director engineering – Corporate Technology, Service Enablement (Seattle or Nashville)

Starbucks; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) match

Tuition assistance

Paid vacation

Stock program

Job summary

Starbucks seeks a dir engineering – Corporate Technology, Service Enablement to lead the engineering strategy, platform modernization, and delivery for enterprise service enablement. You will own core platforms like ServiceNow, Atlassian, AWS Connect, and Azure Translation Engine, guiding AI-enabled service experiences at scale.

You will build and mentor high-performing teams, establish modern practices, and partner across the enterprise to drive value, risk management, and portfolio

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive technology experience designing, building, and operating enterprise software platforms.
• 5+ years building and leading teams of engineers and/or engineering managers.
• Hands-on fluency with enterprise service management, workflow, contact center, collaboration, and developer productivity platforms such as ServiceNow, Atlassian/Jira/Confluence, Amazon Connect, GitHub Copilot, observability tools, and cloud-native services.
• Strong engineering fundamentals across distributed systems, APIs, integrations, data flows, cloud platforms, CI/CD, automated testing, infrastructure automation, incident management, and secure software delivery.
• Experience modernizing legacy applications and rationalizing complex portfolios, including platform migrations, SaaS configuration/customization tradeoffs, vendor transitions, and operational change management.
• Practical AI fluency, including AI-assisted engineering, workflow automation, knowledge/search, agent-assist, conversational support, translation, and/or AI-enabled service management capabilities in enterprise environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering strategy and platform modernization – Vision, roadmap, architecture, and delivery for enterprise service enablement platforms with AI at scale.
• Own core service enablement applications – Direct engineering for ServiceNow, Atlassian suite, AWS Connect, Azure Translation Engine, AI-enabled support capabilities, and related platforms.
• Advance AI-enabled service experiences – Expand responsible AI capabilities across platforms and integrations.
• Drive legacy retirement and simplification – Migrate and rationalize portfolio, retire redundant SaaS apps, modernize claims and litigation processes.
• Build high-performing engineering teams – Develop leaders, set standards, foster ownership and inclusion.
• Raise the engineering bar – Implement CI/CD, testing, observability, SLOs/SLIs, security-by-design, and reliable delivery.
• Partner across the enterprise – Translate needs into scalable platform capabilities and actionable plans.
• Govern value, risk, and adoption – Manage lifecycle, security/compliance, cost optimization, and adoption metrics.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Strategy & architecture

Platform modernization

AI fluency

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Cloud & CI/CD

Enterprise service platforms

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, information systems, engineering, or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

ServiceNow

Atlassian/Jira/Confluence

Amazon Connect / AWS Connect

GitHub Copilot

Azure Translation Engine

Job description

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 dir engineering – Corporate Technology, Service Enablement, you will lead the engineering strategy, platform modernization, and delivery execution for the enterprise service enablement ecosystem that powers Starbucks corporate operations and partner support experiences. This role is engineering-forward: accountable for resilient, secure, scalable platforms; high-velocity delivery; disciplined modernization; and measurable improvements in developer productivity, service experience, and operating efficiency.

You will lead the technology scope formerly associated with Service Enablement Technology, partnering across Enterprise Technology, Corporate Technology, Legal, Ethics & Compliance, Partner Resources, Finance, Service Desk, Architecture, Cybersecurity, and business stakeholders to modernize and simplify core platforms including ServiceNow, Atlassian, Amazon/AWS Connect, Azure Translation Engine, PagerDuty replacement capabilities, and legal/case-management solutions.

