Director, Human Rights
Date: Sep 26, 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. We continue to operate from a position of strength. Our updated growth strategy is focused on staying ahead of what our customers want and realizing further growth potential. Our relentless ambition is why McDonald’s remains one of the world’s leading corporations after almost 70 years. 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 positive impact. We lead through our values centered on inclusivity, service, integrity, community and family. From 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 planet. We also offer a broad range of outstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance and flexible work arrangements.
Department Overview
The Director, Human Rights position can sit in our Chicago or Washington D.C. offices.
The Director of Human Rights will shape and advance McDonald’s commitment to respect human rights across McDonald’s restaurants, supply chain, and the company as part of the McDonald’s Sustainability & Social Impact team within the Global Impact function. This role will lead the design and oversight of enterprise human rights strategies and governance outlining a multi-year vision for the business. The Director will report to the Senior Director of Social Impact and oversee the management of the Human Rights Manager. The Director will collaborate closely with key functional partners, such as Global Supply Chain, Global People, and Legal, markets, and external stakeholders to make sure that human rights is embedded into the business.
Responsibilities
- Develop and lead McDonald’s global human rights strategy and governance outlining a multi-year strategy, ensuring alignment with regulatory obligations, sustainability goals, and corporate values.
- Oversee talent management of Human Rights Manager and drive capability building for internal teams to strengthen awareness, skills, and accountability for human rights.
- Oversee management of cross-functional Human Rights Working Group, which governs the human rights management systems within functions and markets, and responsible for representing the group to senior leadership level, and shepherding key company policies and human rights management system improvements across the McDonald’s System.
- Represent McDonald’s externally with NGOs, multi-stakeholder initiatives, government agencies, and industry peers to advance industry change on human rights.
- Partner internally across functions (Supply Chain, Legal, People) to embed human rights priorities into business decisions.
- Lead governance and reporting efforts for human rights, translating program outcomes into measurable impact for senior leadership and external stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen external stakeholder partners on human rights and key liaison for business on human rights issues.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in human rights, ideally for a global company and with demonstrated success influencing at a global scale.
- Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree in sustainability, business and human rights, such as an MBA or Masters in Sustainability, or Juris Doctorate with human rights law experience is preferred.
- Exceptional communication, flexibility, influencing and interpersonal skills, often working with global, virtual and cross-functional teams
- Demonstrated leadership role, within industry working groups, establishing a strong stakeholder network
- Proven ability to build strategic partnerships and represent organizations externally.
- Strong cross-functional collaborator and global mindset, able to align diverse stakeholders and drive results.
- Skilled in strategy design, using data and insights to develop long-range plans and influence decision-making.
- Inspirational people leader committed to building inclusive teams and mentoring talent.
Compensation
Bonus Eligible: Yes
Long - Term Incentive: Yes
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Salary Range
The expected salary range for this role is $168,350 - $218,860 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.
Competencies
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