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

Inspire Brands, Inc.$150K — $200K *
Food & Beverages
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years of IT management experience
  • Strong background in leading cross-functional technology initiatives
  • 10+ years of experience with retail technology environments preferred
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field; advanced degree preferred
  • Expert knowledge of restaurant technology applications and platforms

Responsibilities

  • Establish and implement short, mid, and long-term strategies to enhance business outcomes
  • Analyze processes to identify and rectify underlying issues
  • Create operational plans focusing on improving business results through process development
  • Negotiate with internal and external stakeholders to garner support for operational concepts
  • Foster a positive culture to enhance franchisee and internal customer satisfaction
  • Develop team capabilities for strong performance and leadership succession
  • Lead financial and resource allocation strategies to drive growth and efficiency
  • Oversee implementation of AI and automation technologies for improved operational effectiveness

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health and wellness programs
  • 401(k) plan with company match
  • Opportunity for leadership development
  • Collaborative and inclusive team environment
  • Access to innovative technology and operational resources
Full 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 inrestaurant, offpremise, and enterprise technology platforms, ensuring high availability, consistent performance, and minimal disruption to restaurant operations and franchise partners of the Arbys and SONIC brands. 

The position focuses on translating business and brand strategies into reliable, repeatable operational outcomes through disciplined operating models, ITSMaligned processes, vendor governance, and continuous improvement. The VPestablishesand executes mid to longterm operational plans, oversees complex thirdparty 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 crossfunctional leader, the role partners closely with Operations, Digital, Finance, and external partners to balance innovation with operational rigor. A core responsibility is building a highperformance culture that emphasizes accountability, datadriven decisionmaking, and leadership development, ensuring technology operations remain a competitive advantage for a largescale enterprise.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Establishes and implements strategies that have short, mid, and long-term impact on company results
  • Improves upon entire processes or systems leveraging experiences 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 negotiate to influence internal and external parties to accept concepts, practices and approaches of the operational area. Frequently conducts briefings to senior leaders both within and outside the business. 
  • Creates a culture and mindset of starting with yes this leader is responsible for franchisee and internal (non-IT) customer satisfaction and builds relationships and an org culture that works to improve both the effectiveness and the perception of the IT organization. 
  • Develops and coaches direct and indirect team members to drive strong performance, build leadership capability, and strengthen the succession pipeline
  • Leads enterpriselevel financial strategy and capital governance, optimizing resource allocation to drive sustained growth, operational efficiency, and longterm financial health. 
  • Defines and champions the organizations vendor ecosystem strategy, ensuring vendors are leveraged as strategic partners to drive enterprise performance, resilience, and longterm competitive advantage. 
  • Within their domain, own the 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 geographical 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 needsand 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%.

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About Inspire Brands, Inc.

Inspire Brands, Inc. Careers

Joining Inspire Brands, Inc. presents a prime opportunity to be part of a diverse team of professionals dedicated to pioneering innovations in the food and beverage industry. Inspire Brands, Inc. stands out as a leader in creating dynamic dining experiences and is renowned for its commitment to excellence and growth.

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Culture and Benefits

The culture at Inspire Brands, Inc. is built on a foundation of innovation and teamwork. Employees enjoy a range of benefits designed to support both their professional and personal lives. Benefits include health and wellness programs, competitive compensation packages, and flexible working conditions that underscore the company’s commitment to employee well-being.

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The hiring process at Inspire Brands, Inc. is designed to be transparent and engaging. Candidates can expect a thorough interview process where they can showcase their skills and learn about the company’s values and opportunities for career advancement. Tips for crafting an effective resume and succeeding in interviews are available through the company’s career blog.

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