Director of Architecture - e-Commerce & Digital Retail

The Director of Architecture, e-Commerce & Digital Retail leads architecture strategy and execution for Inspire’s global e-commerce and digital retail platforms. This leader owns solution architecture for all guest-facing digital channels, products, and platforms and leads a team of Solution Architects.

This critical leadership role requires a strategic thinker with deep technical expertise, a passion for innovation, and the ability to serve as the hands-on architect for select initiatives. The ideal candidate has extensive experience with large-scale, high-performance e-commerce and omnichannel architecture, engineering, and operations; cloud technologies; and the QSR and/or retail industry.

This leader is responsible for transforming the Inspire Digital Platform into a scalable, multi-brand, white-labeled platform and driving the integration of Inspire Brands’ vertical e-commerce and restaurant technology capabilities into a cohesive Unified Commerce architecture.

This role is part of the Architecture & Innovation team and reports directly to the Vice President - Architecture & Innovation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and lead a cohesive architecture strategy for e-commerce and digital retail platforms
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align architectural initiatives and designs with business objectives
• Drive innovation and digital transformation efforts across the organization

Architecture Development

• Design and implement scalable, secure, and highly performant architectural solutions
• Ensure architectural alignment with business goals, industry and company standards, and best practices
• Oversee the development and maintenance of architectural documentation, standards, and guidelines

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Lead a team of architects while fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, operations, and marketing, while providing thought leadership and support
• Mentor and develop team members, promoting knowledge sharing and professional growth

Technology and Innovation

• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends, evaluating their potential impact on the business
• Drive the adoption of modern technologies and best practices, including API-driven architectures, cloud computing, and microservices
• Champion the use of data and analytics to drive decision-making and enhance customer experiences

Project and Vendor Management

• Manage complex architectural efforts and projects from conception through implementation, ensuring timely and successful delivery
• Manage relationships with external vendors and partners, ensuring alignment with architectural goals
• Monitor and report architecture progress, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of experience in solutions architecture and engineering, with a focus on e-commerce and digital retail
• 6+ years of leaderships experience, including mentoring, coaching, and developing team members
• 4-year Degree in computer science, information systems, or related field; Advanced degree preferred

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, OR ABILITIES

• Expert knowledge and experience architecting, designing, and implementing large-scale e-commerce, retail, and omnichannel solutions for restaurant (QSR), retail, and/or hospitality companies
• Proven expertise designing scalable, secure, and highly performant architectural solutions
• Ability to develop and lead architecture strategy for e-commerce and digital retail platforms
• Deep knowledge and understanding of cloud technologies
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to influence engineers, peers, and executive stakeholders
• Strong understanding of security, compliance, and data privacy requirements in a global context
• Thorough understanding of modern IT practices such as DevOps, Continuous Delivery, Agile, Lean, and Design Thinking
• Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with multiple priorities
• Demonstrated skills leveraging agile methodologies and project management best practices
• Strong skills evaluating emerging technologies and industry trends that may impact the business
• Deep knowledge of API-driven architectures, cloud computing, microservices, data, and analytics
• Strong knowledge and masterful application of modern application, integration, and data practices and patterns, such as Domain-Driven Design, Event-Driven Architecture, Microservices, CQRS, circuit breaker, and bulkhead patterns
• Ability to work cross functionally and collaborate with product management, engineering, operations, marketing, external vendors, and senior leadership

This position is based in our Atlanta Support Center, with an expected on-site presence of 80%.

Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,300 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide. We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company.

We’re a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a staple—it’s an experience. At Inspire, that’s our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.