Sr. Manager, Program Management (DevOps COE)
Date: Oct 8, 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.
Role Overview
This opportunity sits within the DevOps Center of Excellence in the Commercial Products & Platforms Delivery Office, where we’re on a mission to accelerate innovation across McDonald’s global engineering ecosystem. Our team partners cross-functionally with product and market teams to streamline delivery, enhance quality, and boost reliability through modern DevOps practices. From shaping automation testing strategies to optimizing build and deployment pipelines, we drive scalable solutions that uphold our product SLAs and enable teams to move faster with confidence.
As a Senior Technical Program Manager, you’ll be the strategic lead for all COE initiatives, owning program execution, stakeholder engagement, reporting, and governance. This is a high-impact role where you’ll influence global engineering practices, foster adoption of best-in-class tools and templates, and help build a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
What You’ll Do
- Lead Strategic Programs: Own and drive the roadmap for DevOps COE initiatives—from automation and pipeline optimization to proactive SLA management.
- Influence at Scale: Collaborate with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to define priorities, align on milestones, and deliver measurable outcomes.
- Champion DevOps Culture: Facilitate training, office hours, and community engagement to embed DevOps best practices across engineering teams.
- Build Governance & Transparency: Develop and manage reporting frameworks, stakeholder communications, and governance models that foster trust and adoption.
- Create a Knowledge Hub: Curate and share actionable insights, playbooks, and templates that empower teams to deliver faster and smarter.
- Measure What Matters: Define and track KPIs that demonstrate impact and drive continuous improvement.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field (Master’s preferred)
- 8–12+ years of experience leading large-scale, cross-functional programs in software development, infrastructure, or DevOps
- Proven ability to influence and lead without direct authority, driving alignment across engineering, product, and business teams
- Exceptional communication and storytelling skills—able to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences, including senior leadership
- Strong stakeholder management and facilitation skills, with a track record of building trust and driving adoption across global teams
- Proficient in project tracking and collaboration tools such as JIRA, Confluence, MS Project, and Smartsheet
- Adept at navigating ambiguity, solving complex problems, and defining success through KPIs, OKRs, and measurable outcomes
- Willingness and ability to live the McDonald's values every day: Serve, Inclusion, Integrity, Community, and Family
Preferred Qualifications
- Understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC), Agile/Scrum methodologies, and DevOps practices
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and automation tools
- PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM, SAFe Agilist, or equivalent certifications
- Technical certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Fundamentals) are a plus
Compensation
Bonus Eligible: YES
Long - Term Incentive: YES
Benefits Eligible: YES
Salary Range
The expected salary range for this role is $149,260.00 - $190,310.00 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