Project Manager, NRO & Restaurant Technology

Job Title: Project Manager, NRO & Restaurant Technology

Reports To: Senior Manager, IT Programs and Projects

Department: Information Technology

Location: Restaurant Support Center – Atlanta, GA

Revised: April 2026

Job Summary: The Project Manager, NRO & Restaurant Technology role is responsible for the end-to-end project management of technology workstreams associated with new restaurant openings (NROs) and restaurant remodel projects at Church’s Texas Chicken, as well as the delivery of broader restaurant technology deployment and implementation projects. This is a hands-on, execution-focused, and serves as the primary technology project manager for NRO and remodel construction projects.

Key Duties/Responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end technology project management process for new restaurant openings and remodel projects, serving as the single point of accountability.

• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, milestone schedules, task assignments, and dependency maps for all NRO and remodel technology workstreams.

• Coordinate technology activities across all in-store systems including POS terminals, kitchen display systems (KDS), digital menu boards, drive-thru technology, camera and security systems, wired and wireless in-store data networks, and firewall. infrastructure, ensuring each system is installed, configured, tested, and support-ready before opening day.

• Manage the sequencing and scheduling of vendor site visits, installation windows, and configuration activities in coordination with general contractors.

• Conduct structured pre-opening technology readiness reviews, verifying that all systems meet defined go-live criteria before the restaurant is cleared to open.

• Serve as the primary technology point of contact for franchise partners, construction managers, and field operations teams.

• Perform post-opening project reviews, documenting lessons learned, capturing defects or issues identified during opening week.

• Manage the delivery of restaurant technology deployment and implementation projects beyond NROs and remodels, including system upgrades, technology refresh initiatives, new platform rollouts, and multi-site deployment programs.

• Identify, document, and proactively manage project risks and issues, developing mitigation strategies and driving issues to resolution through appropriate escalation channels.

• Coordinate with internal technology teams, operations stakeholders, franchise partners, and external vendors to ensure that project dependencies are understood, resource commitments are met, and deliverables are completed on schedule.

• Conduct regular project status meetings, facilitating structured agendas, driving decisions, and ensuring that action items are clearly assigned and followed through to completion.

• Develop and deliver audience-appropriate status reports and presentations on a defined cadence for each project, translating detailed plan data into clear, concise updates tailored to the needs of each stakeholder audience — from granular technical status for vendor and IT teams to high-level milestone summaries for senior leadership and franchise partners.

• Adapt communication style, format, and level of detail to the needs of each audience, ensuring that every stakeholder receives the information they need in a format that is useful and actionable for their role.

• Participate in construction project meetings and coordination calls as the technology representative, contributing technology readiness status, flagging schedule conflicts.

• Maintain familiarity with low voltage rough-in requirements, conduit placement, and infrastructure readiness standards, coordinating with general contractors and electricians as needed to ensure that physical prerequisites are in place before vendor teams arrive on-site.

Position Requirements (Education, Qualifications, Experience):

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Business, Construction Management, Hospitality Management, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

• 4–6 years of project management experience in a restaurant or retail environment, with significant direct involvement in store construction, NRO, or remodel technology projects.

• Demonstrated experience managing technology workstreams within restaurant or retail construction projects, including coordination of multiple vendors and trades within an active construction environment.

• Strong working knowledge of in-store restaurant technology systems including point of sale (POS), kitchen display systems (KDS), digital menu boards, drive-thru technology, camera and security systems, wired and wireless in-store data networks, and firewall infrastructure.

• Familiarity with self-service kiosk systems is a plus.

• Proven ability to build, maintain, and report against detailed project plans across multiple concurrent projects, with experience using project management tools such as Monday.com, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, or equivalent platforms.

• Demonstrated experience managing and coordinating multiple technology vendors simultaneously, including scheduling, deliverable tracking, and performance accountability.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to develop and deliver audience-appropriate project status updates for stakeholders ranging from on-site construction teams to senior leadership.

• Demonstrated willingness and ability to confront project issues directly, drive conflicts to resolution, and escalate risks proactively rather than allowing problems to go unaddressed.

• Familiarity with restaurant construction processes and lifecycles, including an understanding of construction scheduling, low voltage rough-in sequencing, and technology commissioning windows within the construction timeline.

• PMP certification or equivalent project management credential is preferred but not required.

Competencies:

• Critical Thinking –Defines and resolves a situation or problem by analyzing issues involved, weighing options, and evaluating alternatives; maintains objective attitude; approaches situations and problems systematically; uses observation, experience, reflection, and/or reasoning to drive business forward.
• Influencing Others –Convinces and persuades others in either positive or negative circumstances to accomplish goals and objectives; responds to objections successfully; uses tact when expressing ideas or opinions.
• Initiative –Acts proactively; addresses issues or opportunities without supervision; focuses on desired results and accomplishments; demonstrates clear purpose, enthusiasm, and a “can-do” attitude.
• Innovative and Creative –Looks for ways to improve oneself, the job, the project, the system, and the organization; challenges conventional practices, generates new ideas to create novel solutions to problems.
• Managing Execution –Manages multiple projects and effectively prioritizes tasks and goals; uses goals to guide actions and create detailed action plans; organizes and schedules people and tasks; utilizes resources effectively to meet goals.
• Negotiating –Presents issues or ideas in a clear and influential manner; maintains an open-minded and non-judgmental attitude; listens to others’ views and empathizes.
• Relationship Management –Initiates and develops relationships with others; demonstrates credibility; confronts conflict quickly and professionally; inspires confidence in others.

Physical Requirements:

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

Travel: Up to 25%