Job Description

• Own the end‑to‑end technology strategy and roadmap across store, corporate, and data/analytics systems.
• Support business intelligence (BI) infrastructure and data pipelines to deliver timely, high‑quality data for decision‑making across stores and corporate functions.
• Drive disciplined vendor and partner management, working with managed service providers to execute technology roadmap.
• Can build a small, high‑value IT and data team that can support a multi‑site, retail operation.

This is a hands‑on, build‑and‑transform role for an operator who can both support and architect the future state and roll up their sleeves to get difficult work done in the near term. The Director will be solely responsible for technology architecture and BI environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. IT Strategy, Architecture, and Governance

• Develop and own a 3‑year IT roadmap aligned to growth plan and value‑creation goals (store growth, M&A integration, margin expansion, data‑driven decisions).
• Define a pragmatic target architecture across:
• Core ERP and financial systems (currently Sage‑family ERP and related tools).
• Store systems: POS, pricing (e.g., Thrift OS), donation management, inventory, and logistics platforms.
• Data and analytics stack (data models, integration pipelines, BI infrastructure and tools, reporting governance).
• Implement lightweight but effective IT governance: change management, incident/problem management, configuration standards, and access controls across store and corporate environments.

2. Applications, Data, and Reporting

• Centralize disparate data into a single, trusted source of truth for sales, labor, inventory, and donation flows to support:
• Daily and weekly dashboarding (traffic, conversion, UPT/DPT, basket size).
• Store‑ and region‑level KPI reviews (e.g., Texas Thrift performance vs. budget, same‑store sales trends, margin drivers).
• Design, implement, and support business intelligence infrastructure and reporting layer, including:
• Semantic data models and governed datasets.
• Data pipelines and integrations feeding the BI environment.
• Security, distribution, and performance of dashboards and reports for field and corporate stakeholders.
• Selection and implementation of specific BI tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, or similar), with flexibility to choose the right stack for needs.
• Establish common data definitions and standards across functions (store operations, finance, merchandising, HR) to ensure consistent reporting and analysis.

3. Infrastructure, Store Technology, and Operations

• Own the reliability, performance, and total cost of ownership of all infrastructure supporting :
• Store networking (WAN/LAN/Wi‑Fi), endpoints, POS stations, scanners, printers.
• Corporate connectivity and collaboration (identity, email, SharePoint/OneDrive, conferencing).
• Oversee device lifecycle and depot operations in partnership with managed service providers (MSPs) and other external partners as needed.
• Ensure robust monitoring, backup, and disaster recovery across store and corporate systems proportionate to the business’s scale and risk profile.

4. Security and Risk Management

• Establish and maintain a pragmatic cybersecurity program that reflects the realities of a multi‑site, high‑volume retail business.
• Manage key security controls across network, endpoints, identity/access, and data protection, with an emphasis on practical risk reduction and operational continuity.
• Coordinate with third‑party partners on assessments, remediation plans, and ongoing risk management, ensuring maintains a credible and defensible security posture.

5. Leadership, Team Building, and Change Management

• Build and lead a lean internal IT and data team that can support multi‑site retail operations (store support, applications, data/BI), starting with 0–3 direct reports and scaling as the business grows.
• Provide clear direction and coaching to both internal staff and embedded/contracted resources.
• Act as a trusted advisor to CEO and CFO on technology investments, trade‑offs, and risk.
• Lead change management for front‑line store managers and associates, ensuring new systems are intuitive, well‑documented, and supported with training and job‑aids.

Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, including multi‑site retail, restaurant, or multi‑unit services environments.
• Demonstrated success owning an IT roadmap in an environment with legacy systems and incomplete data, and taking it to a more standardized, reliable, and data‑driven state.
• Hands‑on experience with:
• ERP and financial systems in a retail or multi‑site environment, with a strong understanding of how to leverage their data for reporting and analytics.
• POS / store systems and store‑level infrastructure in a high‑volume, operations‑intensive business.
• Designing, implementing, and supporting business intelligence infrastructure (semantic models, data pipelines, and reporting tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar) in a distributed business.
• Strong vendor‑management and negotiation skills, including experience overseeing MSPs, offshore/nearshore resources, and specialized consultancies.
• Solid understanding of practical security fundamentals (network security, endpoint management, identity, and data protection) appropriate for a multi‑site retail business.
• Track record of building and leading small, high‑impact teams in resource‑constrained environments.

Preferred

• Exposure to AI/ML‑driven analytics or automation in a practical, operations‑focused setting (e.g., forecasting, labor optimization, pricing, anomaly detection).
• Familiarity with thrift, off‑price, or value‑oriented retail models.

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