SENIOR DIRECTOR, VENDOR RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT - CHARLOTTE (HYBRID)

The Senior Director of Category Management - 'In Unit' Technology will lead the strategic development, execution, and management of the Customer and Operator Facing 3rd Party Technology category, including but not limited to Point-of-Sale (POS), mobile and kiosk ordering, loyalty platforms, digital signage, safety solutions, food waste, remote diagnostics, etc. This senior leader will partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders including Digital Strategy and Delivery, Operations, Marketing, Finance, Legal to deliver value through scalable technology solutions, innovative supplier partnerships, risk mitigation, and cost optimization.

This individual will be responsible for creating and implementing, in partnership with the other senior leaders on the team, a scalable vendor engagement model, contracting and negotiation, as well as driving the long-term vision for the category by balancing financial performance, service delivery, and digital transformation objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

Category Strategy:

• Operationalize and challenge the long-term category strategy to align with enterprise priorities, consumer trends, and emerging tech.

Supplier Relationship Management:

• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with key technology providers.
• Drive supplier innovation, governance, and performance management to ensure value delivery and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Partner with senior leadership across Digital Strategy, Operations (Support, Implementation/Delivery, and Unit Operators), Marketing, Legal and Treasury to understand business needs, define requirements, and translate them into vendor selection and playbooks.

Negotiating & Contracting:

• Negotiate complex commercial and legal terms, including SLAs, pricing models, data protections and exit strategies. Own the contract lifecycle, from drafting through execution and renewal, in partnership with Legal and Risk teams.

Team Leadership:

• Manage, coach, and develop a high-performing category management team. Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Risk & Compliance Management:

• Identify and mitigate risks related to vendor performance, data security, and regulatory compliance. Ensure adherence to procurement policies and key control standards.

Market Intelligence & Benchmarking:

• Stay current on industry trends, new technologies, and market shifts. Leverage insights to inform category strategies and maintain competitive advantage.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree; MBA or equivalent advanced degree a plus.

Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in category management, vendor management or tech procurement, with significant demonstrated people management experience
• Strong expertise in Customer Facing Technologies (e.g., POS, loyalty platforms, kiosks, mobile apps, digital signage) and payment processing desired
• Demonstrated success in developing and executing complex vendor strategies with cross-functional impact.
• Proven ability to manage high-level supplier relationships and negotiate large-scale, high-value contracts.
• Excellent communication, presentation, leadership, and influencing skills across all levels of the organization.
• Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills; able to build trust, manage conflict, and foster collaboration across diverse teams.
• Comfort and exposure in leveraging AI technologies to optimize vendor strategies, automate manual processes, drive value through data-driven decision-making and elevate the members on the team.
• Experience in a multi-unit or multi-location environment (retail, foodservice, hospitality, etc.) is a strong plus.

Leadership Tenets: actively demonstrates the following guiding principles:

• Ownership- representing not just the team but the organization as a whole for driving success.
• Demand the best- high standards are a given, but continuing to strive for more
• Educate with humility- fostering an environment for optimal collaboration and high performance
• Students, Always- curiosity for the unknow and the drive to seek answers
• Believe Deeply- when faced with challenges, never waiving from core beliefs
• People-Centric- understating people are our greatest asset and nurturing growth and development of our people
• Confidence Without Attitude- speaking with conviction while keeping an open mind