Director, Experience Design
Date: Aug 26, 2025
Location: Chicago, IL, US, 60607
Company: McDonald's Corporation
Company Description:
McDonald’s growth strategy, Accelerating the Arches, encompasses all aspects of our business as the leading global omni-channel restaurant brand. As the consumer landscape shifts we are using our competitive advantages to further strengthen our brand. One of our core growth strategies is to Double Down on the 3Ds (Delivery, Digital and Drive Thru). McDonald’s will accelerate technology innovation so 65M+ customers a day will experience a fast, easy experience, whether at one of our 25,000 and growing Drive thrus, through McDelivery, dine-in or takeaway.
McDonald’s Global Technology is here to power tomorrow’s feel-good moments.
That’s why you’ll find us at the forefront of transformative technology, exploring new and innovative ways to serve our millions of customers and spread happiness one delicious Hot Fudge Sundae-dipped fry at a time. Using AI, robotics and emerging tech, we’re digitizing the Golden Arches. Combine that with our unparalleled global scale, and we’re reshaping all areas of the business, industry and every community that is home to a McDonald’s restaurant. We face complex tech challenges every day. But that’s where our diverse and talented teams come in. They’re made up of the best and brightest from all over the globe, and they thrive in the space where feel-good meets fast-paced.
Check out the McDonald’s Global Technology Technical Blog to learn how technology and our global team are directly enabling the Accelerating the Arches strategy.
Role Overview
As part of McDonald’s Global Technology team, Global Experience Design is an inclusive team of designers, researchers, accessibility experts, writers and more. Together we design valuable experiences that feel good and work great for billions worldwide.
We’re looking for a values-driven, outcomes-focused design leader to shape the experience vision and strategy for innovative crew and restaurant manager products powered by AI and IOT. In this role you’ll be delivering 0 to 1 products, setting the standards for process and craft, building and managing a high-performing teams and championing design across the McDonald’s global system.
The ideal candidate has a bias for action, is an incredible storyteller, and is eager to understand the problem by observing and talking to crew members around the world.
Core Responsibilities:
- Scope: Manage a design portfolio of complex, new restaurant products driven by AI and IOT
- Talent development: Grow and lead a talented, diverse and inclusive team of designers. You hold leaders accountable for inclusive leadership practices and behaviors. You invite challenge and respond with openness.
- Collaboration: Partner closely with cross-functional leaders (Product Management, Engineering and Operations) to ensure products are desirable, feasible, viable and deliver results for the enterprise.
- Strategy: You ensure customer insights are driving strategic decisions. You drive efficiency through global solutions and common approaches. You have a deep understanding of when and how to leverage research to inform strategy and ensure your team consistently makes data-driven decisions.
- Craft and quality: You ensure products meet all UX, UI and accessibility standards, taking an “accessibility-first” mindset.
- Stakeholdering: You proactively and effectively ensure officers are aligned and properly updated on your team’s progress.
- Change Management: You drive necessary changes to execute the business strategy and lead others through ambiguity and complexity.
- Prioritization: You continually evaluate priorities and stop work that does not contribute to McDonald’s enterprise-level strategy, growth and purpose.
- Experimentation: You foster a culture of experimentation and empower your team to learn rapidly through prototypes, A/B tests, etc.
- Results: You ensure products meet customer experience KPIs (ex: task success, time on task, sentiment).
Qualifications
- 10+ years of relevant professional UX/design experience with a track record of design thinking application
- 5+ years directly managing, coaching and developing designers
- Flawless presentation and visual/written communication skills
- Skilled in Figma and up to date on the latest design tooling advancements
- Experience crafting engaging and compelling narratives that drive outcomes
- Track record of successful product launches that translating into business impact
- Experience defining and influencing product strategy
- Experience working with a variety of cross-functional peers and stakeholders (e.g., product managers, designers, engineers, insights, and marketing)
- Ability to travel internationally on occasion
Compensation
Bonus Eligible: YES
Long-Term Incentive: YES
Benefits Eligible: YES
Salary Range
The expected salary range for this role is $168,350.00 - $218,860.00 per year.
The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we may also consider your experience and other job-related factors.
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.
Bonus eligible: This position is eligible for a bonus, calculated based on individual and company performance.
Long term Incentive eligible: This position is eligible for stock or other equity grants pursuant to McDonald’s long-term incentive plan.
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