2026 Global Technology Intern - Software Engineer

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Date: Oct 3, 2025

Location: Chicago, IL, US, 60607

Company: McDonald's Corporation

Company Description: 

McDonald’s is proud to be one of the most recognized brands in the world, with restaurants in over 100 countries that serve 70 million customers daily. As the global leader in the foodservice industry, our legacy of innovation and hard work continues to drive us. 

From drive-thru updates to delivery to mobile order and pay, we are innovating quickly and growing. Joining McDonald's means thinking big and preparing for a career that can have influence around the world. 

At McDonald’s, we see every day as a chance to create a positive impact. We lead through our values centered on inclusivity, service, integrity, community, and family. From the support of Ronald McDonald House Charities to our Youth Opportunity project and sustainability initiatives, our values keep us dedicated to using our scale for good: good for our customers, people, industry, and the planet. We also offer outstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance, and flexible work arrangements. 

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to the diversity of our crew members, staff, operators, and suppliers. We promote an inclusive work environment that creates feel-good moments for everyone. We are interested in people who enhance our company culture: Does this role interest you? We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every single requirement!

Department Overview

This opportunity is part of the Global Technology Commercial Products & Platforms (CPP) Delivery office team, where our mission is to build a sustainable pipeline of technical talent that meets McDonald’s evolving engineering needs while nurturing future leaders for the organization. 

In the Delivery Office, our focus is owning the development and testing of key products and platforms. While collaborating with the Product Working team our chapters enable development of engineers and technology capabilities. 

For the duration of the internship, you will be able to enjoy a flexible work environment where you can think critically and feed your need (and ours) for innovation. After going through initial training, you’ll dive in with your full-time team to learn the business and what will be expected of you for the duration of your internship. As part of the Software Engineering internship, you may be assigned to squads focused on frontend development, digital backend systems, restaurant technology, or other closely related areas. 

Our robust programming includes a variety of events such as our Executive Speaker Series, Learning Sessions, Peer Lunches, Employee Business Network sessions, and other exciting events happening at MHQ throughout the summer! We designed this internship to provide a smooth transition into McDonald’s so don’t worry – if you bring curiosity and work ethic, we will guide you through everything you need to know about us. 

In addition, the skills and knowledge you will gain during the internship will set you up for a variety of career paths depending on your interests and strengths. Being a part of the internship program gives you early access to our full-time post-graduation opportunities as well. 

Internship Details 

  • This internship is based out of our global headquarters in Downtown Chicago. You MUST be willing to relocate to the Chicagoland area, if applicable, for the duration of the internship program. 
  • We do offer a housing stipend. 
  • You must be authorized to work in the U.S. and not require visa sponsorship for the internship and future employment. 
  • Our interns work full time, Monday – Friday, during all 10 weeks of the internship (June 8, 2026 - August 14, 2026). 
  • You will be eligible to participate in our Summer Hours program. 
  • The internship pays $32/Hr 

Duties

  • Collaborate, design, and bring innovative products and services to market. 
  • Design and build innovative technologies in a large, distributed computing environment, and help lead fundamental changes in the industry. 
  •  Create solutions to run predictions on distributed systems with exposure to innovative technologies at incredible scale and speed. 
  •  Build distributed storage, index, and query systems that are scalable, fault-tolerant, low cost, and easy to manage/use. 
  • Design and code the right solutions starting with broadly defined problems. 
  • Work in an agile environment to deliver high-quality software. 
  • Play a pivotal role in development of product features from beginning to end. 
  • Design, implement, test, deploy and maintain innovative software solutions to transform service performance, durability, cost, and security. 
  • Work in a startup-like development environment, where you are always working on the most meaningful priorities. 

Qualifications

You are a strong candidate if you: 

  • Are a Junior working toward your Bachelor's degree with a graduation date in Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 
  • Pursuing a preferred major including: Computer Science, Computer Programming, CIS, Computer Engineering or other technology-related degree 
  • Have a passion for technology and using it to tackle business challenges 
  • Are involved in campus organizations, hold leadership positions, or have work experience in tech-related roles 
  • Programming experience with at least one modern language such as Java, C++, or C# including object-oriented design 
  • Experience in optimization mathematics such as linear programming and nonlinear optimization 
  • Adapt strong communication skills based on your audience 
  • Are committed to a culture of inclusiveness 

Compensation

Benefits Eligible: YES

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $32.00/hr

Additional Information: 

Benefits eligible: This position offers health and welfare benefits, a 401(k) plan, adoption assistance program, educational assistance program, flexible ways of working, and time off policies (including sick leave, parental leave, and vacation/PTO). Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on job classification and length of employment. 

McDonald’s is an equal opportunity employer committed to the diversity of our workforce. We promote an inclusive work environment that creates feel-good moments for everyone. McDonald’s provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities as part of the application or hiring process or to perform the essential functions of their job. If you need assistance accessing or reading this job posting or otherwise feel you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please contact mcdhrbenefits@us.mcd.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

McDonald’s provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, age, disability status, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, protected military or veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Nothing in this job posting or description should be construed as an offer or guarantee of employment.


Nearest Major Market: Chicago