Vice President - Restaurant Technology & Operations - Arby’s & SONIC

inspirebrands; Georgia; On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Inspire Brands seeks a Vice President of Restaurant Technology & Operations to lead IT and operational excellence across Arby’s & SONIC brands. Based in Atlanta, you’ll drive stability, scalability, and performance for in‑restaurant and digital operations, partnering with Ops, Digital, and Finance to align technology with brand strategy.

You will oversee Directors and Managers, implement ITSM practices, govern vendors, and push continuous improvement, ensuring high uptime and cost efficiency at

Qualifications

• 4-year Degree in computer science, information systems, or related field.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years IT management experience in medium‑to‑large enterprises.
• 10+ years leadership in retail technology environments; restaurant tech preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establishes and implements strategies with short, mid, and long-term impact on results.
• Improves end-to-end processes and analyzes root causes for improvement.
• Develops tactical and operational plans aligning with business results.
• Interacts with senior leaders; briefs on initiatives and outcomes.
• Creates a culture of accountability and franchisee/internal customer satisfaction.
• Develops and coaches teams to drive performance and succession.
• Leads enterprise financial strategy and capital governance.
• Defines vendor ecosystem strategy leveraging partners for performance.
• Owns AI and automation strategy to improve efficiency and service.

Skills

Executive IT leadership

ITSM/ITIL

Vendor governance

AI & automation

Cross-functional leadership

Education

B.S. in CS or related

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

POS systems

Job description

Vice President - Restaurant Technology & Operations- Arby's & SONIC is a senior enterprise leader responsible for the stability, scalability, and performance of technology that enables restaurant and digital operations across a large, geographically distributed organization.

This role leads multiple teams of Directors and Managers and owns the operational execution of in‑restaurant, off‑premise, and enterprise technology platforms, ensuring high availability, consistent performance, and minimal disruption to restaurant operations and franchise partners of the Arby’s and SONIC brands.

The position focuses on translating business and brand strategies into reliable, repeatable operational outcomes through disciplined operating models, ITSM‑aligned processes, vendor governance, and continuous improvement. The VP establishes and executes mid‑to‑long‑term operational plans, oversees complex third‑party ecosystems, and serves as the executive escalation point for technology incidents, service performance, and enterprise rollouts. Success is measured through uptime, service levels, cost efficiency, and the ability to support growth, innovation, and change at scale.

As a cross‑functional leader, the role partners closely with Operations, Digital, Finance, and external partners to balance innovation with operational rigor. A core responsibility is building a high‑performance culture that emphasizes accountability, data‑driven decision‑making, and leadership development, ensuring technology operations remain a competitive advantage for a large‑scale enterprise.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establishes and implements strategies that haveshort,mid, and long-termimpact on company results
• Improves uponentire processes or systemsleveragingexperiences and in-depth understanding of best practices. Extensively analyzes problems to seek understanding of the underlying issue and root cause of the problem
• Establishes and implements tactical and operational plans for the function of the business. Focus is on strategies to achieve business results, which may require substantial development of new processes or standards
• Daily interactions with parties within and outside of own job function. May negotiateto influence internal and external parties to accept concepts,practicesand approaches of the operational area. Frequently conducts briefings to senior leaders both within and outside the business.
• Creates a culture and mindset of ‘starting withyes’– this leaderis responsible forfranchisee and internal (non-IT) customer satisfaction andbuildsrelationshipsand an org culturethatworks to improve both the effectiveness and theperceptionof the IT organization.
• Develops and coaches direct and indirect team members to drive strong performance, build leadership capability, and strengthen the succession pipeline
• Leads enterprise‑level financial strategy and capital governance,optimizingresource allocation to drive sustained growth, operational efficiency, and long‑term financial health.
• Defines and champions the organization’s vendor ecosystem strategy, ensuring vendors areleveragedas strategic partners to drive enterprise performance, resilience, and long‑term competitive advantage.
• Within their domain,ownthe strategy, implementation, and operationalization of AI and automation technologies to improve efficiency,decision making, and service reliability.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS

• 15+ years of progressive experience in IT management
• 15+ years of experience leading cross-functional programs with business leaders, product managers, and vendors to deliver complex technology initiatives with measurable results in medium‑to‑large‑sized enterprise environments
• 10+ years of leadership experience over retail (physical store) technology environments is required; Experience with restaurant technologies (POS, kiosks, digital menu boards/signage, and in‑store infrastructure) is highly preferred
• 4-year Degree in computer science, information systems, or related field; Advanced degree preferred

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, OR ABILITIES

• Expert knowledge of relevant applications, technical platforms, vendors, and hardware in the restaurant industry
• Advanced general management and leadership capabilities with proven success leading business or functional teams
• Expert proficiency with Microsoft operating systems and related software, plus familiarity with at least two additional operating systems, such as iOS, Android, or Linux
• Expert knowledge with ITSM frameworks such as ITIL; Industry recognized certifications in this area preferred
• Expert knowledge in supporting multi-modal and geographically disparate locations
• Expert experience in building business and technical requirements
• Strong analytical skills, including a thorough understanding of how to interpret franchisee and end‑user business needs and translate them into operational requirements
• Strong networking, relationship-building, and influencing abilities
• Ability to clearly and concisely communicate to all levels of the organization, including written and verbal communications
• Confident presentation skills in front of large groups of people both in‑person and over video conference
• Excellent problem‑solving ability
• Exceptional organization, communication skills, and attention to detail
• Ability to meet deadlines and make sound decisions based on data and stakeholder feedback
• Ability to work cross‑functionally within a highly matrixed organization
• Expert in Microsoft Office Suite, including but not limited to Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word
• Strong knowledge in the practical application of AI and other modern technology tools
• Intimate understanding of technical specification documentation, integration best practices and services‑based architecture

This position is based in our Atlanta Support Center, with an expected on‑site presence of 80%.

#LIIB

Inspire is a multi‑brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,000 Arby’s, Baskin‑Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide.

We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company. We’re a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a staple—it’s an experience. At Inspire, that’s our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.