At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical direction and set engineering standards for Starbucks Digital Solutions across EMEA.
- Company: Join Starbucks, a global leader in coffee and technology innovation.
- Benefits: Flexible working policy, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on learning and innovation.
- Why this job: Shape the future of technology at Starbucks while making a real impact.
- Qualifications: Significant experience in software engineering and technical leadership required.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
This role strengthens technical excellence across EMEA while aligning to global technology strategy and leading the Starbucks Digital Solutions technical direction for International markets. It will set engineering direction, raise standards and guide decisions across internally developed and third-party platforms that matter most to our business, customers, partners, baristas and shareholders.
As a Principal Engineer, you will be a strategic technical leader, trusted advisor and hands-on technologist. You will partner across product, delivery, security, infrastructure and technology teams to turn enterprise strategy into scalable, secure and resilient engineering outcomes.
EMEA's technology landscape is predominantly third-party today. This role will help determine where Starbucks should build, own and differentiate in line with our CTO vision and Starbucks Digital Solutions strategy, focusing on the systems and capabilities where greater engineering ownership can create competitive advantage, agility and long-term value across International markets.
This role is for an ambitious self-starter who thrives in ambiguity, operates with significant autonomy and influences effectively at all levels of the organisation. Equally comfortable discussing code-level solutions with engineers or presenting technology strategy to senior executives, you will bring technical depth, commercial awareness and sound judgement to every decision.
As Starbucks expands its global engineering capability, this role offers a unique opportunity to shape, build and potentially lead future engineering teams supporting EMEA and broader International products and platforms. Reporting to an EMEA Director, you will work across business functions, global technology teams, Starbucks Digital Solutions, vendors and delivery partners to ensure technology investments are scalable, secure, resilient and aligned to long-term strategic objectives.
The role will deliver impact by:
- Technical Strategy & Leadership: Set and influence the technical direction for EMEA technology capabilities, aligned to Starbucks global technology strategy and the Starbucks Digital Solutions direction for International markets. Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior technology and business leaders. Provide clear recommendations on technology investments, build-versus-buy decisions and platform evolution. Identify opportunities to increase Starbucks-owned technology capabilities and reduce unnecessary third-party dependency where strategic value exists. Drive technical decision-making across programmes, products and business domains. Balance speed, scalability, maintainability, resilience, security and cost in technology decisions.
- Engineering Excellence & Standards: Raise engineering standards, practices and technical maturity across EMEA. Promote modern engineering principles, tooling, patterns and ways of working across EMEA teams. Lead architecture and engineering reviews, providing guidance on solution design and implementation. Champion best practices in testing, observability, reliability, security, automation and operational excellence. Help teams reduce technical debt and improve platform health.
- Platform Strategy & Solution Ownership: Partner with Product teams to deliver business outcomes through sustainable technical solutions. Modernise platforms, simplify technology landscapes and consolidate capabilities where they create strategic value. Shape integration strategies across SaaS platforms, cloud-native services and custom-developed solutions.
- Enterprise Alignment & Collaboration: Partner with Starbucks Global Technology and Starbucks Digital Solutions teams to align EMEA priorities with enterprise standards, platforms and International market direction. Represent regional needs in global roadmaps and shape Starbucks Digital Solutions priorities where International market requirements can create broader enterprise value. Build strong relationships across engineering, infrastructure, security, product and vendor communities. Ensure technology investments have a clear return for Starbucks and International licensees.
- Engineering Capability & Talent Development: Shape the future engineering operating model for EMEA in alignment with global engineering strategy and Starbucks Digital Solutions priorities for International markets. Expand internal engineering capability and ownership of strategic systems where it creates business value. Coach engineers, technical leads and future engineering leaders. Support recruitment, capability assessment and succession planning. Develop a clear engineering career path and capability framework for the region.
The successful candidate will demonstrate creating an environment where learning, experimentation and innovation are encouraged.
Skills & Qualifications
- Essential Experience: Significant experience in software engineering, technical leadership or principal engineering roles within complex enterprise environments. Proven experience influencing technical strategy across multiple teams, products or technology domains. Demonstrable experience leading technology transformation, platform modernisation or engineering improvement initiatives. Experience operating within highly matrixed, global organisations.
- Technical Expertise: Strong full-stack engineering expertise across modern application architectures, APIs, integrations and cloud-native platforms, including Azure. Deep understanding of software engineering principles, design patterns, architecture and system design. Strong understanding of event-driven architectures, API-first design and integration patterns. Experience with DevOps, CI/CD, automation, observability and operational excellence practices. Strong understanding of security, resilience, scalability and performance engineering. Ability to challenge and assess vendor-supplied architectures and technical solutions. Experience balancing SaaS, third-party and internally developed capabilities to maximise strategic value.
- Leadership & Influence Skills: Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. Credibility and confidence engaging with senior technology and business leadership teams. Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence without direct authority. Ability to build consensus across global, regional and vendor organisations.
- Strategic & Commercial Acumen: Ability to align technology decisions to business strategy, customer outcomes and commercial objectives. Experience evaluating technical debt, technology investments and platform sustainability.
- Leadership Behaviours: Highly self-motivated and comfortable operating autonomously. Challenges thinking constructively and drives positive change. Takes ownership and accountability for outcomes. Demonstrates resilience and adaptability in fast-changing environments. Collaborates effectively across cultures, geographies and organisational boundaries.
Desirable Experience:
- Experience within retail, hospitality, digital commerce or customer-facing technology environments.
- Experience supporting geographically distributed engineering teams.
- Experience establishing, scaling or leading engineering functions.
- Experience working alongside Product Management organisations in a product-led operating model.
- Knowledge of modern engineering practices including Platform Engineering, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), AI-assisted development and Developer Experience (DevEx).
We have a flexible working policy. Meaning 50% of the time we collaborate with each other in our London office and the rest of the time you may choose to work remotely. Depending on your portfolio travel to other locations may be required occasionally. We will work with you to ensure this fits your home life. We also actively encourage partners to spend time in our stores. We believe it is essential we all understand the customer and Green Apron Partner Starbucks experience.
Our standard working hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:30. We value flexibility and offer it in return - recognising that balance looks different for everyone.
If this resonates with you and sounds like something you'd love to be part of, we want to get to know you. Apply today to start your journey!
At Starbucks, we strive to offer equal employment opportunities to everyone. If you're passionate about this position, we want to hear from you! We value the uniqueness of each team member and endeavour to create a workplace where everyone feels they can be their true selves. If you require additional support during the recruitment process, please let us know.
principal engineer- international technology & Starbucks digital solutions in London employer: Starbucks
Starbucks is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration, particularly in the dynamic environment of EMEA. With a flexible working policy that allows for a blend of office and remote work, employees are empowered to thrive both personally and professionally. The company prioritises employee growth through coaching and development opportunities, ensuring that every team member can contribute to shaping the future of technology at Starbucks while enjoying a supportive and inclusive workplace.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land principal engineer- international technology & Starbucks digital solutions in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Starbucks or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Starbucks.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Starbucks.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Starbucks that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace principal engineer- international technology & Starbucks digital solutions in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Starbucks.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Starbucks and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Starbucks
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Starbucks uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
