Engineering, Senior Director

Whataburger Restaurants; San Antonio (TX); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Weekly Pay Bonus Program

5 weeks of PTO Starting on Day One

Flex Weeks

Paid Corporate Holidays

Paid Parental Leave

401(k) match $1/$1 up to 4%

Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits

Short-term and Long-term Disability

Career Development and Growth

Scholarship Program and Hardship Grant

Cell Phone Service Discounts

Computer & Software Discounts

Fitness / Gym Discounts

Awards and recognition

Retirement Celebration Program

Job summary

Whataburger is seeking an Engineering Senior Director to lead the technical vision and delivery of our digital ecosystem, including web, mobile, loyalty, payments, and digital ordering platforms. You will partner across Technology and business units to modernize platforms and enable scalable, high‑quality guest experiences.

Based at the San Antonio Home Office, you’ll work on-site Monday through Thursday with remote flexibility on Fridays.

Qualifications

• 11+ years of progressive hands-on engineering experience.
• Experience leading large-scale engineering organizations and technology teams.
• Expertise scaling web and mobile applications in high-volume environments.
• Experience leading API platform strategy, governance, and engineering practices.
• Strong knowledge of cloud-native architectures, system integrations, and digital ecosystems.
• Experience with Agile delivery methodologies and modern software development practices.
• Proven success managing engineering vendors and strategic technology partners.
• Experience leading operational excellence initiatives, including CI/CD and release management.
• Strong financial, budget, resource planning, and portfolio management experience.
• Executive-level communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute technology strategies that drive business results.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering strategy and execution for digital web and mobile platforms.
• Drive scalable, high-performance digital ordering and guest engagement solutions.
• Own enterprise API strategy, governance, security, and lifecycle management.
• Establish engineering standards, quality frameworks, and reliability practices.
• Measure and improve delivery performance, quality, uptime, and technical health.
• Oversee integrations across eCommerce, loyalty, POS, payments, and delivery partners.
• Partner with Product, UX, Security, Infrastructure, Data, and business leaders on shared objectives.
• Lead CI/CD, release management, observability, and incident management strategies.
• Manage strategic relationships with engineering vendors, implementation partners, and cloud providers.
• Direct engineering financial planning, resource strategy, forecasting, and risk management.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend innovations that advance business outcomes.
• Develop and lead high-performance engineering teams focused on continuous improvement.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Web & mobile scaling

API platform strategy

Cloud-native architectures

Agile delivery

Vendor management

CI/CD & release management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Master's degree

Tools

React Native

CI/CD tools

Job description

Welcome to Whataburger Careers! Our Flavor - Why Whataburger Whataburger isn’t just a fast-food burger chain it is where bold leadership starts - and where potential doesn’t just grow, it heats up. Whether you're leading the line or working behind the scenes, this is the place where opportunities stack up, and every day gives you a chance to Make a Difference. Since 1950, we’ve invested in people who lead with integrity, Serve with Heart, and bring their best flavor to the team. We believe in working together, speaking up, having a little fun, and Winning as One - because great burgers (and great teams) start with the right ingredients. If you're ready - to learn, grow, impact, and Move Forward Boldly - we’ve got your back and your path cooked to perfection.

Your Recipe for Impact - What You’ll Do

As an Engineering Senior Director, you will lead the technical vision, engineering strategy, and delivery of Whataburger's digital technology ecosystem, ensuring our web, mobile, loyalty, payments, and digital ordering platforms deliver exceptional experiences for guests and team members alike. You'll partner across Technology and the business to modernize platforms, accelerate innovation, and build scalable solutions that support long-term growth. In this role, you'll embody our values every day by Making a Difference through technology that enhances the guest experience, Serving with Heart by delivering reliable and seamless digital solutions, Winning as One through strong partnerships across teams and vendors, and Moving Forward Boldly by advancing engineering excellence, modern architectures, and emerging technologies that shape the future of Whataburger.

Day-to-Day Ingredients - Responsibilities

• Lead engineering strategy and execution for digital web and mobile platforms.
• Drive scalable, high-performance digital ordering and guest engagement solutions.
• Own enterprise API strategy, governance, security, and lifecycle management.
• Establish engineering standards, quality frameworks, and reliability practices.
• Measure and improve delivery performance, quality, uptime, and technical health.
• Oversee integrations across eCommerce, loyalty, POS, payments, and delivery partners.
• Partner with Product, UX, Security, Infrastructure, Data, and business leaders on shared objectives.
• Lead CI/CD, release management, observability, and incident management strategies.
• Manage strategic relationships with engineering vendors, implementation partners, and cloud providers.
• Direct engineering financial planning, resource strategy, forecasting, and risk management.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend innovations that advance business outcomes.
• Develop and lead high-performance engineering teams focused on continuous improvement.

The Sauce - Pay & Perks

• Competitive Weekly Pay Bonus Program
• 5 weeks of PTO Starting on Day One
• Flex Weeks
• Paid Corporate Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401(k) match $1/$1 up to 4%
• Competitive Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Short-term and Long-term Disability Benefits
• Opportunities for Career Development and Growth
• Whataburger Family Foundation - Scholarship Program (dependents also eligible) and Hardship Grant Assistance
• Cell Phone Service Discounts
• Computer & Software Discounts
• Fitness / Gym Discounts
• Awards and recognition for all you do
• Retirement Celebration Program

What You Bring to the Table - Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 11+ years of progressive hands-on engineering experience.
• Experience leading large-scale engineering organizations and technology teams.
• Expertise scaling web and mobile applications in high-volume environments.
• Experience leading API platform strategy, governance, and engineering practices.
• Strong knowledge of cloud-native architectures, system integrations, and digital ecosystems.
• Experience with Agile delivery methodologies and modern software development practices.
• Proven success managing engineering vendors and strategic technology partners.
• Experience leading operational excellence initiatives, including CI/CD and release management.
• Strong financial, budget, resource planning, and portfolio management experience.
• Executive-level communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute technology strategies that drive business results.

Extra Toppings - Desired Experience

• Master's degree.
• Experience in restaurant, retail, hospitality, or other consumer-facing industries.
• Experience supporting digital commerce, loyalty, and payment platforms.
• Background leading React Native, mobile, and modern web application development.
• Experience with large-scale digital transformation initiatives.
• Knowledge of enterprise observability, site reliability, and platform engineering practices.
• Experience leveraging data-driven insights to influence technology investment decisions.
• Proven track record delivering innovation while balancing operational stability.

Where & How You’ll Work This role is based at the San Antonio Home Office, working on-site Monday through Thursday with remote flexibility on Fridays. In this role, you’ll have strong collaboration with leadership, across cross-functional teams, and with external partners to align capabilities with restaurant realities. The work environment is fast-paced and requires sound judgment, strategic thinking, and strong collaboration skills. Full-time availability is required, with occasional extended hours based on business needs, along with occasional travel to properties, project sites, and external meetings. Candidates must reside within commuting distance of the San Antonio Home Office.

Whataburger is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, disability, veteran status, age, or other condition or status protected by law. Whataburger participates in the federal E-Verify Program. For more information go to www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. *Eligibility rules may apply to specific benefits 300 Concord Plaza Dr San Antonio TX 78216-6903 People make the difference at Whataburger. We take pride in our work, take care of each other and love serving our customers. Join our family and we’ll work hard to instill values and skills that will serve you well no matter where your journey leads.