IT Business Solutions Director

We are KING’S HAWAIIAN®, the leader in the Hawaiian food category and producer of KING’S HAWAIIAN® Original Hawaiian Sweet Bread.
Our Brand Promise – “… uncompromising in our commitment to quality, integrity and the Aloha Spirit, the graciousness of Hawaii”.

The Company has doubled revenues ($200+ million) over the last four years and is growing much faster than the industry as a whole.

The brand has very strong brand equity and is the clear market leader in its category.

Manufacturing facilities are state of the art. Some of the most highly automated and efficient in the industry.

The Company is financially very sound. It is 100% family owned and intends to stay that way. Leadership has shown a consistent willingness to invest in initiatives that support marketing, improve operating results and a learning organization.

The company is very strongly committed to a clear mission statement, vision and set of behavioral values:

o Mission Statement: To deliver exceptional products and the aloha spirit everywhere, everyday.
o Vision: To be the global leader in the Hawaiian Food category and for the people to be recognized as the most skilled, empowered and highly motivated in the industry.
o Core values:

 Excellence
 Dignity: Kindness and accountability can be tied together.
 Direct Communication: telling it like it is, in a way that can be heard

IT BUSINESS SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR

THE POSITION

The Business Solutions Director manages a team of Business Systems Analysts and technical development professionals and has the overall responsibility for serving as the primary interface with assigned business departments for the purpose of IT specific project management, solution discovery & delivery, applications performance optimization, applications service level management, expectation management and relationship management.

This role will manage the IT Business Solutions Team, as well as act as an IT vendor/partner relationship manager for assigned business departments and programs. Serve as the business relationship Manager between the business and IT at the functional level, and provide highly-valued execution leadership through key Business-IT initiatives. Communicate decisions, priorities and relevant project information to appropriate levels of staff regarding business function requests, projects and initiatives. Proactively share knowledge of technology risks and opportunities to build competitive advantage and improve efficiency and effectiveness of business functions. Provide support in delivering technology products and services to ensure business satisfaction. Strive to be a valued and preferred IT service provider to all business partners. Facilitate the planning and execution of business changes through the use of process optimization and technology. Serve as a lead role in enabling the business departments to achieve their objectives through the effective use of technology based business solutions. Support the business with project request intake activities, and educate and communicate IT capabilities and applicable technologies to business stakeholders.

As a leader within the IT organization, and as a direct report to the SR.VP of Information Technology, the Business Solutions Director will also be responsible for assisting in the development of our IT Project Management Capabilities and ensuring the overall success for technology enabled business objectives.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic – Planning and Architecture – 15%

Leads determination of in-house vs. cloud based hosting models for all business applications
IT Business Solutions Organization planning and staff selection
Assists staff in developing their overall program, project plans and schedules.
Collaborates with the PMO Program Director, and IT Infrastructure Manager to plan IT support requirements for Projects and Program’s during the course of the year
Evaluates and recommends new applications level technologies.

Kings Functional Organization Support and Coordination – 20%

Collaborates with individuals as a strategic business thought partner across functions to determine their high-level IT needs.
Collaborates with business stakeholders on their process improvement and reengineering initiatives
Build and grow functional department relationships
Identifies opportunities for technology enabled process improvement
Responsible for working with the PMO organization and business stakeholders to align Business Solutions activities with the Enterprise project roadmap

Supervision – 20%

Provides input to position descriptions, recruitment, selection, training and retaining as it pertains to the Business Solutions team.
Meets regularly with direct reports and applications vendors to set goals and schedules and to monitor progress.
Gives ongoing feedback and conducts formal performance evaluations in a timely manner.
Assists direct reports

o In defining career goals and seeking opportunities for development.
o Providing training and resources required for to perform their roles.
o In their evaluation and selection of application and solution providers and outsourced implementation and support resources.

Mentoring business systems analysis and technical development professionals
Ongoing development and fine-tuning of Operating Principles, Processes, Tools and Measures of Success
Holds direct reports to company behavioral values, policies and standards.
Solicits feedback from direct reports on management style and techniques.

IT Project and Program Management – 30%

Oversees major IT applications initiatives.
Supports business manager’s process improvement and reengineering initiatives:
Creates key processes documentation and SOPs.
Conducts improvement opportunity analyses.
Defines application change specifications.

Risk Management – 5%

Ensures that department is managing and mitigating risk through a process of governance and change management within the company.
Ensures that introduction of all new technology initiatives within the organization is managed in a manner to mitigate business impact or disruption.

Outsourced Support Relations – 5%

Oversees vendor management for outsourced IT Applications development, and SaaS partner service level agreements and contracts.
Maintains positive vendor relationships and ensures vendor adherence to King’s corporate values.

Executive Reporting – 5%

Presentation and review of project, support and task team information with the VP of IT.
Analysis of data and information for the VP of IT as needed, soliciting feedback / approval.

QUALIFICATIONS

Functional and Technical Skills

BS Engineering, Computer Science or MBA degree preferred
5-10 years of ERP implementation experience focused on manufacturing and/or Customer Service & Logistics applications
Extensive application experience in the specification and maintenance of the business functionality of:
Manufacturing (food manufacturing a decided plus)
Production/material handling automation systems and integration
Customer Service & Logistics
Comprehensive experience with outsourced IT systems and resources
Strong business analysis and process reengineering skills

Management Skills

Ability to effectively lead in privately owned / family environment ensuring alignment with stated Core Values
Effective and proven project management skills
Critical, analytical thinker with a proven ability to create, convey and successfully deploy IT strategies, particularly to technology-challenged colleagues
Hands-on analytical approach and style that encourages change and creative problem solving

Personal Attributes

Team player with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively interact both inside and outside the organization
Committed to continuous improvement in a dynamic industry
Flexible and willing to handle an ever changing work environment

Reports To:

SR. VP of Information Technology

Alternative Supervisor:

None

Supervises (Direct Reports):

Sales & Marketing Business Systems Analyst, Customer Service & Logistics Business Systems Analyst, Operations & Manufacturing Business Systems Analyst, Finance & Accounting Business Systems Analyst, Business Intelligence Architect

Supervises (Indirect Reports):

None

Note: This Position Description indicates the critical features of the role as they are presently envisioned. They are subject to change at any time due to business conditions or other reasons. The incumbent may be asked to perform other duties as required