Sr. Architectural Designer (Live Más Café)
KFC Corporation, Irvine, CA, United States
Irvine, CA, United States (Hybrid)
Job Description 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 7,500+ 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 haven’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 Sr. Architectural Designer (Live Más Café) is responsible for translating innovative global design concepts into buildable, site‑specific restaurant solutions and drives impact across the Taco Bell business through hands‑on design execution and cross‑functional collaboration. With this role, the opportunities are endless: working on high visibility special projects, evolving customer experiences, and cutting‑edge restaurant concepts that shape the future of the brand. This role partners closely with real estate, construction, engineering, operations, marketing, and suppliers to deliver scalable, high quality design solutions, and will report to the Sr. Director, Development, Architecture, & Construction.
Responsibilities The Day‑to‑Day
Actively develop Live Más Café prototypes and special projects from concept through construction, including pilots and one‑off builds.
Produce and coordinate design and construction documentation, including plans, details, and material specifications.
Work directly with consultants to ensure drawings and documentation are accurate, complete, and aligned with brand and operational requirements.
Support special project rollouts, ranging from short‑term pilots to multi‑year prototype integration.
Apply value engineering throughout design development and documentation while protecting brand intent and guest experience. Gather qualitative and quantitative feedback from built projects to inform refinements and improvements.
Create and manage construction documents for small to mid‑scale projects within existing restaurants.
Partner closely with Engineering and Construction teams to understand permitting requirements, competitive bidding, and fast‑tracked projects.
Collaborate with the Templates team to help develop and maintain template sets, standards, and playbooks.
Coordinate with equity and franchise partners to ensure layouts and documentation are current and correctly applied.
Qualifications Is This You?
Minimum 6 years of working experience, with strong restaurant or retail design background.
Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Interior Architecture, or related field required; licensure a plus.
Experience and understanding of building industry costs & construction. Procurement experience in corporate restaurants is preferred.
Solid understanding of building systems, materials, and restaurant construction practices, including the ability to effectively communicate ideas through hand sketches, 3D modeling, and construction drawings.
Strong ability to operate hands‑on and be execution‑focused, owning work end‑to‑end while managing multiple fast‑paced priorities and partnering cross‑functionally to deliver scalable solutions.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and collaboration.
Knowledge or high‑level experience with all Microsoft suite software, Smartsheet, AUTOCAD, Adobe suite, Revit, SketchUp, and Blue Beam.
Strong working knowledge of: • AutoCAD and/or Revit • SketchUp (and relevant rendering tools) • Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) • Bluebeam Revu and PowerPoint
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.
Tuition reimbursement and education benefits.
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: $89,300 to $116,000 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.
Work Authorization Notice: Please note that we do not provide visa sponsorship or immigration support for this position. Applicants must already be authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time, permanent basis without the need for current or future sponsorship.
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 - To view the "Know Your Rights" poster, click here. You may also access Taco Bell’s 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.
California Residents: For more information about the categories of personal information we collect from you and how we use, sell, and share that information, please see our Privacy Notice for California Employees here.
Job Info
Job Identification 4910
Posting Date 03/17/2026, 04:36 PM
Degree Level Bachelor's Degree
Job Schedule Full time
Locations Irvine, CA, United States (Hybrid)
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Job Description 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 7,500+ 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 haven’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 Sr. Architectural Designer (Live Más Café) is responsible for translating innovative global design concepts into buildable, site‑specific restaurant solutions and drives impact across the Taco Bell business through hands‑on design execution and cross‑functional collaboration. With this role, the opportunities are endless: working on high visibility special projects, evolving customer experiences, and cutting‑edge restaurant concepts that shape the future of the brand. This role partners closely with real estate, construction, engineering, operations, marketing, and suppliers to deliver scalable, high quality design solutions, and will report to the Sr. Director, Development, Architecture, & Construction.
Responsibilities The Day‑to‑Day
Actively develop Live Más Café prototypes and special projects from concept through construction, including pilots and one‑off builds.
Produce and coordinate design and construction documentation, including plans, details, and material specifications.
Work directly with consultants to ensure drawings and documentation are accurate, complete, and aligned with brand and operational requirements.
Support special project rollouts, ranging from short‑term pilots to multi‑year prototype integration.
Apply value engineering throughout design development and documentation while protecting brand intent and guest experience. Gather qualitative and quantitative feedback from built projects to inform refinements and improvements.
Create and manage construction documents for small to mid‑scale projects within existing restaurants.
Partner closely with Engineering and Construction teams to understand permitting requirements, competitive bidding, and fast‑tracked projects.
Collaborate with the Templates team to help develop and maintain template sets, standards, and playbooks.
Coordinate with equity and franchise partners to ensure layouts and documentation are current and correctly applied.
Qualifications Is This You?
Minimum 6 years of working experience, with strong restaurant or retail design background.
Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Interior Architecture, or related field required; licensure a plus.
Experience and understanding of building industry costs & construction. Procurement experience in corporate restaurants is preferred.
Solid understanding of building systems, materials, and restaurant construction practices, including the ability to effectively communicate ideas through hand sketches, 3D modeling, and construction drawings.
Strong ability to operate hands‑on and be execution‑focused, owning work end‑to‑end while managing multiple fast‑paced priorities and partnering cross‑functionally to deliver scalable solutions.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and collaboration.
Knowledge or high‑level experience with all Microsoft suite software, Smartsheet, AUTOCAD, Adobe suite, Revit, SketchUp, and Blue Beam.
Strong working knowledge of: • AutoCAD and/or Revit • SketchUp (and relevant rendering tools) • Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) • Bluebeam Revu and PowerPoint
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.
Tuition reimbursement and education benefits.
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: $89,300 to $116,000 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.
Work Authorization Notice: Please note that we do not provide visa sponsorship or immigration support for this position. Applicants must already be authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time, permanent basis without the need for current or future sponsorship.
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 - To view the "Know Your Rights" poster, click here. You may also access Taco Bell’s 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.
California Residents: For more information about the categories of personal information we collect from you and how we use, sell, and share that information, please see our Privacy Notice for California Employees here.
Job Info
Job Identification 4910
Posting Date 03/17/2026, 04:36 PM
Degree Level Bachelor's Degree
Job Schedule Full time
Locations Irvine, CA, United States (Hybrid)
#J-18808-Ljbffr