engineer principal, Coffeehouse Design & Development, Global Coffee & Sustainability

principal engineer, Coffeehouse Design & Development, Global Coffee & Sustainability

Job Summary and Mission

From the very beginning, Starbucks has set out to be a different kind of company - one that not only celebrated coffee and its rich heritage but also fostered a sense of human connection. We are recognized for developing extraordinary leaders who share this passion and lead through service to others.

Coffeehouse Design & Development and Global Coffee and Sustainability sit at the core of delivering meaningful impact for our partners and customers. From designing future-ready coffeehouses to enabling the end-to-end “bean to cup” lifecycle and sustainability initiatives, this work drives real, visible outcomes. If you thrive on learning, value tangible results, and think systemically, the Technology team is looking for you.

Join us in shaping the future of Starbucks - where technology, data, and AI converge to deliver exceptional experiences for partners and customers worldwide.

Summary of Key Responsibilities

As a Principal Engineer within Coffeehouse Design & Development and Global Coffee and Sustainability, you will play a critical role in shaping Starbucks’ technology ecosystem to enable scalable, innovative, and AI-driven solutions. You will lead architectural strategy, guide technical decisions, and ensure alignment with business objectives and enterprise standards.

• Architectural Leadership: Develop and evolve technical architecture and design strategies based on business needs, lessons learned, and emerging trends.
• Discovery & Feasibility: Lead initial discovery and proof-of-concept (POC) efforts to assess solution feasibility, technology fit, and alignment with Coffeehouse Design & Development platforms.
• Collaboration & Influence: Partner with enterprise system teams to define technology recommendations and best practices for application design, cloud, integrations, monitoring, reporting, and data services.
• AI Integration:
  • Identify opportunities to leverage AI and machine learning for predictive analytics, workflow optimization, and intelligent automation.
  • Collaborate with data science teams to design architectures that support AI-driven insights and scalable ML models.
  • Ensure AI solutions adhere to ethical guidelines, data privacy standards, and enterprise governance.
• Standards & Frameworks: Deliver key architectural artifacts, including Major Decision Frameworks (MDFs), solution frameworks, design patterns, technical standards, and guidelines.
• Roadmap Development: Create and maintain engineering and platform roadmaps informed by business priorities and stakeholder input.
• Thought Leadership: Advise on a broad range of technologies, staying current with industry trends and assessing long-term impacts, total cost of ownership (TCO), and business implications.
• Strategic Thinking: Challenge assumptions, consider opposing viewpoints, and evaluate short- and long-term financial and operational impacts.
• Leadership Presence: Represent Coffeehouse Design & Development Technology in cross-functional settings with emp