Digital Platforms Manager

El Pollo Loco, Inc.; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical + Dental + Vision Insurance

401(K) Retirement Plan

Paid Vacation + Sick Pay + 12 Paid Holidays

Free El Pollo Loco food + restaurant discounts

Job summary

El Pollo Loco, Inc. is seeking a Digital Platforms Manager responsible for shaping the digital product strategy across customer-facing platforms. The role involves leading roadmap development, enhancing user engagement, and collaborating with cross-functional teams including Marketing and IT.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in Marketing or Business, 4-6 years of relevant experience, and strong strategic thinking and project management skills. Benefits include competitive pay, comprehensive health insurance, and opportunities for career growth.

Qualifications

• 4-6 years of experience in digital platforms or related field, preferably in multi-unit restaurant or retail environments.
• Strong project management skills with a proven track record of cross-functional initiatives.
• Familiarity with agile methodologies and development processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead roadmap development and prioritization across customer-facing platforms.
• Monitor platform health, user behavior, and funnel metrics for optimization.
• Manage relationships with platform vendors and digital team.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Project management

Digital innovation

Communication skills

Analytical mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related field

Tools

Google Analytics

Asana

Job description

Benefits

• STRONG office culture recognized as a Great Place to Work and driven by our core values: Simple. Together. Relentless. Ownership. Nimble. Growth
• Career growth opportunities
• Competitive pay and bonus potential
• Medical + Dental + Vision Insurance + HSA Savings Account
• 401(K) Retirement Plan with company match and immediate vesting
• Paid Vacation + Sick Pay + 12 Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Free El Pollo Loco food + restaurant discounts
• PerkSpot discounts program

Position Purpose

The Digital Platforms Manager is responsible for shaping and stewarding El Pollo Loco’s digital product strategy across all customer‑facing platforms, including mobile app, mobile web, desktop web, and kiosk. This individual is focused on the customer journey, translating guest insights and behavioral data into a prioritized roadmap that drives platform adoption, engagement, and a best‑in‑class digital experience. The Digital Platforms Manager is a cross‑functional connector and strategic thought partner, partnering with Brand Marketing, IT, Operations, and external vendors to ensure our platforms reflect brand standards, meet business objectives, and lead industry innovation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Product Strategy & Roadmap Ownership

• Lead roadmap development and prioritization across all customer‑facing platforms, based on consumer insights, business impact, and competitive benchmarking
• Continually improve the guest journey; synthesizing guest feedback, usability data, and behavioral analytics to advocate for experiences that drive engagement, frequency, and digital adoption
• Define and communicate platform vision and requirements clearly to cross‑functional stakeholders, ensuring alignment between business goals and platform capabilities
• Manage cross‑functional workstreams and project timelines, ensuring platform initiatives move from planning to execution with clarity and accountability
• Contribute to the exploration and application of AI and personalization capabilities that enhance the guest experience across digital touchpoints
• Passion for digital innovation and creating exceptional guest experiences

Competitive Intelligence & Industry Trends

• Continuously monitor the competitive landscape across QSR and broader digital commerce to identify best practices, emerging technologies, and whitespace opportunities
• Translate competitive and industry insights, including advancements in AI, personalization, and omnichannel experience, into actionable roadmap recommendations

Digital Menu Support & Optimization

• Identify opportunities to grow revenue through upsell programs, bundling, and other conversion‑driving tactics
• Champion digital menu enhancements through the roadmap to improve the guest ordering experience
• Support new product launches

MarTech & Platform Enablement

• Manage relationships with platform vendors and development partners, representing the goals of the organization and collaborating with the cross‑functional digital team
• Lead or support platform evaluations, onboarding, and configuration based on business needs
• Stay current on MarTech tools and capabilities relevant to digital sales growth and guest engagement

Analytics & Performance

• Monitor platform health, user behavior, and funnel metrics to identify friction points and opportunities for optimization
• Build and maintain reporting on digital platform KPIs to inform ongoing decision‑making

Qualifications – Education, Experience, License/Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related field; advanced degree a plus
• 4-6 years of experience in digital platforms or related field, with exposure to multi‑unit restaurant or retail environments preferred
• Strong strategic thinking skills with a demonstrated ability to prioritize and contribute to platform roadmaps
• Strong project management skills, with a track record of managing cross‑functional initiatives from planning through execution; experience with Asana or similar tool
• Experience with consumer research, user feedback synthesis, and translating insights into platform decisions
• Familiarity with agile methodologies and cross‑functional development processes
• Excellent communication skills, comfortable presenting to both technical and non‑technical audiences
• Analytical mindset with experience using data to drive decisions; familiarity with BI tools and Google Analytics preferred