Senior manager - Restaurant Technology Operations & Standards

Description:

BURGERS & FRIES AND INCREDIBLE CAREERS!

We're the burger restaurant with the uncomplicated formula: burgers and fries cooked to perfection, with no frozen ingredients. And we've stuck to the same 'perfect and serve' philosophy since our family business began in 1986.

These days, we're still just as much a family as we always have been. We have tons of integrity, we're enthusiastic. we're competitive and we just get it done - whatever the challenge.

As Five Guys continues to evolve its restaurant technology landscape across multiple European markets, this role offers the opportunity to play a key leadership part in shaping how restaurant technology is run, supported, standardised and improved across the estate.
Why this role matters
This is a high-impact leadership role at an important point in the evolution of Five Guys' restaurant technology estate. It offers the opportunity to shape how restaurant technology is supported, governed and improved across multiple countries, while leading a team and strengthening operational resilience across the business.

For the right person, this is a chance to combine technical depth, people leadership and practical delivery in a business where technology has a direct and visible impact on day-to-day performance.

Role Summary

This is a senior, hands-on IT leadership role responsible for the performance, stability and evolution of restaurant technology across the UK, France, Spain and Germany.

It sits at the centre of a fast-paced, multi-country environment requiring strong judgement, pace and technical credibility. The role combines leadership, operational ownership and hands-on problem solving, with accountability for major incidents, technical standards, supplier performance and scalable solutions across the estate.

With direct impact on revenue, operational resilience, rapid decision-making and practical leadership are critical.

The role also plays a key part in standardising, documenting and improving restaurant technology, working closely with projects, architecture, cybersecurity, suppliers and in-country IT teams.

Leadership & Team Management

This is a key leadership position within the IT function, with line management responsibility for in-country IT Managers.

The successful candidate will be expected to provide clear direction, build capability, create accountability and lead a high-performing team across multiple markets and cultures.

Success in the role will depend not just on technical strength, but on the ability to lead people well, bring clarity in fast-moving situations and create a consistent, effective operating approach across the estate.

Restaurant Operations & Escalation Own the operational stability of restaurant technology across all markets

Lead the response to major incidents and critical service issues affecting restaurants

Coordinate internal teams, suppliers and business stakeholders through to resolution

Make timely, well-judged decisions in live operational situations

Drive permanent root cause resolution rather than short-term workarounds

Support and coach IT Managers in resolving high-impact or complex operational issues

Hands-On Technical OwnershipBring strong technical credibility across restaurant technology, infrastructure and integrations

Be willing to get into the detail personally when required to resolve critical issues

Understand system behaviours, dependencies and failure points across POS, payments, networks, kiosks and related restaurant technologies

Validate technical solutions, supplier configurations and delivery quality

Apply sound judgement to distinguish between quick fixes, sustainable solutions and acceptable risk

Experience with NCR Aloha or comparable restaurant / retail POS platforms is highly desirable, alongside broader familiarity with payment, kiosk, network and in-store technology environments

Technical Solution DesignDefine and evolve standards for POS, kiosks, networks, CCTV and in-store technology

Ensure solutions are scalable, supportable and operationally fit for a live restaurant environment

Balance standardisation with real-world operational constraints across different markets

Identify opportunities to simplify, improve and modernise the restaurant technology estate over time

Work closely with project and architecture teams to ensure solutions are robust and ready for rollout

Documentation & Handover to ProjectsCreate clear, structured technical documentation covering designs, configurations, standards and use cases

Ensure solutions are properly documented and operationally ready before rollout

Build repeatable, well-governed handover processes into project delivery

Capture knowledge, decisions and technical standards in a way that supports consistency across markets

Help bring greater structure, clarity and repeatability to the function over time

Standards & ConsistencyDrive consistency in restaurant technology standards across all countries

Reduce unnecessary local variation and unsupported workarounds

Balance control and standardisation with genuine local operational requirements

Promote a clear, scalable operating model for restaurant technology across the estate

Support a joined-up approach across markets while recognising cultural and operational differences

Supplier & SLA ManagementOwn technical supplier performance across restaurant technology services

Hold vendors to account against SLAs and agreed service outcomes

Challenge poor performance, weak solutions or avoidable service drift

Work pragmatically with partners to improve resilience, service quality and technical delivery

Build strong working relationships with suppliers while maintaining appropriate challenge and accountability

Use Cases & Continuous ImprovementDefine robust use cases, including edge cases and real operational scenarios

Use live operational insight to identify patterns, weaknesses and improvement opportunities

Drive practical, measurable improvements rather than waiting for issues to escalate

Take a proactive approach to problem solving, simplification and service improvement

Help shape a more resilient, supportable and scalable restaurant technology environment over time

To be successful you will demonstrateStrong hands-on experience in restaurant, retail or hospitality technology environments

Experience leading in live, multi-site operational environments where uptime and pace matter

The judgement and confidence to make sound decisions under pressure

Strong people leadership capability, including experience leading managers and building team capability

The ability to engage credibly with senior stakeholders and give confidence during live issues

Strong supplier management skills, including technical challenge and performance accountability

A proactive, practical and delivery-focused approach

The ability to bring structure, clarity and consistency to complex operational environments

Clear and disciplined documentation and governance habits

Experience working across multiple countries and cultures would be advantageous

Additional European language skills, particularly French, Spanish or German, would be beneficial

Rewards & BenefitsA generous annual bonus based on business performance

Pension scheme

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity leave

Electric car salary sacrifice scheme

Long service rewards after 5 and 10 years with Five Guys

Five Guys Perks & discounts

Invite to our annual General Managers conference - this year we celebrated in Rome!

Life assurance

Private medical via Vitality

Wellbeing support