Principal Enterprise Architect
Date: Jul 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
As a key member of the global enterprise architecture team that defines enterprise architecture strategy, north star capability and architecture blueprints, architecture standards, and drives holistic execution and realization of the architecture vision, the principal architect – enterprise data, analytics, and AI will be playing a critical role in providing the architecture thought leadership along with execution influence across our global technology and business organizations.
Duties
- Establish complete enterprise-level technology vision, strategy, standards, and capability roadmaps that set coherent context and direction connecting key enterprise data, analytics and AI initiatives for consumer, restaurant and company platforms.
- Design and develop enterprise data, analytics and AI target state architectures, standards, and specifications supporting current and future business needs.
- Represent EA point of view in critical initiatives to advise and develop short and long-term products and platforms roadmaps.
- Collaborate closely with data and solution architects to provide mentorship and gain alignment for design, implementation, and standardization.
- Implement EA capability modeling framework and design principles to establish the to-be state architecture, capability domain boundaries, and strategy for evolution.
- Define objectives and key results and critical metrics for EA data, analytics and AI foundations practice and drive measurable outcomes.
- Lead highly critical initiatives and drive key technology decision and alignment at executive level.
- Mentor other architects and play a key role in maturing the enterprise architecture practice.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in computer science, data Science, AI or related field.
- Experience with data platforms and distributed data processing patterns & tools.
- Deep understanding in the major areas of Machine Learning, Predictive & Generative AI.
- Proven experience in architecting and deploying data, analytics, and AI solutions.
- Expertise in the areas of model architecture, data engineering, data governance and ML engineering.
- Experience in designing solutions for prediction, classification, clustering, anomaly detection, conversational agents, and information retrieval.
- Strong understanding of various AI architecture patterns & techniques.
- Experience with operationalizing machine learning systems using MLOPS
- Strong expertise with cloud, on-premises, and hybrid deployment models.
- Proven expertise of building AI, ML, Data Solutions using any of major cloud provider technologies.
- Strong analytical and architectural modeling skills. Well-Versed in key architecture concepts and principles, including DDD, microservices, REST APIs, viewpoints, and perspectives, etc.
- Experience with all facets of architecture and engineering including application development, platforms, infrastructure, security, and deployment. Experience delivering large-scale cloud-native solutions.
- Exposure to an enterprise level, global technology landscape and a proven ability to establish standards and define future roadmaps for a global company.
- Ability to partner with business and technology stakeholders to define and communicate values and outcome of new or evolving capabilities.
- Strong interpersonal communication and collaboration skills.
- Systems thinker.
- Ability to analyze complex problems from technology, business model and process, as well as organizational lens.
- Ability to manage ad hoc demands along with organizational priorities and set realistic expectations.
- A self-initiated influencer, and strong stakeholder management.
DESIRED SKILLS:
- Professional Level AI/ML/Data & Analytics Certifications
- Proven success in leadership role and vision.
- Experience in delivering both operational/transactional solutions as well as analytics solutions.
- Expertise in Google Cloud-based data, analytics and AI services.
Compensation
Bonus Eligible: Yes
Long - Term Incentive: Yes
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Salary Range
Salary Ranges-$168,350- $218,860
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