About The Role

Who is Taco Bell?

Taco Bell was born and raised in California and has been around since 1962. We went from selling everyone’s favorite Crunchy Tacos on the West Coast to a global brand with 8,200+ restaurants, 350 franchise organizations, that serve 42+ million fans each week around the globe. We’re not only the largest Mexican-inspired quick service brand (QSR) in the world, we’re also part of the biggest restaurant group in the world: Yum! Brands.

Much of our fan love and authentic connection with our communities are rooted in being rebels with a cause. From ensuring we use high quality, sustainable ingredients to elevating restaurant technology in ways that hasn’t been done before… we will continue to be inclusive, bold, challenge the status quo and push industry boundaries.

We’re a company that celebrates and advocates for different, has bold self-expression, strives for a better future, and brings the fun while we’re at it. We fuel our culture with real people who bring unique experiences. We inspire and enable our teams and the world to Live Más.

At Taco Bell, we’re Cultural Rebels. Want to join in on the passion-fueled fun? Learn more about the career below.

About the Job

The Head of Engineering provides strategic and operational leadership for Taco Bell's Engineering, Architecture, and Quality Engineering organizations, delivering the technology platforms that power restaurant operations, digital commerce, and customer experiences at scale.

Reporting to the VP, Engineering, Taco Bell, this senior engineering leader operates in a highly matrixed environment, shaping engineering strategy, driving enterprise technology investments, and leading execution through shared engineering organizations across Yum. This role is accountable for translating business strategy into technology outcomes while ensuring engineering excellence, platform reliability, and organizational effectiveness.

As part of the D&T leadership team, this leader drives engineering strategy—raising the bar on engineering excellence, organizational performance, technology modernization, speed, and reliability to fuel growth, innovation, and world-class customer and team member experiences.

Team Size: 86 FTE, 5 Direct Reports

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership (30%)

Partner with the VP, Engineering, Taco Bell and Architecture leadership to define engineering strategy, technology investment priorities, and multi-year platform roadmaps aligned to business objectives
Influence engineering standards, platform modernization, and technical direction across Taco Bell while partnering with shared Yum engineering organizations to deliver enterprise capabilities.
Translate enterprise technology strategy into organizational execution, ensuring delivery of strategic business outcomes while balancing innovation, operational excellence, and long-term platform sustainability.

Engineering Delivery & Operational Excellence

Lead & own end-to-end engineering delivery across Taco Bell platforms (in house Taco Bell, In house Yum or 3rd party platforms) built on a multi-year roadmap
Manage complex technology programs and projects, including software releases, platform upgrades, and new product launches.
Champion modern engineering practices including cloud-native architecture, platform engineering, DevOps, AI-enabled software development, automation, and continuous improvement.
Drive innovation and continuous improvement across restaurant and in-store technologies, ensuring seamless integration across POS, kiosks, payments, kitchen systems, labor, inventory, drive-thru, reporting, and emerging AI-enabled capabilities.

People Leadership

Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and growth, developing future leaders and supporting a diverse, high-performing team. Team leadership and mentoring for 80+ person organization.
Lead a team that serves as a strategic technology partner to Marketing, Operations, Finance, Franchisees, and external vendors--- aligning innovative solutions with business objectives and delivering seamless experience for all stakeholders.
Develop organizational strategy, workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership capability to ensure long-term organizational health and scalability.
Coach and develop Engineering Directors, Managers, and technical leaders while strengthening leadership capability across the organization.

Business Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement

Serve as the senior engineering partner to Product, Marketing, Operations, Finance, Franchisees, Architecture, Data & AI, Security, and Yum Technology leadership, aligning engineering priorities with strategic business objectives.
Influence business strategy by identifying technology opportunities that improve operational efficiency, customer experience, and restaurant performance.
Champion data-driven decision making through engineering metrics, operational analytics, and measurable business outcomes.
Represent Engineering as a member of the Taco Bell Extended Digital & Technology Leadership Team, ensuring alignment across Taco Bell and Yum technology organizations.
Ensure robust vendor management, contract negotiation, and strategic partnerships to support technology innovation and operational excellence.
Integrate and collaborate with Yum! Byte or third-party vendors to implement secure, scalable digital solutions that support growth.

Is this you?

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Technology, Business Management, or related field required; advanced degree (MBA, MS) preferred.
15+ years of progressive IT/technology leadership, with 6+ years leading large, complex programs and teams across multiple business or functional areas.
Proven track record in Quick Service Restaurant (QSR), retail, or multi-unit chain/franchise environments preferred.
Deep understanding of restaurant technologies (POS, eCommerce, middleware, product master, menu platforms, data/reporting systems) preferred.
Demonstrated expertise in digital product management, software development lifecycle, and agile methodologies, with strong capability in technology architecture design and solutioning across diverse technology stacks.
Experience with omni-channel customer experience strategies and integrating online/offline technologies (POS, kiosks, mobile, CRM, digital menu boards) preferred.
Proficiency with tools such as Microsoft Suite, Copilot, JIRA, Confluence, and other collaboration/analytics platforms.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and influencing skills.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, matrixed, and dynamic environment.
Strong analytical, financial, and strategic planning skills.
Demonstrated ability to build partnerships, manage vendors, and drive cross-functional alignment.
Commitment to continuous learning, innovation, and fostering an inclusive, collaborative culture. Passion for developing engineering leaders, building high-performing organizations, and fostering a culture of innovation, inclusion, and engineering excellence.

Work-Hard, Play-Hard

Hybrid work schedule and year-round flex day Friday
Onsite childcare through Bright Horizons
Onsite dining center and game room (yes, there is a Taco Bell inside the building)
Onsite dry cleaning, laundry services, carwash,
Onsite gym with fitness classes and personal trainer sessions
Up to 4 weeks of vacation per year plus holidays and time off for volunteering
Generous parental leave for all new parents and adoption assistance program
401(k) with a 6% matching contribution from Yum! Brands with immediate vesting
Comprehensive medical & dental including prescription drug benefits and 100% preventive care
Discounts, free food, swag and… honestly, too many good benefits to name

Salary Range: $240,000 - $300,300 annually + bonus eligibility and stock-based compensation. This is the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining pay, we'll consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job-related factors.

At Taco Bell, we Live Más and invite you to do the same. Take a seat at our table. Bring your voice. Bring you, just as you are, a Cultural Rebel. We want you to be your best self!

Taco Bell is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging for all dimensions of diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other protected characteristic.

Taco Bell is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities or special needs.