Senior Manager, IT Programs and Projects

Cajun Funding Corp; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Cajun Funding Corp is looking for a Senior Manager, IT Programs and Projects in Atlanta. This role involves hands-on management of technology programs across restaurant operations and enterprise back-office portfolios while establishing project management standards.

The successful candidate will have a strong background in IT program management and a proven ability to deliver complex projects on time and within budget. Leadership and stakeholder management skills are crucial. Travel may be required up to 10%.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of combined technology and restaurant management experience.
• Proven track record in managing complex technology programs.
• Strong ability in stakeholder management and relationship building.

Responsibilities

• Manage delivery of high-priority technology programs and projects.
• Implement recovery governance structures for troubled projects.
• Drive organizational adoption of new technologies.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Agile methodologies

Waterfall methodologies

Vendor management

Critical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT or related field

PMP certification

Agile/Scrum certification

Tools

Monday.com

Smartsheet

Job description

Senior Manager, IT Programs and Projects

Reports To: SVP of Technology

Location: Atlanta – RSC

Department: Technology and Digital Platforms

Revised: April 2026

Job Summary

Responsible for the hands‑on management and delivery of technology programs and projects across Church’s Texas Chicken’s restaurant operations, infrastructure, and enterprise back‑office portfolios, while establishing and maintaining project management standards, governance frameworks, and portfolio visibility practices.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Directly manage the delivery of selected high‑priority technology programs and projects spanning restaurant operations technology, IT infrastructure, and enterprise back‑office systems, serving as the primary accountable owner for scope, schedule, budget, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Apply waterfall, agile, or hybrid delivery methodologies as appropriate, demonstrating fluency in both approaches and the judgment to select and adapt the right framework for each engagement.
• Lead project initiation activities including charter development, scope definition, stakeholder alignment, resource planning, risk identification, and establishment of governance and communication cadences.
• Maintain rigorous project tracking at the work package and task level using portfolio management tools such as Monday.com or Smartsheet, ensuring that project data is current, accurate, and actionable.
• Facilitate effective project meetings, sprint reviews, steering sessions, and working groups, driving structured agendas, clear decisions, and accountable action items to maintain project momentum.
• Manage project budgets, forecast expenditures, and report on financial performance against approved project budgets throughout the delivery lifecycle.
• Establish and lead cadence‑driven project and portfolio status update processes, developing and delivering appropriate reporting for each stakeholder group.
• Serve as the organization’s go‑to resource for troubled project recovery, applying a proven set of diagnostic and turnaround methods to rapidly assess root causes, stabilize delivery, and restore stakeholder confidence.
• Conduct structured project health assessments on struggling programs, identify scope creep, dependency failures, resource gaps, decision bottlenecks, and stakeholder misalignment, then develop targeted recovery plans.
• Lead difficult project conversations with candor and professionalism, delivering honest assessments of status and recovery requirements while maintaining credibility and team morale.
• Implement recovery governance structures including accelerated reporting cadences, escalation protocols, scope triage processes, and focused work‑stream management to re‑establish control and predictability.
• Build lessons‑learned frameworks that capture recovery insights and translate them into improved initiation and risk‑management practices across the portfolio.
• Develop and manage a portfolio‑level view of all active technology projects across restaurant operations, infrastructure, and enterprise back‑office domains.
• Define and support project intake and prioritization processes that ensure new initiatives are properly scoped and resourced before work begins.
• Establish consistent project reporting standards including status report formats, RAG assessment criteria, milestone tracking conventions, and escalation thresholds applicable to all project teams.
• Champion adoption and effective use of portfolio and project management tooling across the technology organization, serving as the primary owner of platforms such as Monday.com or Smartsheet.
• Develop and deliver project and portfolio status presentations for audiences ranging from senior technology leadership to operational field teams and in‑store restaurant staff, translating complex data into clear narratives.
• Build strong working relationships with cross‑functional business partners and engage with franchise partners and field leadership on projects that affect restaurant operations.
• Manage technology delivery vendors and implementation partners, holding them accountable to scope commitments, delivery milestones, and quality standards through structured performance oversight.
• Identify vendor performance risks early and proactively raise them.
• Lead, develop, and mentor project management team members, setting clear performance expectations, providing regular coaching, and building individual capability in delivery methodology, stakeholder management, and tooling proficiency.
• Drive organizational adoption of new technologies and process changes introduced through IT programs, developing change‑management plans.
• Facilitate results‑driven working sessions, cross‑functional workshops, and alignment forums that move decision‑making forward, resolve competing priorities, and build shared ownership of project outcomes.
• Champion a culture of delivery accountability, transparent communication, and continuous improvement across the IT project management function and the broader technology organization.

Position Requirements – Education, Qualifications, Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, business, hospitality management, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5–7 years of combined restaurant business and technology experience, with a demonstrated understanding of restaurant operations, QSR workflows, and supporting technology systems.
• Proven track record of directly managing complex technology programs and projects from initiation through closure, delivering against scope, schedule, and budget commitments.
• Experience in both waterfall and agile project delivery methodologies, with the judgment to select the appropriate approach for each project context.
• Proven methods and track record for diagnosing, stabilizing, and turning around troubled or off‑track technology projects, with specific examples of recovery outcomes.
• Strong experience building and managing portfolio‑level visibility across concurrent projects using tools such as Monday.com, Smartsheet, or equivalent platforms.
• Ability to develop and deliver level‑appropriate project and portfolio status presentations for audiences ranging from senior leadership to operational field teams.
• Experience managing technology delivery vendors and implementation partners, including milestone tracking, performance accountability, and contract oversight.
• Strong stakeholder management and political awareness, with a proven ability to build credibility and productive relationships across business, technology, franchise, and vendor audiences.
• Experience in or significant exposure to front‑of‑house or back‑of‑house restaurant operations is a strong plus.
• PMP certification or equivalent project management credential preferred.
• Agile/Scrum certification (CSM, SAFe, or equivalent) also preferred.

Competencies

• Critical Thinking – Define and resolve situations by analyzing issues, weighing options, and evaluating alternatives.
• Influencing Others – Convince and persuade others in varied circumstances to accomplish goals and objectives.
• Initiative – Act proactively and address issues or opportunities without supervision.
• Innovative and Creative – Seek ways to improve oneself, the job, the project, and the organization.
• Managing Execution – Prioritize tasks and guide actions to achieve multiple project goals.
• Negotiating – Present issues in clear, influential manner and maintain openness to other viewpoints.
• Relationship Management – Initiate and develop relationships, handle conflict promptly, and inspire confidence.

Physical Requirements

Employees must be able to perform essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Travel

Up to 10% travel.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

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.