Manager, Operations Excellence

Date: Aug 15, 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.  

Department Overview

McDonald’s is a global leader in the quick-service restaurant industry, where innovation, collaboration, and technology play a vital role in delivering exceptional experiences for our customers. We are seeking a manager to support prioritization and project management within the U.S. Technology Operational Excellence function to help drive the continuous improvement of McDonald's U.S. technology platform!

In this role, you will be responsible for driving technology deployment projects and strengthening stakeholder engagement to ensure alignment and measurable success across the organization. Through excellent project management, you will play a critical role in enhancing technology performance, reducing reliance on help desk support, and deploying technology across 13,000+ restaurants! This position requires a strategic leader who will focus on seamless execution and collaboration to protect operations and ensure the success of McDonald's technology initiatives.

 

This role requires on-site presence at McDonald’s Headquarters (MHQ.)

Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

Project Management

  • Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of sophisticated technology deployment projects, in partnership with technical deployment leads.
  • Apply and develop standardized program management frameworks, templates, and tools to enable consistent, high-quality execution across all projects.
  • Define project scope, objectives, and success criteria in collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Develop detailed project plans, timelines, and resource allocations to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery.
  • Manage governance processes, including stage-gate reviews, RAID logs, and dashboards, to monitor project health and drive accountability.
  • Proactively identify and mitigate risks, manage interdependencies, and resolve issues to maintain project momentum.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Partner with technical deployment leads, operations teams, and business stakeholders to ensure seamless execution and adoption of technology solutions.
  • Support governance and engagement efforts with collaborators to identify barriers, accelerate delivery, and improve technology adoption.
  • Support customer interactions to give clear updates on initiatives, performance, and progress.
  • Build impactful presentations to share the story of US Technology and keep internal collaborators up to date on department projects and priorities.

Stakeholder Engagement & Project Reporting

  • Develop and uphold project status reporting to give leadership access to performance, progress, and key decisions.
  • Build and present clear, engaging communications and presentations to internal and external collaborators, showcasing progress on initiatives, performance metrics, and strategic impact.
  • Serve as a key liaison between the U.S. Technology team and broader business units to ensure transparency and alignment.
  • Support a data-driven culture by facilitating performance tracking, reporting, and process improvement efforts.

Project Management Center of Excellence Creation, Communication & Maintenance

  • Find opportunities to improve project delivery through automation, process optimization, and innovative practices.
  • Contribute to the development and maintenance of a shared digital artifact library to support knowledge sharing and standardization across the organization.
  • Share process tips, helpful methods, and updates with customers.
  • Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and iteration to drive growth and team satisfaction.
  • Monitor and correct process deviations.
  • Promote a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging feedback and regularly reviewing processes and outcomes.

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in program/project management, operations strategy, or a related field
  • Proven success delivering complex technical deployments as the accountable Project/Program Manager
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and manage stakeholder relationships
  • Experience developing and implementing performance metrics, reporting tools, or process improvements in a complex environment
  • Familiarity in program management tools and reporting platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Excel, Smartsheets)
  • Knowledge of process mapping, process optimization, and process documentation
  • Exposure to organizational change management tactics to drive adoption and adherence to processes

Who you are:

  • A passionate project manager – you’re always the first to raise your hand to organize and mobilize the team on projects big or small
  • Endlessly curious with strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to deliver actionable insights
  • An organized and concise communicator, with experience presenting data and progress updates to leadership
  • A multi-tasker with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment
  • Diligent, organized, and a great teammate with a strong work ethic and focus on accountability
  • An innovator who is always open to questioning the status quo to drive to a more effective future state
  • Passionate about efficiency, automation, & how teams work together

Compensation

Bonus Eligible: Yes

Long - Term Incentive: Yes

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $112,860.00 - $143,900.00 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