences used across the technology organization, in both waterfall and agile environments.
• Cross‑Functional Executive Partnership — Build and sustain enterprise‑level partnerships with Operations, Finance, Marketing, Franchise, and Supply Chain executive leadership, acting as Technology’s senior‑most delivery representative and shaping cross‑functional strategic alignment on major initiatives.
• Vendor & Partner Governance — Own vendor and strategic partner governance at the executive level — including contract strategy input, executive relationship management with vendor leadership, and final decision authority on performance escalations and remediation.
• Enterprise Change Leadership — Sponsor and govern enterprise‑wide change management and technology adoption initiatives, securing executive and franchise‑level buy‑in and ensuring organizational readiness for major technology and process transformations.
• PMO Team Leadership — Lead and develop a team of program and project management professionals, including Senior Managers — building bench strength and succession depth across the PMO function, and making autonomous decisions on team structure, staffing, and development investment.

Position Requirements (Education, Qualifications, Experience)

Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Business, Hospitality Management, or a related field; MBA or other advanced degree preferred. 10+ years of combined restaurant business and technology experience, including significant experience operating at an executive or senior‑leadership level within QSR or multi‑unit retail/restaurant operations. Demonstrated track record of independently setting technology portfolio strategy and making autonomous, high‑stakes resourcing and prioritization decisions with enterprise‑wide impact. Proven, hands‑on, player‑coach track record personally leading and planning the organization’s largest, most complex, or highest‑risk technology programs and projects — not solely overseeing them — in addition to portfolio‑level strategic leadership. Strong, demonstrated project planning skills and experience conducting structured alternatives analysis (e.g., build‑vs‑buy, vendor/solution options, sequencing, and resourcing trade‑offs) to guide major program and project decisions; this is considered an essential, hands‑on skill for this role. Demonstrated experience and genuine passion for mentoring and developing project and program managers in core PM disciplines — planning, estimation, risk management, alternatives analysis, and delivery execution — including mentoring beyond direct reports. Proven experience building and managing trusted relationships with C‑suite executives and franchise leaders, with the demonstrated ability to prepare and present effectively to a Board of Directors or equivalent governing body when needed. Deep fluency in both waterfall and agile delivery methodologies, with the strategic judgment to set organization‑wide standards for methodology selection and governance. Extensive experience diagnosing and resolving enterprise‑level program risk, with a demonstrated ability to make final recovery and resourcing decisions under pressure. Substantial experience overseeing portfolio‑level visibility across a large, complex program portfolio using Monday.com, Smartsheet, or equivalent enterprise PPM platforms, and delivering board‑and‑executive‑level status presentations. Demonstrated experience negotiating and governing vendor and strategic partner relationships at an executive level. Direct experience in or extensive exposure to franchise business models and franchisee relationship dynamics strongly preferred. PMP certification or equivalent required; Agile/Scrum certification (CSM, SAFe, or equivalent) preferred.

Competencies

• Player‑Coach Delivery Leadership — Operates as a true player‑coach — personally rolling up their sleeves to plan and deliver the organization’s largest, most critical programs and projects, while simultaneously setting strategic direction for the broader portfolio; equally comfortable being in the work and above it.
• Project Planning & Alternatives Analysis — Builds rigorous, detailed project plans and applies structured alternatives analysis — build‑vs‑buy, vendor and solution options, sequencing, and resourcing trade‑offs — to guide major decisions before resources are committed.
• Project Management Mentoring & Capability Building — Actively and consistently mentors project and program managers, both within and beyond the PMO team, in core PM disciplines — planning, estimation, risk management, alternatives analysis, and execution rigor — raising project management capability and maturity across the organization.
• Strategic Decision‑Making — Exercises independent, high‑stakes judgment on portfolio priorities, resourcing, and risk tolerance; comfortable making and owning enterprise‑level decisions with incomplete information.
• Executive Presence & Influence — Commands credibility and trust in executive forums; communicates with the gravitas and composure expected at the most senior levels of the organization.
• Board & Executive Communication — Capable of building and delivering polished, decision‑ready presentations for the Board of Directors and executive leadership when called upon, distilling complex portfolio data into clear strategic narratives.
• Franchise & Executive Relationship Management — Autonomously builds and sustains trusted relationships with franchise leaders and senior executives, operating as a peer‑level partner rather than an escalation path.
• Portfolio Governance — Designs and owns enterprise governance frameworks, standards, and prioritization models that shape how the entire technology organization plans and delivers.
• Enterprise Risk & Recovery Leadership — Serves as the final decision authority for troubled programs and projects, personally stepping in as a hands‑on player‑coach on recovery strategy, resourcing trade‑offs, and stakeholder management at the highest levels.
• Organizational Influence — Shapes enterprise strategy and cross‑functional alignment without direct authority over every stakeholder, building consensus among peers and senior leaders alike.
• Vendor & Partner Governance — Sets the strategic framework for vendor and partner accountability, engaging directly with vendor executive leadership on performance and escalation matters.
• Change Leadership at Scale — Sponsors and governs enterprise‑wide transformation initiatives, securing executive and franchise buy‑in and organizational readiness.
• People & Organizational Leadership — Builds and develops a high‑performing PMO team, with accountability for succession planning, capability building, and organizational design.

Physical Requirements

Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Travel: Up to 20% (reflecting executive stakeholder and Board engagement)

Why Join Church's?

1. If you’re hungry for a career that’s fun, fast‑paced and loaded with opportunity, then you’ve come to the right place. At Church’s®, we’re not your typical quick service restaurant. We make real comfort food that makes a difference in peoples’ lives. And for over 60 years, our restaurant has been a place where hard‑working people can get ahead and go on to do amazing things by serving others.
2. Church’s Chicken is an equal employment opportunity employer and makes hiring and employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or any other factor prohibited by applicable law.

Founded in San Antonio, Texas, in 1952, Church's Texas Chicken® is a highly recognized brand name in the Quick Service Restaurant industry and is one of the largest quick service chicken concepts in the world. Church's Texas Chicken serves up a rich tradition of gracious Southern hospitality and freshly prepared, high‑quality, authentic home‑style fare, to help people provide affordable, complete meals for their families. Church's® menu includes its world famous Original and Spicy chicken, chicken sandwiches with classic sides, and hand‑made from scratch Honey‑Butter Biscuits™. The Church's® system consists of more than 1700 locations in 20 countries and system‑wide sales of $1.6billion. Throughout the world the company operates two brands: Church's Texas Chicken® and Texas Chicken®.