director, Beverage Category

Socket.dev; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Bean Stock equity

Tuition coverage

Paid vacation

Job summary

Starbucks Coffee Company seeks a director of Beverage Category to shape the largest beverage business for North America coffeehouses. You will own strategy, portfolio health, and the innovation pipeline, leading a high-performing team to deliver growth and customer relevance.

Responsibilities include seasonal go-to-market leadership, platform development, and cross-functional portfolio decisions aligned with enterprise goals.

Qualifications

• 10+ years supporting marketing, brand management or product management with P&L responsibility.
• 10+ years leading development of new or existing products or strategies from conception to implementation.
• Bachelor’s degree or 4+ years US military experience; MBA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead beverage category strategy, portfolio health, innovation pipeline and go-to-market for North America.
• Translate insights into beverage experiences driving growth and profitability.
• Guide cross-functional teams in planning, prioritization and execution.

Skills

Marketing experience

Brand management

Product management

Profit and loss responsibility

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

US military experience (4+ years)

MBA preferred

Job description

Now Brewing - director, Beverage Category! #ToBeAPartner

From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection. We are known for developing extraordinary leaders who share this passion and are guided by their service to others.

As a director, Beverage Category, you will be responsible for managing and helping set the strategic direction of the largest and most critical beverage business for North America coffeehouses.

You will lead Starbucks' beverage category strategy, portfolio health, innovation pipeline, and commercialization agenda for North America coffeehouses. This role translates customer insights and business opportunities into winning beverage experiences that drive relevance, growth, and business performance. As a key member of the Beverage leadership team, you will guide and develop a high-performing team while helping shape the future of Starbucks' largest business.

Portfolio & Business Ownership

Own the performance and health of the beverage portfolio. Identify growth opportunities, business risks, and category gaps, and develop recommendations that improve customer relevance, sales, and profitability.

Seasonal & Go-to-Market Leadership

Own seasonal calendars and promotional beverage strategies from concept approval through launch. Partner across key functions to ensure clear product priorities and strong market execution for each seasonal window.

24-36 Month Innovation Pipeline Ownership

Develop and maintain a rolling 24-36 month beverage innovation roadmap. Translate consumer trends, business opportunities, and emerging concepts into commercially viable pipelines, prioritizing work based on customer impact, strategic fit, operational readiness, and business potential.

Platform Development

Grow existing and future beverage platforms by identifying where successful products can become enduring collections and scalable growth opportunities.

Customer & Product Strategy

Translate customer insights into product strategies and innovation briefs. Define beverage positioning and product experience recommendations in partnership with Marketing. Ensure products deliver on customer needs while supporting broader enterprise objectives.

Enterprise Leadership

Lead cross-functional decision making to align innovation, commercialization, and business priorities. Influence portfolio direction through clear recommendations supported by customer, competitive, and business insights. Set goals for the work group, developing organizational capability and modeling how we work together.

Partner Development & Team Building

Provide partners with coaching, direction, leadership support, and developmental opportunities and builds effective teams to achieve partner, business and customer results.

We’d love to hear from people with:

• 10+ years of experience in a role supporting marketing, brand management or product management with profit and loss responsibility
• 10+ years of experience in a role leading the development of new or existing products or strategies from conception to implementation
• Bachelor’s degree or 4 or more years of US military experience
• 5+ years experience managing others
• MBA preferred

Additional Qualifications:

• Delivers recommendations that demonstrate cross-functional strategic thinking and drive an initiative to conclusion
• Builds momentum: Set personal and business goals, develop organizational capability, and model how cross functional groups work together toward a common goal
• The ability to identify and secure organizational support
• Solid business acumen and skilled at business case creation and alignment
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity, looking across workstreams and teams to determine how our work should be shaped to deliver the most value for our partners, customers, and business
• Builds broad capability - building capability of others and generating insights and connecting others to help business and partners grow and develop

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.

We believe we do our best work when we're together, which is why we're onsite four days a week.

Join us and inspire with every cup.

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 [e-mail] or 1(888) 611-2258.