Solutions Architect

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Date: Oct 1, 2026

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

This role sits within Global and focuses on how technology, data, and processes operate across McDonald's global ecosystem.

The Segment Architect works across the value chain, from product ideation and marketing through supply chain, restaurant operations, sales, data, and reporting. The role builds a clear view of how systems, processes, and market operations connect across global markets.

The role turns market conversations, system understanding, data evidence, and operational context into current-state insight that helps Architecture, Product, Segment, and Engineering teams shape solutions around real operating conditions before delivery risk surfaces late.

Duties

End-to-End Discovery

  • Conduct discovery across business domains including Marketing, Supply Chain, Restaurant Systems, and Data & Reporting
  • Analyze systems, services, and processes to understand how work is performed across markets
  • Map cross-platform process flows, dependencies, handoffs, and failure points
  • Gather and validate current-state evidence from market conversations, system behavior, data, configuration, and operational practice
  • Build a clear picture of how global products interact with market operations

Operational Insight & Context

  • Understand how different markets operate, including variations in structure, resourcing, partner ecosystems, processes, and system usage
  • Recognize that many markets carry broad technology portfolios with much smaller local teams than the US model assumes
  • Identify constraints that impact delivery, including operational capacity, competing priorities, and local adaptations
  • Identify where market capacity, trading periods, testing load, regulatory needs, or cross-workstream dependencies change what is realistic
  • Ensure technology proposals reflect how markets can realistically adopt and operate solutions

Translation into Architecture

  • Translate discovery outputs into structured inputs for Architecture and Product teams
  • Support capability definition, solution shaping, and option analysis
  • Highlight risks, trade-offs, and gaps early in the lifecycle
  • Challenge designs that do not align with operational or market realities

Market & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Keep interactions through Segment Technology and Markets aligned, purposeful, and considerate of operational priorities and delivery commitments
  • Act as a connective layer between business, product, engineering, architecture, and operational teams
  • Help surface risks, dependencies, and decisions earlier without creating unmanaged demand for in-market technology teams

Data & Analysis

  • Analyze operational and technical data to support decision-making
  • Identify cross-market patterns that can inform reusable solutions
  • Separate observed evidence, assumptions, open questions, and recommended next steps
  • Support global standardization where the evidence shows it is useful and realistic

 

Qualifications

  • Experience in Business Analysis, Technical Analysis, or similar role in a complex enterprise
  • Experience working across multiple business domains or system landscapes
  • Exposure to global or multi-market environments preferred
  • Experience supporting large-scale technology or transformation initiatives

  • Core Skills

    Analytical Thinking

    • Strong discovery and problem-structuring capability
    • Ability to work with ambiguity and incomplete information
    • Comfortable connecting business processes to technical systems
    • Able to distinguish observed fact, assumption, inference, and risk

    Technical Breadth

    • Understanding of enterprise systems, integrations, and data flows
    • Ability to learn and navigate unfamiliar technologies quickly
    • Comfortable engaging with engineering and architecture teams
    • Comfortable working with data extracts, configuration evidence, system diagrams, logs, or similar technical artefacts

    Global Awareness

    • Experience working across multiple markets or regions
    • Awareness that operating conditions vary significantly across environments
    • Awareness that US operating assumptions may not translate cleanly to other markets
    • Ability to adapt communication and approach based on audience and context

    Communication & Influence

    • Clear and structured communicator across business and technical audiences
    • Able to challenge constructively and influence without authority
    • Strong stakeholder engagement skills

Compensation

Bonus Eligible: Yes

Long - Term Incentive: Yes

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $127,332.00 - $159,165.00 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, including but not limited to comprehensive health insurance, which includes medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental and vision coverage, as well as, life insurance. 

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