Job Description

At Starbucks, our mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. Our technologists bring this mission to life through innovative platforms that power retail experiences across thousands of coffeehouses. We are seeking a Director of Engineering to lead the development, deployment, and operations of Starbucks' next generation, Point of Sale (POS) system for North America, along with the Coffeehouse Platforms that enables seamless ordering and payment experiences.
This role directs six engineering teams focused on:

POS Client Application OS Edge Services Retail Payments Coffeehouse Platform Engineering Coffeehouse Observability & Health Release and Configuration

You will own the technology vision, roadmap, and delivery for these platforms, ensuring scalability, reliability, and security while driving innovation in retail technology.


Leadership

Provide strategic direction for POS and Coffeehouse Platform technologies serving ~11k company-operated coffeehouses and millions oftransactions daily. Champion Starbucks' mission and technology principles, fostering a culture of innovation, simplicity, and operational excellence. Influence senior leaders across Technology, Product, Global Cybersecurity, Operations to align priorities and outcomes.

Planning and Execution

Define and deliver the roadmap for next generation ordering and payment systems aligned with Starbucks' growth strategy. Drive architecture decisions for distributed cloud-native systems and edge computing solutions. Ensure high availability and resilience through modern practices (DevOps, SRE, CI/CD). Oversee execution across multiple teams and programs, balancing speed, quality, and scalability. Author and evangelize Request for Comment (RFC) documents, outlining strategic decisions and seeking input / visibility across the organization

Business Requirements and Partner Development

Collaborate with Product Management, Finance, Security, and Store Operations to translate business needs into technical solutions. Build strong relationships with internal and external partners to ensure successful delivery and adoption of new capabilities. Advocate for customer and partner experience improvements through technology innovation.

Team Building

Lead and mentor engineering managers and principals, fostering technical excellence and leadership growth. Create an inclusive environment that attracts and retains top talent. Drive continuous learning and development across teams to keep pace with evolving technologies.

What You Bring

5+ years leading engineering teams delivering large-scale, distributed systems. Proven experience with POS systems, retail payments, and edge computing. Expertise in software development, lifecycle and operational reliability. Strong communication skills for technical and executive audiences. Experience managing multiple teams and complex programs in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

Hands-on experience with React Native for client applications. Proficiency in Go (Golang) for backend and edge services. Strong understanding of Linux and Android environments for retail device platforms. Familiarity with cloud-native architectures and container orchestration.

Why Starbucks Technology?

Operate at scale that is unmatched Work on modern tech stacks and cloud-native architectures Be at the center of the Back to Starbucks strategy, delivering capabilities that enable the 3rd place




As a Starbucks partner, you (and your family) will have access to medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits. Partners have access to short-term and long-term disability, paid parental leave, family expansion reimbursement, paid vacation from date of hire*, sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked), eight paid holidays, and two personal days per year. Starbucks also offers eligible partners participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, a discounted company stock program (S.I.P.), Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock), incentivized emergency savings, and financial well-being tools. Additionally, Starbucks offers 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor's degree through Arizona State University's online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, student loan management resources, and access to other educational opportunities. You will also have access to backup care and DACA reimbursement. Starbucks will comply with any applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, and in accordance with its plans and policies. This list is subject to change depending on collective bargaining in locations where partners have a certified bargaining representative. For additional information regarding partner perks and more detailed information about benefits, go to starbucksbenefits.com.

If you are working in CA, CO, IL, LA, ME, MA, NE, ND or RI, you will accrue vacation up to a maximum of 120 hours (190 in CA) for roles below director and 200 hours (316 in CA) for roles at director or above. For roles in other states, you will be granted vacation time starting at 120 hours annually for roles below director and 200 hours annually for roles director and above.

The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate will be based on multiple factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, and internal equity. At Starbucks, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the high end of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.


If you live in the greater Seattle area, we offer a flexible workplace that allows for hybrid work. Partners can work remotely one day per week, onsite Mon-Thur.


Join us and inspire with every cup. Apply today!

Starbucks Coffee Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.



Starbucks Coffee Company is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at applicantaccommodation@starbucks.com or 1(888) 611-2258.