Sr Manager, Learning & Development (Strategy Lead)

Department Overview

McDonald’s has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Manager, Learning & Development (Strategy & Innovation Lead) role based in the Chicagoland area. You will play a key role in defining and operationalizing the enterprise-wide L&D strategy for all employees and restaurants to foster a continuous learning culture. You report to and collaborate with the Senior Director L&D Strategy & Design to guide innovation plans, build employee engagement communications and marketing approaches, establish/maintain L&D onboarding, competencies, and development pathways, and foster a culture of operational excellence with standards for program/project management, budget/financial management, and HU brand alignment globally. Enhance the learning experience, promote operational excellence, and advance organizational goals by partnering with cross-functional teams (such as Operations, Finance, Global Business Solutions, and Market Learning Leaders). The ideal candidate has extensive experience in the business of L&D, developing strategies, driving consistency, and staying current on learning innovations such as AI or other leading-edge Learning & Development tools, methods, and processes.

Duties

In addition to following McDonald’s policies and procedures, principal accountabilities include, but are not limited to:
•    Partner closely with the CLO and L&D leadership team to create a global L&D strategy that meets learners' and business needs.
•    Develop evaluation approaches to gain strategic insights that assess the value, adoption, and impact of programs
•    Provide actionable insights to refine the L&D strategy and enhance overall impact
•    Enhance the learning journey, improve standards for content design and delivery, and identify gaps in our technology, tools, and catalog content providers.
•    Promote and incorporate innovative tools and processes, such as AI capabilities, to drive efficiencies across the learning design process 
•    Collaborate internally and externally to bring best practices and trends forward to drive a consistent learning journey, set standards for content design and delivery, and leverage data for strategic insights and recommendations
•    Operationalize Hamburger University brand and standards in partnership with our Flagship HU at McDonald’s Headquarters
•    Lead the development of our social media presence and external brand for HU and McDonald’s L&D as an industry leader
•    Demonstrated ability to lead and grow teams in matrixed and global organization.
•    Ensure alignment with organizational objectives and drive engagement across diverse learner populations.
•    Drive operational excellence by developing standards for managing budgets, curriculum development, learner engagement, communications, analytics, and external partnerships.
•    Lead or advise initiatives to ensure efficiency and scalability across L&D processes and systems.
•    Oversee curriculum as a product, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and learner needs.
•    Expertise in stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration to align L&D initiatives with organizational goals.
•    Executive presence with the ability to influence senior leaders and stakeholders.
•    Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
•    Familiarity with global learning trends and best practices in workforce development.
•    Proven success in navigating complex, matrixed organizations and managing cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

•    Bachelor’s Degree preferred, in Learning & Development or a related field with 10-15 years of experience
•    Experience in learning and development, with a focus on strategy, innovation and operations.
•    Strong project management skills with experience managing budgets and driving operational efficiencies.
•    Proficiency in leveraging data and analytics to measure the impact of L&D initiatives.
•    Broad knowledge of learning technologies and their applications in modern L&D strategies.
•    Demonstrated expertise in learning strategies, including program design, delivery, and evaluation.
•    Stakeholder influence and management capabilities, with the ability to build consensus across diverse groups.
•    Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and coaching skills, with experience developing and mentoring teams.
•    Ability to effectively manage cross-functional collaboration in a matrixed organization.
•    Extensive experience working and collaborating with global teams across various regions.
•    Expert in driving cross-functional initiatives, ensuring organizational objectives are met seamlessly.
•    Demonstrated ability to operate as a people manager, leading diverse, complex teams, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.

Salary Range

Salary Range:  $129,800.00 - $165,490.00