Key Facts

Remote From:

Full time

Expert & Leadership (>10 years)

English

Hard Skills

Information Technology Management Hardening Root Cause Analysis KPI Reporting Collaborative Software Support Engineering Identity And Access Management Patch Management Endpoint Management Data Cabling +16 more

Other Skills

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Accountability
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Leadership
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Team Building
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Prioritization
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Coaching
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Problem Solving

Roles & Responsibilities

7–12+ years of IT experience with 3–5+ years leading IT operations in a multi-site environment (restaurant, retail, or similar)
Proven track record of reducing ticket volume and improving system reliability through standardization, automation, and root-cause resolution
Experience owning both field/operational IT (stores/locations) and corporate IT (endpoints, SaaS systems, internal support)
Strong leadership ability with experience managing teams, setting priorities, and driving accountability in fast-paced environments

Requirements:

Lead day-to-day IT operations across restaurant and corporate environments, transitioning to a proactive, systems-driven operating model with structured support processes, SLAs, and on-call coverage
Ensure reliability and standardization of restaurant technology (POS, networking, hardware, integrations), define store-level standards and readiness checklists, and partner with operations to resolve technology friction
Own corporate IT end-user experience (endpoints, identity/access management, collaboration tools, SaaS platforms) and implement automation and self-service to improve efficiency
Lead systems hardening and security controls across environments, maintain inventories and lifecycle management, and optimize vendor relationships for cost and performance

Taco Time Northwest

About Taco Time Northwest

Headquartered in Renton, Washington, Taco Time Northwest is a family owned company that employs more than 1,400 people in its 51 company owned restaurants in western Washington and manages another 25 franchise locations. We are proud to be a Northwest institution and plan to stay that way for generations to come. At Taco Time, we think it’s important to use only fresh, quality ingredients. We spend hours each morning shredding heads of lettuce and blocks of aged Cheddar Cheese, slicing ripe tomatoes, preparing our own salsas and sauces, cooking ground beef and sautéing all-white meat chicken in small batches throughout the day. Our beans are not refried but rather are fat-free and cooked fresh every day. As a quick service restaurant that serves fresh and delicious food, we’re different that way. While our fresh, local ingredients make our food delicious, we owe a great deal of our success to our friendly, caring employees. We work hard to make Taco Time as great a place to work as it is to eat. We believe that each person is key to our success and should be valued and respected. As a local Northwest company, we think reducing our footprint is pretty important too. That is why we’ve made a healthy investment in compostable packaging. Taco Time Northwest has designed a program that allows guests who dine in our restaurants to place nearly all items to be disposed of in one compostable container, diverting more than 99% of our waste away from local landfills. We make it a priority to give back to Northwest communities. Through fundraising efforts, we're honored to have donated nearly $2 million over the past decade. In 2014, Taco Time Northwest created its own charitable foundation to partner with organizations that provide access to nutritious food and educational programs supporting healthy lifestyles. Our grants are already helping many local non-profit organizations to create a better future for our community.

Founded: 2018

Company size: 1001 - 5000

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Job description

Summary

The Director of IT is responsible for leading the IT team, supporting corporate and restaurant technology, with a focus on building a more efficient, stable, and standardized IT environment. This role will drive root-cause problem solving, systems hardening, automation, and operating cadence improvements that reduce overall ticket volume and prevent recurring issues.

( We use our internal recruiting team, please no emails or call from staffing companies)

Essential Functions and Key Position Accountabilities

IT Operations & Reliability
- Own day-to-day IT operations across both restaurant and corporate environments, ensuring consistent performance, uptime, and support coverage.
- Lead the transition from reactive support to a proactive, systems-driven IT operating model focused on stability and prevention.
- Establish and enforce structured support processes (intake, triage, escalation, SLAs, on-call coverage).
Restaurant Technology & Field Operations
- Ensure reliability and standardization of all restaurant technology (POS, networking, hardware, integrations).
- Define and enforce store-level standards (networking, cabling, hardware configurations, readiness checklists).
- Partner with operations to proactively identify and resolve technology friction impacting restaurant performance.
Corporate IT & End-User Experience
- Own corporate IT systems, including endpoint management, identity and access management, collaboration tools, and SaaS platforms.
- Ensure a high-quality end-user experience for corporate employees through reliable systems and responsive support.
- Implement automation and self-service capabilities to improve efficiency and reduce manual support needs.
Systems, Security & Infrastructure
- Lead systems hardening efforts across all environments to improve reliability, security, and repeatability.
- Ensure appropriate security controls are in place (access controls, patching, device management, vendor risk awareness).
- Maintain accurate system inventories, documentation, and lifecycle management processes.
Vendor Management & Cost Optimization
- Own relationships with IT vendors and service providers, ensuring accountability for performance and outcomes.
- Evaluate tools and systems for consolidation opportunities and cost efficiency.
- Partner with leadership to manage IT spend effectively while improving service quality.
Process, Change Management & Continuous Improvement
- Establish QA and change management practices for all IT-impacting changes (testing, rollout, validation, backout plans).
- Drive root cause analysis and permanent resolution of recurring issues.
- Track and report on key performance metrics (ticket trends, uptime, incident recurrence, service costs).
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach, and develop the IT team with clear expectations, accountability, and performance management.
- Build a culture of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement.
- Align team priorities with company objectives and operational needs.
Strategic Partnership
- Partner with the CEO and CTO to prioritize IT initiatives and align technology with business goals.
- Support evaluation and implementation of new systems and capabilities that improve operational performance.
Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

7–12+ years of IT experience, including 3–5+ years leading IT operations in a multi-site environment (restaurant, retail, or similar)
Proven track record of reducing ticket volume and improving system reliability through standardization, automation, and root-cause resolution
Experience owning both field/operational IT (e.g., stores, locations) and corporate IT (endpoints, SaaS systems, internal support)
Strong leadership ability with experience managing teams, setting priorities, and driving accountability in fast-paced environments
Solid understanding of IT infrastructure fundamentals, including networking, endpoint management, and cloud/SaaS systems
Experience managing vendors and evaluating systems for performance, scalability, and cost efficiency
Ability to translate business needs into practical technology solutions and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders