Sr. Lead Technical Product Owner

Chick-fil-A, Inc.•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

Chick-fil-A, Inc. is dedicated to expanding its business through innovative endeavors both domestically and globally. This technology-dependent approach supports diverse business requirements and operational environments inherent in global expansion and vertical integration. We are searching for a skilled and motivated engineer to lead the technology operations for Chick-fil-A's vertical business lines and international restaurants (entities). This role will be critical in ensuring the availability, performance, security, and cost-efficiency of the underlying IT infrastructure and services, often delivered and maintained through external partners and contractors. You will be responsible for overseeing the management of various essential IT systems, including secure remote access, Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) services, leading endpoint management solutions, Infrastructure-as-Code practices (using industry-standard tools, scripting, and automation), cloud DevOps, and comprehensive patching strategies. In this role, you will be a key player in identifying opportunities and driving the design, implementation, and management of solutions that enhance the efficiency and reliability of our security, network, and infrastructure. You will collaborate closely with the engineering and architecture teams, technical teams internationally, network and infrastructure team, cybersecurity team, division leads, and other teams to develop and implement cloud-based infrastructure and workflows, and champion the adoption of infrastructure-as-code and AI practices. The ideal candidate combines a strong engineering background with operational expertise, excellent communication skills, a passion for continuous improvement, commitment to fostering a collaborative global team, and an ability to marshal resources from vendors and other internal teams to achieve a technical vision. This role will design, deliver, and help maintain complex solutions across Chick-fil-A International and other entities. Through internal and external partnerships, this role will also influence and contribute to strategic planning efforts as Chick-fil-A continuously improves the delivery of technology operations services supporting at scale. The role will report to the Entity Technology Solutions (ETS) Common Services, Premises Infrastructure Technology team leader, serve as part of the ETS Common Services team, and will partner closely with others in the ETS team and within the larger Digital Transformation and Technology (DTT) department. The position is based in Atlanta, GA.

Requirements

Skilled in designing and implementing robust operational solutions for complex IT infrastructure and system management challenges.
Rapidly learn and adapt to new technologies, with a successful track record of solving intricate technical problems through automation.
Proficient in developing scalable systems, with a focus on efficiency, maintainability, and future-proofing our infrastructure.
Strong analytical skills, able to leverage data and metrics to drive decisions.
Excellent communicator, capable of explaining complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Effective collaborator, able to work seamlessly with network, infrastructure, security, and other teams to achieve business goals.
Highly organized with exceptional multitasking abilities, capable of managing concurrent projects in a dynamic environment.
Deep understanding of current and emerging technologies, committed to security and industry best practices.
Experience supporting production systems and participating in incident management and root cause analysis activities.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess system behavior and identify contributing factors.
Deep understanding of AWS services, architecture, and best practices with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform or CloudFormation.
Strong knowledge of monitoring, alerting, and logging tools.
Experience in data security, access control, and regulatory compliance.
Experience in budget management.
Ability to document technical information clearly and maintain operational standards and references.
Effective communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams.
Comfort working in structured support and operational environments while balancing multiple priorities.
Ability to work with vendors and partners to support hardware and system-related needs.
Strong personal and relational intelligence, with a servant spirit and strong sense of stewardship aligned to Chick-fil-A’s values.
4+ years of professional experience
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Nice To Haves

10+ years of professional experience
2+ years experience supporting international operations.
Experience working in the food service or hospitality industry.
Relevant cloud certifications (e.g., Solutions Architect, Advanced Networking, Security Specialty).
Relevant certifications in endpoint management or secure access technologies.
Experience in systems engineering.
Experience in DevOps engineering.
Experience with AI automation tools
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, or similar area of study

Responsibilities

Vendor and Contractor Management: Lead the selection, onboarding, and ongoing management of external vendors and contractors responsible for the delivery and support of critical IT infrastructure and technology operations services. Direct and oversee the daily activities and performance of these external teams, ensuring alignment with Chick-fil-A standards and project objectives.
Technology Systems Oversight & Management: Provide technical leadership and oversight for the management and operation of diverse IT systems and tools, including, but not limited to, secure remote access, Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) services, and leading endpoint management solutions. This includes ensuring their operational integrity, security, and compliance across entity environments.
Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) & Automation Leadership: Champion and oversee the adoption, implementation, and operational management of Infrastructure-as-Code practices (using industry-standard tools, scripting, and automation) for infrastructure provisioning, configuration, and continuous deployment.
Technical Operations Management: Lead the overall technical operations, ensuring the availability, performance, security, and cost-efficiency of cloud and on-premise infrastructure supporting international Restaurants and other entities. Define and monitor Service Level Objectives (SLOs) and drive continuous improvements in operational processes.
Patching & Vulnerability Management: Guide and ensure the timely and effective execution of patching strategies and vulnerability management across all managed infrastructure, minimizing security risks and maintaining system health.
Strategic Planning & Innovation: Influence and contribute to strategic planning efforts for technology operations services, identifying and evaluating opportunities to leverage innovative solutions and emerging technologies to enhance operational efficiency and reliability.
Collaboration and Communication: Work effectively with various stakeholders, including internal engineering, architecture, global IT, security teams, restaurant operators, and external partners, to align technology operations strategies with business objectives. Ensure clear and consistent communication of operational initiatives and project status.
Security and Compliance: Implement and maintain robust security measures and ensure compliance with relevant data privacy and security regulations in each operating region, specifically for the systems under management.
Cost Optimization: Continuously evaluate and optimize technology spending to ensure cost-efficiency while maintaining high performance and availability, particularly in cloud environments.

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