Sr. Manager, Software Engineering

At El Pollo Loco we are on a mission to be the nations leading fire-grilled chicken

restaurant. When it comes to our people we are all about growth. Whether that

means specialized training a clearly laid out career trajectory or

collaborating cross-functionally we are committed to the success of our people

the same way weve been committed to the success of the El Pollo Loco brand for

the last 50 fact we see you as our secret ingredient. While our chicken

is fire its our people who set us ablaze.

Our restaurants are only the tip of the flame! If youre looking for an innovative

winning and welcoming workplace then a flamin good career in our Restaurant

Support Center is right for you.

At our SupportCenter we believe our best work is done Together when departments collaborate

and everyone is confident in contributing their ideas. This is why we are in

the office 3 days per week.

Lets Get

Loco!

Whats in it for you!

• STRONG office culture recognized as a Great Place to Work and driven by our core values: Simple. Together. Relentless. Ownership. Nimble. Growth
• Career growth opportunities
• Competitive pay and bonus potential
• Medical Dental Vision Insurance HSA Savings Account
• 401(K) Retirement Plan with company match and immediate vesting
• Paid Vacation Sick Pay 12 Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Free El Pollo Loco food restaurant discounts
• PerkSpot discounts program

The Senior Manager of Software Engineering is a senior technical leader responsible for setting the vision standards and execution strategy for the companys software engineering function. This role leads and develops software engineering organization while also maintaining strong technical oversight of architecture integrations and application platforms that support restaurant

operations and enterprise functions. Serving as both a strategic leader and hands-on technical advisor this role oversees internal application development enterprise integrations API services and modernization initiatives across multiple platforms. Our current stack includes Java-based systems JavaScript web applications SQL databases and enterprise data and integration platforms. The Senior Manager ensures the engineering organization delivers secure scalable high-quality software

aligned with business priorities and long-term technology strategy. This leader establishes technical stack engineering best practices quality assurance and delivery processes. The Senior Manager partners with cross-functional technology and business leadersincluding Restaurant Technologies Data & Analytics Infrastructure HR Finance Marketing and Operationsto deliver resilient scalable solutions that support enterprise growth and operational efficiency.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Leads and manages the software engineering organization including application developers and quality assurance engineers.
• Establishes the technical direction engineering standards and development practices for the organization.
• Provides architectural oversight and technical leadership across application development integrations APIs and data workflows.
• Guides modernization initiatives including platform upgrades cloud adoption system refactoring and technical debt reduction.
• Oversees the full software development lifecycle including requirements design development testing documentation and deployment. Brings AI capabilities into SDLC.
• Establishes and enforces coding standards secure development practices version control strategies CI/CD pipelines and documentation requirements.
• Maintains architectural ownership for applications and near real-time integrations.
• Works in an architect capacity with the Digital Marketing team representing IT in design sessions.
• Leads the Technical QA & Documentation Manager to ensure testing strategies release documentation and acceptance criteria are completed prior to deployment.
• Serves as the senior technical authority and final approver for production releases ensuring compliance with PCI/SOX controls security standards and rollback procedures.
• Collaborates with Restaurant Systems Infrastructure Data & Analytics Finance HR Marketing and Operations leadership to align engineering initiatives with business priorities.
• Oversees the design and performance of APIs integrations and data pipelines with emphasis on scalability reliability logging and monitoring.
• Evaluates emerging technologies vendor platforms and engineering tools to improve efficiency security and system capabilities.
• Manages engineering capacity planning sprint planning backlog prioritization and delivery timelines across multiple initiatives.
• Provides leadership coaching mentorship and career development for engineers analysts and technical leads.
• Ensures the creation and maintenance of technical documentation including architecture diagrams integration specifications release notes and operational runbooks.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS EDUCATION EXPERIENCE LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. The requirements listed below are representative of the education and/or experience required.

Education/Work Experience:

• Bachelors degree preferred in Computer Science Information Systems Engineering or related field.
• 812 years of progressive software development experience.
• At least 5 years in a technical leadership role (Engineering Manager Lead Developer or similar).
• Prior experience with application development.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Deep technical expertise with application development frameworks databases and modern API architecture.
• Experience integrating enterprise platforms.
• Familiarity with ETL platforms.
• Strong understanding of source control (Git) CI/CD pipelines automated deployments and branching strategies.
• Experience designing scalable enterprise integrations and distributed systems.
• Strong leadership and organizational management skills for building and developing engineering teams.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives priorities and delivery timelines.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to guide teams through complex technical challenges.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to enforce engineering standards documentation practices and release governance in partnership with QA & Documentation leadership.
• Ability to work onsite at the Support Center consistent with the hybrid work policy.

Our Company

In 1980 the first American El Pollo Loco opened on Alvarado Street in Los Angeles quickly

becoming a destination for the best citrus-marinated fire-grilled pollo in town. Over the past four decades El Pollo Loco has grown into more than 500 restaurants across 9 states becoming an L.A. mainstay and cultural benchmark along the way. Today we continue to work just as hard to always provide our customers with Quality Chicken. Fast. Easy. Affordable.

The pay range identified is the hourly or salary rate El Pollo Loco expects to pay for the

posted position. This range does not include any benefits or bonus opportunities that might be available for the position based on position and eligibility criteria. At El Pollo Loco it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the high end of the range. Individual pay decisions will vary based on a variety of factors including years of experience industry experience education geography etc.

Required Experience:

Manager