As dir engineering – Corporate Technology, Service Enablement, you will…

• Lead engineering strategy and platform modernization – Lead the technology vision, roadmap, architecture, and delivery strategy for enterprise service enablement platforms, balancing speed, resilience, security, scalability, and business value. This includes AI development and testing practices at global scale.
• Own core service enablement applications – Direct engineering for ServiceNow, Atlassian suite, Amazon/AWS Connect, Azure Translation Engine, AI-enabled support capabilities, service management integrations, and adjacent legal, risk, compliance, and case-management platforms.
• Advance AI-enabled service experiences – Expand responsible AI capabilities across ServiceNow, Atlassian Rovo, GitHub Copilot integrations, Amazon Connect/Connect AI use cases, translation services, knowledge automation, agent productivity, and self-service support experiences.
• Drive legacy retirement and simplification – Lead migration and rationalization efforts including C360 migration to ServiceNow, retirement of multiple saas applications, claims and litigation modernization opportunities, and other portfolio simplification work.
• Build high-performing engineering teams – Lead and develop managers, engineers, product-facing technical partners, and vendor/PSP teams; set clear engineering standards; build a strong internal leadership pipeline; and create a culture of ownership, inclusion, learning, and execution.
• Raise the engineering bar – Establish modern engineering practices across CI/CD, automated testing, observability, SLOs/SLIs, incident management, secure-by-design delivery, API/integration patterns, platform reliability, and operational readiness.
• Partner deeply across the enterprise – Collaborate with business and technology executives to translate needs into scalable platform capabilities, align tradeoffs, communicate engineering rationale, and create clear plans against which teams can execute.
• Govern value, risk, and adoption – Manage platform lifecycle, vendor relationships, portfolio health, security/compliance obligations, cost optimization, and adoption metrics to ensure technology investments deliver durable enterprise value.

Main applications and platforms in scope

Platform / Application Area

Role emphasis

ServiceNow

Enterprise service management, case management, workflow automation, Now Assist/AI capabilities, platform upgrades, scalability refactoring, and migration of legacy case-management capabilities.

Atlassian suite

Jira/Confluence ecosystem, Rovo AI adoption, engineering work management standards, developer productivity, portfolio visibility, and integration with service workflows.

Amazon/AWS Connect

Contact center technology, service desk/service support experiences, AI-enabled contact center automation, and reliable integration across enterprise support channels.

Azure Services (Translation Engine, Vector search)

Global partner experience enablement through language rollout, mobile app deployment, accessibility, and integration into service experiences.

Legal, Ethics & Compliance platforms

Migration of C360 to ServiceNow, Passport retirement/replacement, claims and litigation management modernization, and improved compliance defensibility and analytics.

On call operational tooling

Retirement/replacement planning, incident response modernization, observability, reliability engineering, and service health governance.

We’d Love To Hear From People With

• 10+ years of progressive technology experience designing, building, and operating enterprise software platforms, with 5+ years building and leading teams of engineers and/or engineering managers.
• Demonstrated experience directing the software development function across strategy, architecture, design, development, delivery, maintenance, reliability, and lifecycle management of software products and services.
• Hands‑on fluency with enterprise service management, workflow, contact center, collaboration, and developer productivity platforms such as ServiceNow, Atlassian/Jira/Confluence, Amazon/AWS Connect, GitHub/GitHub Copilot, observability tools, and cloud‑native services.
• Strong engineering fundamentals across distributed systems, APIs, integrations, data flows, cloud platforms, CI/CD, automated testing, infrastructure automation, incident management, and secure software delivery.
• Experience modernizing legacy applications and rationalizing complex portfolios, including platform migrations, SaaS configuration/customization tradeoffs, vendor transitions, and operational change management.
• Practical AI fluency, including experience applying AI‑assisted engineering, workflow automation, knowledge/search, agent‑assist, conversational support, translation, and/or AI‑enabled service management capabilities in enterprise environments.
• Ability to influence senior leaders, communicate technical strategy clearly, evaluate tradeoffs, and translate business needs into prioritized, executable engineering plans.
• Experience managing vendor/PSP partnerships, platform cost, contract implications, operational risk, compliance obligations, and measurable business outcomes.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, information systems, engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience. Advanced degree preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• Depth with ServiceNow platform architecture, ITSM/CSM workflows, Now Assist, platform upgrades, integration patterns, health scans, and governance practices.
• Experience with Atlassian Cloud, Jira standards, Confluence knowledge practices, Rovo AI, developer experience, and end‑to‑end engineering work visibility.
• Experience with Amazon Connect/AWS Connect, contact center modernization, agent‑assist tooling, service desk workflows, and omni‑channel support experiences.
• Experience leading legal, compliance, ethics, customer/partner service, or corporate operations platforms in a highly matrixed enterprise environment.
• Demonstrated ability to modernize platforms while reducing technical debt, improving reliability, strengthening security, and lowering total cost of ownership.

Benefits And Partner Experience

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 200 hours (316 in CA) for roles at director or above. For roles in other states, you will be granted vacation time starting at 200 hours annually for roles director and above.

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 or 1(888) 611-2258.