director, future operating model - Coffeehouse Futures

Starbucks • Seattle, WA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

As director, Future Operating Model, you will help shape the future of the Starbucks coffeehouse. Reporting within the Coffeehouse Futures organization, you will lead a portfolio of innovation initiatives focused on transforming the physical coffeehouse, drive-thru experience, operating model, automation capabilities, and facilities technology. You will partner across Coffeehouse Development, Operations, Digital, Supply Chain, Engineering, Facilities, and Product teams to identify emerging opportunities, pilot breakthrough solutions, and scale innovations that improve partner experience, operational performance, and customer outcomes. This leader will drive a team accountable for developing the next generation of Starbucks formats, acceleration drive-thru throughput, improving labor efficiency through AI and automation, reducing reactive facilities work, and helping create the coffeehouse experience of the future.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and advanced degree a plus in Business, Engineering, Operations, Technology, Data Science or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in innovation, strategy, operations, manufacturing, engineering, retail transformation, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience, including leading managers and cross-functional teams.
• 5+ years of experience leading large-scale innovation programs, pilots, or transformation initiatives from concept through implementation.
• Experience driving cross-functional partnerships through executive influence in Operations, Technology, Supply Chain, Facilities, Product, and/or Store Development organizations.
• Experience developing business cases, managing investment portfolios, and communicating recommendations to senior executives.
• Proven success piloting and scaling solutions in production systems. In restaurants, or other multi-unit operating networks a plus.

Nice To Haves

• Drive-thru experience a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead the future coffeehouse innovation agenda – Build and execute innovation strategies that support Coffeehouse Futures priorities across store formats, drive-thru, operating models, automation, and facilities technology. Develop a portfolio of initiatives that balance long-term business impact.
• Transform customer and partner experiences through innovation – Identify opportunities to improve customer connection, throughput, labor efficiency, and coffeehouse operations. Lead projects through the phases of definition, experimentation, pilot design, testing, and commercialization of future-facing solutions.
• Drive measurable business outcomes – Establish innovation roadmaps aligned to key enterprise metrics including peak customers served, drive-thru speed and throughput, labor productivity, store capacity, equipment uptime, reactive maintenance reduction, and operational efficiency improvements.
• Lead cross-functional strategy and execution – Partner with senior leaders across Retail Operations, Coffeehouse Development, Digital, Supply Chain, Facilities, Engineering, Product, and Technology teams to move concepts from vision to implementation and scale.
• Build and develop a high-performing innovation team – Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team responsible for Formats Innovation, Drive-Thru Innovation, Operating Model Innovation, and AI & Automation, and Facilities Technology programs. Foster a culture of experimentation, learning, collaboration, and accountability.
• Influence enterprise decisions and investment priorities – Provide thought leadership and data-driven recommendations to senior executives regarding future coffeehouse concepts, innovation investments, pilot learnings, scalability assessments, and strategi opportunities.
• Turn ideas into operational reality – Ensure innovations are designed with operational feasibility, partner adoption, change management, and long-term scalability in mid to deliver sustained business value.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits.
• 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
• two personal days per year.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• discounted company stock program (S.I.P.)
• Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock)
• incentivized emergency savings
• financial well-being tools.
• 100%25 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
• access to other educational opportunities.
• backup care
• DACA reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director