Director of Technology Operations & Reliability

Shell Mobility and Convenience USA•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Director of Technology Operations & Reliability is responsible for the availability, resilience, support experience, and operational performance of technology systems across Shell Mobility & Convenience. The role leads retail technology operations, infrastructure, workplace technology, service management, operational automation, and deployment readiness, ensuring reliable technology services for stores and corporate users while driving scalability, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement across a growing retail network. The Director owns the Technology Operations & Reliability roadmap, budget, and resource planning; leads the organization’s operational functions; and oversees internal team members, vendors, and technology service providers. The position reports directly to the Chief Technology Officer. Standard business hours are Monday through Friday, with flexibility to support business needs and major incidents. Occasional travel may be required.

Requirements

Significant leadership experience in technology operations, infrastructure, reliability engineering, or IT service management.
Experience supporting multi-site or distributed business operations.
Proven experience managing technology availability, vendor relationships, major incidents, and service improvement programs.
Knowledge of retail technology, cloud infrastructure, networking, endpoint services, and operational monitoring tools.
Strong leadership and team development skills.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to lead through complex operational challenges and major incidents.
Knowledge of distributed technology environments, cloud infrastructure, networking, endpoint management, and service management practices.
Strong financial, vendor management, and strategic planning capabilities.
Ability to lift up to 20 pounds.
Ability to travel occasionally as business needs require.
Availability to support major technology incidents and critical operational issues as needed.
Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting convenience retail, fuel retail, hospitality, restaurant, or other high-volume multi-site environments.
Relevant IT service management, cloud, networking, or reliability certifications.
Ongoing leadership and professional development training.
Continued education on emerging technologies, automation, and reliability best practices.

Responsibilities

Lead operations supporting retail technology, POS systems, payments, forecourt technology, store connectivity, car wash systems, and site devices.
Oversee network operations, cloud infrastructure, Microsoft 365, identity management, endpoint services, and workplace technologies.
Ensure business-critical systems remain reliable, secure, and highly available.
Develop operational standards and support processes that scale with business growth.
Lead incident, major incident, problem, change, request, and knowledge management processes.
Establish measurable service levels and operational performance standards.
Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions to reduce recurring issues.
Implement monitoring, automation, self-service tools, and operational best practices to improve service reliability.
Lead major technology incidents and communicate effectively with business stakeholders during critical events.
Ensure technology readiness and operational handoff for acquisitions, remodels, new locations, and raze-and-rebuild projects.
Partner with business and technology teams to support growth initiatives and expansion plans.
Coordinate infrastructure and support requirements for new store openings and integrations.
Manage relationships with technology vendors, service providers, and field support partners.
Monitor supplier performance against established service-level expectations; escalate service issues and drive continuous improvement with vendor partners.
Partner with Contracts & Procurement on technology-related vendor strategies and agreements.
Own the Technology Operations & Reliability roadmap, budget, and resource planning.
Manage technology operating costs, vendor spend, and capacity planning.
Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce support costs.
Track and report on key operational performance metrics.
Support cybersecurity, privacy, risk management, and technology control requirements.
Ensure operational compliance with company standards and regulatory requirements.
Drive standardization, automation, and process improvements across technology operations.
Foster a culture focused on reliability, customer experience, and continuous improvement.
Lead the Technology Operations & Reliability organization, including retail technology operations, infrastructure, workplace technology, service management, and deployment readiness functions.
Oversee internal team members, vendors, and technology service providers supporting daily operations.
Participate in ongoing leadership and professional development training, technology and operational excellence programs, required compliance and security training, and continued education on emerging technologies, automation, and reliability best practices.