Technical engineer Jobs in Escondido, CA

Want to help pets live their best lives?

We’re proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you.

Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets and people.

• Pet First – Protect & Empower. All pets should Live their Best Life. We put the needs of pets and pet parents at the center of everything we do.
• Foster the Fun – Connect & Bond. Our Passion for pets brings us together! We celebrate the journey of pet parenthood through district experiences, products, and services.
• Let’s Go! Own & Commit. We are stronger as One Petco team. We bring our unique superpowers and champion authenticity in everyone to drive success.

About Petco:

We’re proud to be "where the pets go" to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years — from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood — the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we’re here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.

The Director of Technical Program Management (TPM) to lead enterprise-scale technology initiatives across our retail, ecommerce, veterinary hospital, and pet services businesses. This leader will drive cross-functional program delivery that enables scalable digital commerce, omnichannel customer experiences, operational excellence, and innovation across a rapidly growing organization.

The Director of TPM will oversee a portfolio of complex technology programs spanning ecommerce platforms, customer data systems, retail operations, veterinary systems, appointment scheduling, loyalty, fulfillment, and services integration. This role requires strong technical fluency, exceptional organizational leadership, and the ability to align engineering, product, operations, and business stakeholders around strategic outcomes.

The ideal candidate combines deep program leadership experience with a customer-first mindset and a strong understanding of modern digital retail ecosystems.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Program Leadership

• Lead enterprise technology programs supporting ecommerce growth, omnichannel retail experiences, veterinary hospital operations, and pet services platforms.

• Develop and manage multi-year program roadmaps aligned to business strategy and technology priorities.

• Drive execution across large-scale transformational initiatives including platform modernization, systems integration, cloud migration, customer experience enhancements, and operational scalability.

• Establish governance frameworks, delivery standards, and operating rhythms for technical program management across the organization.

• Partner with executive leadership to prioritize initiatives, manage dependencies, and communicate portfolio health, risks, and outcomes.

Cross-Functional Delivery Management

• Coordinate delivery across engineering, product management, architecture, cybersecurity, infrastructure, data, retail operations, digital marketing, veterinary services, and third-party vendors.

• Lead complex cross-functional planning efforts involving ecommerce systems, POS, CRM, ERP, OMS, scheduling, loyalty, payment systems, and mobile applications.

• Manage interdependencies between retail stores, ecommerce fulfillment, veterinary clinics, and pet services operations.

• Drive program execution using Agile, hybrid Agile, and scaled delivery methodologies appropriate for enterprise environments.

• Ensure alignment between technology investments and measurable business value.

Ecommerce & Digital Platform Enablement

• Partner with digital and product leaders to scale ecommerce capabilities, customer personalization, search, recommendations, subscription services, and omnichannel fulfillment.

• Support initiatives involving digital merchandising, checkout optimization, inventory visibility, loyalty integration, and mobile customer experiences.

• Enable high-availability, scalable platforms capable of supporting seasonal demand spikes and continued business growth.

• Collaborate with engineering teams on API strategies, platform integrations, and modernization efforts.

Veterinary & Services Technology Integration

• Oversee technology programs supporting veterinary hospital operations, appointment scheduling, telehealth capabilities, prescription workflows, grooming, training, boarding, and other pet services.

• Drive integration between clinical systems, customer platforms, ecommerce experiences, and loyalty ecosystems.

• Ensure operational scalability and compliance requirements are incorporated into technology delivery plans.

Organizational Leadership

• Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing TPM organization.

• Establish program management best practices, delivery metrics, reporting standards, and continuous improvement processes.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, and customer-centric execution.

• Coach TPMs and senior program leaders in stakeholder management, technical fluency, and executive communication.

Risk, Governance & Operational Excellence

• Identify delivery risks, resource constraints, and organizational blockers early and drive mitigation plans.

• Implement portfolio-level reporting, dependency management, and escalation frameworks.

• Ensure programs meet security, compliance, reliability, and operational readiness requirements.

• Track KPIs, business outcomes, financial impacts, and operational metrics tied to strategic initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Business, or related field.

• 10+ years of experience leading large-scale technical programs in retail, ecommerce, digital platforms, or related industries.

• 5+ years of people leadership experience managing TPMs, program managers, or cross-functional delivery organizations.

• Proven experience delivering complex enterprise initiatives involving distributed systems, cloud platforms, APIs, data integrations, and customer-facing applications.

• Strong understanding of ecommerce ecosystems, omnichannel retail operations, and digital customer experiences.

• Experience partnering with engineering, product, and executive leadership teams in fast-paced environments.

• Demonstrated success managing large cross-functional programs with multiple dependencies and stakeholders.

• Executive presentation skills, including preparation of relevant material, and presentation to senior company leadership.

• Excellent executive communication, organizational, and strategic planning skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in specialty retail, healthcare, veterinary services, hospitality, or service-based consumer businesses.

• Familiarity with retail technologies such as POS, OMS, ERP, CRM, loyalty, fulfillment, and customer data platforms.

• Experience with modern cloud architectures and platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.

• Knowledge of Agile delivery frameworks including Scrum, SAFe, Kanban, or hybrid delivery models.

• PMP, PgMP, Scrum, SAFe, or related certifications preferred.

• Experience leading digital transformation or platform modernization initiatives at enterprise scale.

Success Metrics

• Delivery of strategic technology initiatives on time and within budget

• Improved ecommerce scalability, reliability, and customer experience metrics

• Increased operational efficiency across retail, veterinary, and services organizations

• Improved cross-functional alignment and delivery predictability

• Higher engineering and stakeholder satisfaction with TPM organization

• Reduced program risk and improved portfolio visibility

• Faster time-to-market for customer and operational capabilities

Example Focus Areas

• Ecommerce platform scalability and modernization

• Omnichannel customer journeys

• Veterinary appointment and medical systems integration

• Loyalty and customer identity platforms

• Subscription and recurring services

• Fulfillment and inventory optimization

• Mobile applications and digital services

• Enterprise data and analytics initiatives

• AI-enabled customer support and personalization

• Operational tooling for stores and clinics

#LI-NN1

#CORP

Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

The pay ranges outlined below are presented in accordance with state-specific regulations. These ranges may differ in other areas and could be subject to variation based on regulatory minimum wage requirements. Actual pay rates will depend on factors such as position, location, level of experience, and applicable state or local minimum wage laws. If the regulatory minimum wage exceeds the minimum indicated in the pay range below, the regulatory minimum wage will be the minimum rate applied.

Salary Range: $160,400.00 - $265,800.00

Hourly or Salary Range will be reflected above. For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO - see https://careers.petco.com/us/en/key-benefits

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.

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