Network Engineer I

Date: Mar 31, 2026

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 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

This opportunity is within the Global Technology Infrastructure & Operations team (GTIO), where our mission is to deliver modern and relevant technology that supports how McDonald’s operates. We offer outstanding foundational technology products and services such as Global Networking, Cloud, End User Computing, and IT Service Management. Our aim is to consistently deliver an engaging, relevant, and simple experience for our customers.

The Network Security Engineer I is part of the Network Infrastructure and Operations group within GTIO. Reporting to the Director of Global Network Security, you will build, implement, and maintain McDonald’s network security infrastructure and systems. You will hold a meaningful role in protecting McDonald’s network from threats both inside and outside the organization. Along with your technical skills, you will have strong communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as the capacity to collaborate effectively with a distributed team.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced technology leader to help build the transformation of infrastructure and operations products and services for the entire McDonald’s environment!

Duties

Global Technology is the department responsible for protecting McDonald’s information assets on a global scale. This role belongs to the team within Global Technology that manages our core network security services, such as firewall, IPS/IDS, Content Filtering, SASE, SSE, ZTNA, VPN, and DDoS. You will direct the strategic vision, technical advancement, and everyday operation of some Network Security products and platforms.

You will collaborate closely with market technology teams, Global Technology Risk Management teams, Global Technology Infrastructure and Operations teams, application owners, key vendors, and others to ensure the accurate build and functioning of McDonald’s network security services.

  • Participate in building, implementing, and operating global network security platforms that support global, corporate, and restaurant network infrastructure and operations.
  • Produce high-quality high-level builds, low-level builds, migration plans, and runbooks.
  • Configure and manage firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, NAC, VPN, SSE, and other security platforms.
  • Collaborate with Network Security Engineers, Technical Product Managers, architects, and managed service partners to innovate and deliver network security and wider NIO outcomes.
  • Offer immediate help and issue diagnosis for our customers, including during off-hours.
  • Participate in proof of concepts and technical feasibility studies for business requirements.
  • Drive automation-first approach to platform and configuration deployment. Adopt Infrastructure as code.
  • Participate in producing test plans, build test cases, and perform functional and non-functional testing of network security platforms.
  • Remain up-to-date on new technologies and architecture and propose ways to use them in current and upcoming projects.
  • Support technical assessments and vendor selection to develop and deploy innovative platforms, spanning beyond traditional technologies.
  • Support the NDR/NSOC function to respond to network security incidents in a quick and effective manner.
  • Effectively communicate project health, risks, and issues to the program collaborators, sponsors, and management teams.
  • Identify and direct changes through appropriate review and approval mechanisms.
  • Foster continuous advancements in network security systems and workflows.

Qualifications

  • Willingness and ability to live the McDonald’s values every day: Serve, Inclusion, Integrity, Community, and Family.
  • Experience with Network/Network Security technologies and concepts.
  • Experience with Routing and Switching technologies.
  • Good understanding of Azure, AWS, and/or GCP.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of Cyber security concepts and technologies.
  • Hands-on experience with one or more of the following:
    1. Configuring firewalls (Palo Alto, Cisco, or Check Point)
    2. Configuring SASE/SSE solutions (ZScaler, Cisco, or Palo Alto)
    3. Configuring routers/switches
    4. Automation and scripting via Python, JSON, etc.
  • Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
  • Proficient in leading collaborator expectations and conflict resolution.
  • Highly organized and diligent, with the ability to keep many engagements active at once.
  • Highly collaborative along with independent critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.
  • Industry recognized certifications such as CCNA Security, FCNSE, CISSP, desirable but not required.
  • Experience handling Azure, AWS, or GCP cloud networks and/or security.

Experience:

  • Previous technical internship(s), if applicable.
  • Ability to effectively articulate technical challenges and solutions.
  • Solid knowledge of computer science fundamentals.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills, dedicated and delivers high-quality results in fast-paced environment.
  • Bachelor's degree in information technology, or a related field or relevant experience.
  • Experience with designing, deploying, and managing NAC solutions.
  • Background in operating in an Agile framework with a Scrum Master, engaging in Daily Scrum meetings, handling Backlogs, Sprints, and preparing written Stories and deliverables. Comfortable with documentation procedures and tools, preferably JIRA and Confluence.

Compensation

Bonus Eligible: YES

Long - Term Incentive: NO

Benefits Eligible: YES

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $84,051.00 - $105,064.00 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: 

The position offers health and welfare benefits, including but not limited to comprehensive health insurance, which includes medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental and vision coverage, as well as, life insurance.

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