Director Information Technology - Retail

Company: United Natural Foods
Location: Stillwater
Posted on: March 26, 2026

Job Description:

The Director of IT Solutions Retail leads efforts in the long-term design, implementation, and operational support of IT Products and Services within the Retail business unit. This leadership position will lead the creation of the 1–3-year technology framework and provide technical leadership in support of UNFI’s initiatives in IT Solutions with the focus on the design of the systems and services that integrate into the business strategy. Job Responsibilities: IT Operations and Support Leads internal and vendor teams to support technology within our retail footprint Owns both service-level strategy and day-to-day execution, ensuring IT services are reliable, scalable, and aligned with established enterprise standards and business priorities. Leads operational teams and managed service partners, develops service roadmaps and improvement plans, and translates enterprise direction into effective operational outcomes. Supports UNFI-wide infrastructure and security initiatives Own service lifecycle planning, including onboarding, scaling, modernization, stabilization, and retirement of services. Identify operational risks, capacity constraints, and technical dependencies; develop mitigation and improvement plans. Provide operational input to investment planning, sequencing, and prioritization decisions. Own daily execution of retail IT services and ITSM processes. Lead response to major incidents, outages, and escalations; ensure timely resolution and effective communication. Manage service performance against SLAs, SLOs, and operational targets. Coordinate operational schedules, maintenance windows, and service changes. Serve as the primary operational escalation point for business stakeholders. Responsible for the organizational design of department which is aligned to organizational strategy, executing planned department goals, and the talent planning that supports strategy/goal execution Actively identifies and establishes metrics used to measure stability and supportability of technology within our retail stores UNFI Business Partnership & Vendor Management Establishes and maintains strong working relations and partnerships with UNFI business teams, IT vendors and peers while addressing critical issues and opportunities to achieve organizational goals and objectives Actively engages in understanding business satisfaction levels to proactively solve chronic problems and assign team to resolve and respond to business requests and needs. Manages appropriate IT vendor relationship(s), understanding their products and services and aligning them with internal needs Effectively manages the utilization of external services (e.g., product or platform vendors, service providers, contractors, consultants, outsourced functions) Ensures appropriate IT vendor contracts are in place for corresponding products and services Creates RFIs, RFPs, SLAs, SOWs and processes invoices in alignment with our UNFI and IT best practices Strong financial management skills, including budget ownership, forecasting, and cost management for operational services. Proven experience leading vendor and managed service relationships, including performance management, escalation, and continuous improvement Additional Responsibilities Coach and mentor managers on their assigned efforts and team responsibilities. Ensures activities have proper coordination and collaboration when crossing multiple teams across IT, UNFI business areas or external IT vendors/partners Participate as a strategy partner in the IT strategic planning processes defines roadmaps for their corresponding IT products and services often providing a more senior perspective and sharing across other IT teams Provides leadership to IT teams through effective goal setting, performance management, recognition, associate engagement and ongoing team communication Creates and oversees departmental capital and expense budgets for projects, hardware, software, staffing (internal/external), etc. and ensures value has been added to the business through cost savings and ROI analyses Performs other duties as assigned. Job Requirements: Education/ Certifications: Bachelor’s degree in management information systems, computer science, or related discipline is required or combination of education and experience Experience: 8-12 years of relevant IT and leadership experience 5 years of relevant Information Technology modern integration and architecture experience is required 3-5 years of experience working in a product team structure. 5 years of experience in UX concepts Knowledge/Skills/ Abilities Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong customer focus and demonstrated ability to work in geographically dispersed teams Ability to manage concurrent efforts with competing priorities while ensuring timelines and budgets are met Ability to create process and process design where none or little exists Ability to create strategic landscape that delivers against IT goals, especially in a retail and supply chain setting Ability to build strong teams across dispersed work locations, including mentoring and providing developmental goals for internal employees and external IT partners Track record of being a change agent, one who can drive new and commercial thinking across the organization and the behaviors supporting such, while engaging in a collaborative, inclusive leadership style Good judgment is required for this position as there may be times when direct supervision may not be immediately available. Work Environment: Hybrid Role: This position follows a hybrid schedule working in office (2-3) days per week. The acceptable split between onsite and remote work is determined by the manager. Hybrid associates may choose to work from an office on a more frequent basis than required. Travel (minor): This position may require the associate to travel to company offices, distribution centers, or other locations for specific meetings or other business reasons. UNFI is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment for all. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other protected ground. Accommodation is available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the job selection process. - M/F/Veteran/Disability. VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Company: SUPERVALU Inc Compensation: UNFI anticipates paying the above-referenced pay rate (or within the above-referenced pay range) for this position. Actual Pay, where applicable, will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, education, experience, training, and any requirements under applicable collective bargaining agreements. UNFI is committed to transparency in pay in compliance with applicable state/provincial and local laws. Benefits: Candidates hired into this position will also be eligible to participate in the following benefits programs: Paid Time Off; Sick Time; paid holidays and parental leave; 401K Program (or retirement savings plan if in Canada); medical, dental, vision, life, and accidental death/dismemberment insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance program, Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Savings Account (U.S. only), subject to meeting the eligibility requirements and the terms and conditions of these programs, and subject to any requirements under applicable collective bargaining agreements. Sales Positions Only: For sales positions that are commission-based, the above range is an estimate of total potential commission-based compensation during an associate’s first year, but UNFI offers an introductory period minimum of $680 per week. After the introductory period, as a 100% commission-based role, there is no set salary. UNFI’s commission plans are uncapped and average earnings vary depending on territory and sales achieved, among other factors. UNFI’s compensation, benefits, and paid time off policies are subject to change in the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with applicable law. This job posting should not be construed as an offer of employment with certain terms, nor should it be construed as a guaranteed minimum. Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act or for Canadian applicants in accordance with provincial human rights legislation.

Keywords: United Natural Foods, Blaine , Director Information Technology - Retail, IT / Software / Systems , Stillwater, Minnesota