director, Retail Infrastructure Services

About the Role

Lead the organization responsible for delivering, sustaining, and continually improving the technology infrastructure that supports Starbucks company-owned coffeehouses across the United States and Canada. This leader owns the operating model, supplier ecosystem, financial discipline, and service performance for the infrastructure capabilities that enable store openings, remodels, lifecycle programs, repair and maintenance, and day-to-day technology sustainment. The role requires close partnership across Technology, Coffeehouse Operations, Construction, Facilities, Sourcing, Finance, and external suppliers to improve reliability, reduce store disruption, and create a more scalable, data-driven service model.

Who You Are

A strategic, operationally grounded leader who can translate technology priorities into scalable services that work inside complex retail environments. You understand that store technology is not just infrastructure — it’s an ecosystem enabling partner productivity, digital ordering, production workflows, customer engagement, payment processing, and operational excellence. Comfortable leading through ambiguity, building cross-functional alignment, and driving accountability across internal teams and external suppliers. You bring strong business judgment, executive communication, financial discipline, and the ability to balance speed, service quality, risk, cost, and operational impact. You build strong teams and trusted relationships, inspire partners to deliver business results, identify and grow talent, provide coaching and leadership support, and create an environment where teams work together effectively.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategy, roadmap, operating model, and governance for Retail Infrastructure Services across company-owned stores in the U.S. and Canada, with scope spanning store infrastructure, network connectivity, in-store hardware, field services, lifecycle programs, and technology sustainment.
• Accountable for end-to-end service performance across store openings, remodels, relocations, closures, infrastructure deployments, lifecycle refreshes, sustainment, repair and maintenance, and retirement activities.
• Own portfolio-level financial stewardship for RIS-managed services, including budget planning, forecasting, cost-to-serve transparency, total cost of ownership discipline, cost optimization, invoice controls, supplier spend governance, and vendor commercial accountability.
• Lead supplier strategy and governance across VARs, OEMs, telecommunications providers, field service partners, and managed service suppliers.
• Build organizational capability, talent depth, and leadership effectiveness across direct and indirect teams.
• Serve as an escalation leader for complex operational issues, supplier performance challenges, and technology disruptions impacting coffeehouses.
• Champion continuous improvement, AI adoption, automation, and process modernization to reduce manual work, improve scalability, and free partners for higher-value work.
• Build and execute a multi-year roadmap that improves reliability, scalability, standardization, automation, and service quality across coffeehouses.
• Improve execution of store openings, remodels, relocations, closures, technology refreshes, connectivity upgrades, and sustainment work.
• Establish operating rhythms, dashboards, scorecards, and service reviews that create visibility, accountability, and faster decision-making.
• Mature supplier performance through SLA governance, escalation management, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and continuous improvement routines.
• Modernize repair and maintenance operations by improving cost transparency, reducing avoidable dispatches, strengthening preventive maintenance, and improving vendor accountability.
• Partner with Coffeehouse Operations, Construction, Facilities, Product, Engineering, Sourcing, and Finance to reduce store disruption and improve the partner and customer experience.
• Build a team culture rooted in accountability, collaboration, operational excellence, continuous learning, and measurable business impact.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in infrastructure or retail technology operations, management, or related technology leadership roles.
• 8+ years of experience leading highly skilled, diverse technical teams.
• 8+ years of experience resolving complex problems across internal teams, support organizations, customers, and suppliers.
• Bachelor’s degree in technology, engineering, business, operations, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to advise, influence, and align senior leaders across business and technology teams.
• A bias for simplification, standardization, automation, and scalable service design.

Preferred Experience

• Supporting multi-site retail, restaurant, hospitality, or field-service environments.
• Familiarity with technology operations supporting hardware, networking, connectivity, and store technology environments.
• Implementing automation, AI-enabled workflows, or digital transformation initiatives.
• Managing large operational portfolios, significant supplier spend, vendor commercial performance, and cost-to-serve improvement initiatives.

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 (accrual varies by state), sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked), eight paid holidays, and 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 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 and DACA reimbursement.

Schedule

This role is onsite four days a week.