Director, Brand Marketing

US Marketing — Marketing & Menu Strategy 

The Marketing & Menu Strategy team is responsible for defining and delivering growth for McDonald’s U.S. business by leading strategic planning across marketing levers as well as menu innovation and product development across dayparts and categories. 

This role sits at the center of strategy, innovation, and performance for the Breakfast business—one of the most important growth drivers in the U.S. portfolio. The Director will lead both marketing and menu strategy, connecting long-term vision with near-term execution to deliver sustainable growth. 

The Role 

The Director, US Breakfast Marketing & Menu Strategy is responsible for setting and delivering the strategic vision for the Breakfast daypart. This includes leading 3-year and annual planning, driving business performance, and guiding innovation and commercialization efforts. 

This leader will manage a team of three and partner cross-functionally across Strategy & Insights, Culinary, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to ensure an integrated and executable plan. The role reports to the Sr. Director, Marketing & Menu Strategy. 

What You’ll Own

Strategic Planning Leadership

3-Year Strategic Planning

• Partner with Strategy Planning and Calendar teams to define the long-term strategic roadmap for the Breakfast daypart.
• Establish a clear innovation cadence (core extensions, LTOs, and new platforms) required to drive sustained growth.
• Define where and how Breakfast should play to win across occasions, audiences, and menu platforms.

Annual Planning

• Lead development of the annual Breakfast plan, including both on- and off-calendar initiatives to deliver business targets.
• Own the Annual Business Review for Breakfast, including:
  • Consumer insights and problem definition (in partnership with Audience and Insights teams)
  • Identification of key “jobs to be done”
  • Alignment on priority initiatives across Marketing, Menu, Audience, and Insights
• Guide initiative development to support business cases and sizing efforts.
• Ensure seamless integration of plans across cross-functional partners.

Breakfast Daypart Business Leadership

• Own the performance of the Breakfast daypart, ensuring delivery against business targets and growth ambitions.
• Partner with Strategy and Insights on in-year performance narratives and drivers of results.
• Lead mitigation planning to address gaps and maximize opportunities.
• Define performance reporting frameworks (monthly, quarterly, annual) to enable strong decision-making and leadership alignment.

Menu Strategy

• Work on product proposition across positioning, pricing, and menu operations to ensure delivery within consumer expectations, on time and within scope.
• Guide the team in product pipeline development, aligning on approach with Insights and other cross-functional partners, as well as external suppliers and operators.
• Ensure internal and external stakeholders are aligned with the product pipeline approach across functions within and outside of Marketing.

Who You Are

Insight-Led Storyteller 
You are fluent in both business and consumer data, and you know how to synthesize it into clear, actionable strategies. You don’t just report performance, you define the narrative and identify where to play and how to win. 

Strategic Thinker with a Bias for Action 
You can zoom out to shape a 3-year vision while also diving in to drive annual plans and in-year performance. You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and turning it into focused, executable plans. 

Creative Problem Solver 
You balance data with instinct and creativity to unlock breakthrough menu and marketing ideas. You challenge conventional thinking and push beyond incremental solutions to drive step-change growth. 

Exceptional Cross-Functional Leader 
You build strong partnerships across Marketing, Insights, Culinary, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance. You know how to align diverse stakeholders, influence without a direct reporting relationship to drive integrated outcomes. 

People Leader & Team Builder 
You have a proven track record of building and developing high-performing teams. You set a high bar, provide clear direction, and actively coach and develop talent to unlock their full potential. 

Innovation Mindset with Operational Discipline 
You are energized by building product pipelines and bringing ideas to life—but you also understand the realities of execution at scale. You ensure innovation is both consumer-relevant and operationally viable. 

Customer-First Orientation 
You consistently anchor decisions in the needs of the customer, ensuring strategies are rooted in real insights and deliver meaningful value across key audiences.