senior equipment development engineer - Sustainment Engineering Solutions

Starbucks•Seattle, WA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Equipment Development Engineer contributes to Starbucks’ success by improving the reliability, safety, serviceability, and total cost of ownership of commercial beverage and foodservice equipment used in coffeehouses. The role translates field performance data and partner feedback into technical problems, leads root-cause investigations, develops and validates corrective actions, and carries approved changes through commercialization and fleet implementation. The engineer analyzes field, service, cost, telemetry, and equipment-performance data to identify failure modes and improvement opportunities; leads structured investigations; and develops and validates sustainment solutions with suppliers and internal teams. The role also manages engineering changes through technical review and change-control processes, coordinates testing and implementation, and monitors early-life field performance to verify expected improvements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, or a related technical field.
At least 5 years of progressive engineering experience supporting commercial, industrial, consumer, or foodservice equipment, including project management.
At least 5 years of experience developing test plans, building or evaluating prototypes, conducting laboratory or field tests, and interpreting results.
At least 5 years of demonstrated project management experience.
Demonstrated experience conducting root-cause analysis and developing corrective actions for equipment or component failures.
Experience using field-service, reliability, quality, or telemetry data to identify failure trends and prioritize engineering work.
Ability to query and analyze large datasets using AI, Excel, SQL, Tableau, Power BI, Python, or similar tools.
Experience authoring and maintaining technical requirements, engineering specifications, test reports, and change-control documentation.
Demonstrated experience working with suppliers and cross-functional stakeholders to move changes from technical investigation through validation and implementation.
Working knowledge of engineering statistics and reliability methods, including Pareto analysis, hypothesis testing, life-data analysis, and risk assessment.
Knowledge of FMEA, HALT/accelerated testing, reliability principles, and supplier quality.
Ability to safely work hands-on with commercial equipment, components, tools, and laboratory test equipment.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues and recommendations to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Knowledge of food-equipment sanitary design and applicable third-party requirements such as NSF/ANSI, UL, IEC, or related standards.
Ability to work with cross-functional teams.
Project management skills, including measurement, reporting, and financial analysis.
Basic skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Project.
Knowledge and application of engineering principles.
Knowledge of technical engineering design, development, certifications, and standards.
Understanding of food microbiology.

Responsibilities

Analyze work-task, parts-consumption, cost, telemetry, service-history, and equipment-performance data to identify recurring failure modes, reliability trends, and improvement opportunities.
Define and quantify operational and financial impacts, establish baseline performance, and recommend priorities based on partner experience, coffeehouse availability, safety, reliability, and cost.
Develop dashboards, Pareto analyses, life estimates, and technical summaries to support evidence-based decisions.
Lead structured investigations of mechanical, electrical, controls, software, materials, water-system, and equipment-integration failures.
Use root-cause methods such as fault-tree analysis, 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, FMEA, hypothesis testing, teardown inspection, materials analysis, and controlled experimentation.
Work with suppliers and service partners to define containment, corrective actions, acceptance criteria, and verification plans.
Review component redesigns, material changes, software or firmware updates, service procedures, and preventive-maintenance improvements in collaboration with equipment suppliers.
Create requirements, specifications, statements of work, test plans, sample-size rationales, and pass/fail criteria; update service and operations and maintenance manuals.
Plan and conduct benchtop, reliability-lab, supplier, and coffeehouse testing, including first-article review, fit/function checks, accelerated life testing, and field trials.
Evaluate manufacturability, backward compatibility, service installation, spare-parts strategy, inventory disposition, and implementation risk.
Lead engineering changes through Starbucks technical review and change-control processes, including documentation, safety reviews, third-party certifications, approvals, and release readiness.
Serve as a technical point of contact with equipment manufacturers, component suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
Track open issues and negotiate technically sound outcomes that meet Starbucks requirements.
Build project plans, manage technical risks and dependencies, communicate status and decisions, and escalate barriers with clear recommendations.
Monitor early-life field performance after implementation and verify expected reliability, cost, and partner-experience improvements.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
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 and two personal days per year.
Eligible participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.
Discounted company stock program (S.I.P.).
Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock).
Incentivized emergency savings and financial well-being tools.
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.
Backup care.
DACA reimbursement.