Guiding Stars Sr. Systems Manager

Category/Area of Expertise: Guiding Stars
Job Requisition: 464217
Address: USA-MA-Quincy-1385 Hancock Street
Store Code: GSLC Operations (2761555)
Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of global food retailer Ahold Delhaize, is part of the U.S. family of brands, which includes five leading omnichannel grocery brands - Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Our associates support the brands with a wide range of services, including Finance, Legal, Sustainability, Commercial, Digital and E-commerce, Technology and more.
Primary Purpose
This manager oversees the Guiding Stars custom database, the product data that is processed by the patented algorithms, and the people who use the system to evaluate products and recipes. The role is critical for maintaining the science-based nutrition standard on which the organization relies for reporting "Healthy Sales," which is a KPI included in the calculation for ADUSA's Annual Incentive Plan for eligible leaders.
Data outputs from this manager's work also drive the consumer-facing program, including shelf tags, ecommerce communication of product ratings and a proprietary cloud-based web application. Managing data evaluation staff, maintaining business rules for each algorithm as they evolve over time, ensuring system integrity and updates, and collaborating with both internal and external business partners are all priorities for this role.
This role is also responsible for helping enable growth & improvement of the Guiding Stars program by identifying and implementing efficiencies for data and recipe evaluation processes, including data acquisition, algorithm selection, business rules management and data sharing with ADUSA and external partners.
Our flexible/ hybrid work schedule includes 3 in-person days at one of our core locations and 2 remote days. Our core office locations include Quincy, MA and Scarborough, ME.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
Duties and Responsibilities
Systems Oversight & Development

• Lead the operations, development, and continuous improvement of all Guiding Stars systems, ensuring seamless integration with ADUSA digital platforms and external client systems.
• Serve as the Product Owner for the Guiding Stars application, managing the product backlog and collaborating with IT to maintain a secure, modern, and scalable platform.
• Manage complex database projects to expand system capabilities and align with evolving strategic goals.

Process & Project Management

• Collaborate with ADUSA IT to ensure Guiding Stars systems remain aligned with internal platform developments and data integration needs.
• Lead as the primary liaison with IT teams and Business Relationship Managers to resolve system issues and implement improvements.
• Monitor and analyze system outages and support tickets to identify trends and ensure timely resolution.
• Document business requirements, manage user acceptance testing, and assess downstream impacts of system changes.
• Lead multiple projects including system overhauls, eCommerce integrations (e.g., PRISM), client onboarding, and process optimization.
• Manage and prioritize key processes such as recipe evaluation (menu labeling compliance), VisionPoint label screening, and digital asset processing for over 300,000 food items, with 50,000+ annual updates.
• Partner with internal partners and external vendors to develop new tools, applications, system functionalities and process efficiencies.
• Ensure all algorithm processes are documented and cross-trained; manage a team responsible for high-accuracy product evaluations.
• Conduct audits to verify system accuracy and data integrity.

Team & User Management

• Lead and support the data processing team, including professional development, scheduling, timecard approvals (Kronos), and FMLA tracking.
• Manage user access within the Guiding Stars application, including onboarding, password support, and quarterly access reviews.
• Partner with the Product & Recipe Manager by facilitating data queries that drive ADUSA's healthy sales initiatives.
• Collaborate with ADUSA Health & Sustainability teams to integrate Guiding Stars into sustainable retailing and product transparency initiatives.
• Manage vendor setup, expense tracking, invoice processing via Coupa, and vendor payment inquiries.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in systems management, IT project leadership, or product ownership
• Strong understanding of database systems, application lifecycle management, and system integration
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills across technical and non-technical teams
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Strong team leader, able to manage a team of 8+ people while balancing multiple priorities

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with tools such as Alteryx, Jira, Confluence, Coupa, and Kronos is a plus
• Proficient in project management methodologies (Agile/Scrum preferred)
• Experience with vendor management, user support, and cross-functional team leadership

ME/NC/PA/SC Salary Range: $108,880 - $163,320
IL/MA/MD/NY Salary Range: $125,200 - $187,800
Actual compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on their unique qualifications and experience, internal equity, and market conditions. Final compensation decisions will be made in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.
#LI-LL1 #LI-Hybrid
At Ahold Delhaize USA, we provide services to one of the largest portfolios of grocery companies in the nation, and we're actively seeking top talent.
Our team shares a common motivation to drive change, take ownership and enable our brands to better care for their customers. We thrive on supporting great local grocery brands and their strategies.
Our associates are the heartbeat of our organization. We are committed to offering a welcoming work environment where all associates can succeed and thrive. Guided by our values of courage, care, teamwork, integrity (and even a little humor), we are dedicated to being a great place to work.
We believe in collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning in all that we think, create and do. While building a culture where personal and professional growth are just as important as business growth, we invest in our people, empowering them to learn, grow and deliver at all levels of the business.