Senior manager - Restaurant Technology Operations & Standards

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.

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 Ownership

• Bring 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 Design

• Define 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 Projects

• Create 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 & Consistency

• Drive 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 Management

• Own 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 Improvement

• Define 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 elevate.
• 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 demonstrate

• Strong 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 & Benefits

• A 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.