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Equipment Engineer

Irvine, CA

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:

This role will report to the Associate Engineering Manager and will be an integral part of a fun and fast paced team that designs, develops, manages, and iterates on current and future processes and equipment that drive the day-to-day business and shapes the restaurant experience. This hands-on role will be responsible for executing strategy to deliver next generation cooking, refrigeration, frying, beverage, other back of house restaurant equipment, and support national and test pipelines. The role requires out-of-box thinking and must be comfortable with trying new things while leading rapid prototyping, testing, and redesign. But still have a pragmatic and results-oriented focus on business goals. The ideal candidate must have the ability to influence and collaborate both internally with other functional experts and externally with designers and manufacturers.

Lastly, this individual must enjoy mixing work with fun! Taco Bell is very proud of our exciting and innovative culture and is seeking individuals that truly enjoy coming to work each day!

The Day-to-Day:

  • Project manage with attention to detail and identify potential risks on scalability and timing to implement initiatives.
  • Provide ongoing solutions and support for the food calendar and the restaurants.
  • Solicit and present program feedback throughout testing and use findings to make necessary adjustments for optimal national execution.
  • Define functional requirements, specifications, lead installations, training, and testing with organized project documentation.
  • Drive innovation and continuously improve equipment designs to drive productivity, speed, ergonomics, reliability, SKU reduction, and cost savings for the company.
  • Build and manage relationships with cross functional partners and equipment suppliers.
  • Work with cross-functional partners to ensure all business requirements are met and project goals are achieved.
  • Remain current on industry innovation, best practices, techniques, and tools.   

Is This You?

  • Bachelor of Science in Mechanical/Industrial Engineering with least 3-5 year’s experience.
  • Experience in restaurant, food processing or automation preferred
  • Comfortable acting as an individual contributor and collaborating with broader teams
  • Proven ability to multi-task and prioritize time in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment
  • Ability to inspire, engage, develop with cross functional teams
  • Local travel around Orange County, CA is common
  • Must be able to travel domestically 10-30% of the time
  • Knowledge of continuous process improvement processes, methods, and programs
  • Strong communication and presentation skills
  • Experience with basic Microsoft tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.) as well as CAD tools (SolidWorks, Creo etc.)
  • Experience decoding technical documentation (CAD drawings, spec sheets etc.)
  • Knowledge of widely used industry processes (DFMEA, Root cause analysis, Gantt Chart etc.) is preferred

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: ­­$96,000 to $112,900 annually + bonus eligibility + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we'll consider your 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.  

US Job Seekers/Employees - Click here to view the “Know Your Rights” poster and supplement and the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.

Employment eligibility to work with Taco Bell in the U.S. is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for this position.

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