About the Role
As the VP of IT Operations, you will lead the strategy, delivery, and continuous improvement of Grocery Outlet’s core IT operations functions—Infrastructure, Network, Service Desk, and Store Technology. You will ensure seamless, scalable, and reliable technology services that power the company’s stores, warehouses, and corporate teams, driving operational maturity across infrastructure platforms and supporting the growing retail footprint.
Responsibilities Include
Strategic Leadership & Vision
- Define and execute a 3–5‑year vision for IT Operations aligned with enterprise goals and transformation programs
- Translate enterprise objectives into roadmaps across infrastructure, service management, and store systems
- Serve as a strategic partner to executive leaders, enabling operational readiness for business growth
- Evolve traditional infrastructure and support into a product‑aligned, service‑oriented model
Core Infrastructure & Technology Operations
- Lead enterprise‑wide infrastructure services, including cloud, data center, network, end‑user computing, and retail systems
- Oversee store Point‑of‑Sale platforms, hosting infrastructure, and corporate application operations
- Ensure 24 × 7 service availability and performance for all production environments, including peak retail periods
- Drive platform observability, resilience, and standardization across store and enterprise technologies
Service Management & Operational Excellence
- Build and mature ITIL‑aligned practices (incident, change, problem, configuration)
- Lead service desk transformation, knowledge management, and shift‑left/self‑service automation
- Champion proactive incident management and RCA practices to reduce unplanned downtime
- Establish and monitor operational KPIs including MTTR, SLA compliance, and customer satisfaction
People & Vendor Leadership
- Lead and develop a high‑performing team across infrastructure, service delivery, and retail systems
- Build skills in cloud operations, automation, SRE, and field support
- Establish clear performance goals, succession plans, and learning pathways
- Manage strategic vendor and MSP relationships with outcome‑based SLAs and governance
Financial & Portfolio Management
- Own OpEx and CapEx budgets for infrastructure and operations; ensure alignment with business value
- Drive efficiency through consolidation, automation, and vendor optimization
- Partner with Finance and the PMO to forecast resource needs and support program delivery
- Provide executive transparency into project readiness, spend, and ROI
About the Pay
- Base Salary Range: $220,000 - $250,000 annually
- Annual Bonus Program
- Equity
- 401(k) Profit Sharing
- Medical, Dental, Vision & More
- Final compensation will be determined based upon experience and skills and may vary based on location
About You
- 10+ years in IT infrastructure, service delivery, or enterprise operations
- 5+ years in senior leadership roles with strategic and operational accountability
- Retail technology experience (POS, store infrastructure) strongly preferred
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of experience and education; advanced degree or MBA preferred
- Hands‑on, outcomes‑oriented operations leader with deep infrastructure knowledge and a passion for delivering reliable, customer‑focused services
- Thrives in complex, fast‑paced environments, bringing discipline, structure, and strategy to everything you touch
- Leads with empathy, thinks at enterprise scale, and delivers technology that just works
- Strategic and operational thinker who drives alignment across people, process, and technology
- Skilled communicator with the ability to translate technical issues into business impact
- Proven team builder and mentor; fosters a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous learning
- Effective in vendor negotiations, contract management, and partner collaboration
- Able to operate with urgency while building long‑term stability
- High integrity, strong business judgment, and customer‑centric mindset
- Deep understanding of hybrid cloud operations (AWS/Azure/GCP) and platform engineering
- Demonstrated success implementing SRE, automation, and ITSM/ITIL practices at scale
- Experience managing large vendor ecosystems and support teams across multiple locations
- Strong command of budgeting, forecasting, and multi‑year investment planning