Manager, Operations Excellence

McDonald's Corporation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 116,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sabbatical program

Tuition assistance

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

McDonald’s Corporation is seeking a skilled Project/Program Manager to drive technology deployment projects across the U.S. technology platform, partnering with deployment leads and operations teams to deliver ambitious initiatives at scale.

You will lead governance, create detailed plans, and develop status reporting for leadership, while engaging stakeholders to ensure adoption and measurable impact across 13,000+ restaurants.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in program/project management, operations strategy, or a related field.
• Proven success delivering complex technical deployments as the accountable Project/Program Manager.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and manage stakeholder relationships.
• Experience developing and implementing performance metrics, reporting tools, or process improvements in a complex environment.
• Familiarity in program management tools and reporting platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Excel, Smartsheets).

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of complex technology deployment projects, in partnership with technical deployment leads.
• Develop detailed project plans, timelines, and resource allocations to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery.
• Manage governance processes, including stage-gate reviews, RAID logs, and dashboards, to monitor project health and drive accountability.
• Partner with technical deployment leads, operations teams, and business stakeholders to ensure seamless execution and adoption of technology solutions.
• Create and maintain project status reporting to provide leadership with visibility into performance, progress, and key decisions.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Data-driven

Process improvement

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Excel

Smartsheets

Job description

Job Description:

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 ofoutstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance and flexible work arrangements.

Department Overview

McDonald’s is a global leader in the quick-service restaurant industry, where innovation, collaboration, and technology play a vital role in delivering exceptional experiences for our customers. We are seeking a manager to support prioritization and project management within the U.S. Technology Operational Excellence function to help drive the continuous improvement of McDonald's U.S. technology platform.

In this role, you will be responsible for driving technology deployment projects and strengthening stakeholder engagement to ensure alignment and measurable success across the organization. Through excellent project management, you will play a critical role in enhancing technology performance, reducing reliance on help desk support, and deploying technology across 13,000+ restaurants. This position requires a strategic leader who will focus on seamless execution and collaboration to protect operations and ensure the success of McDonald's technology initiatives.

This role requires on-site presence at McDonald’s Headquarters (MHQ.)

Duties

Project Management

• Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of complex technology deployment projects, in partnership with technical deployment leads.
• Utilize and develop standardized program management frameworks, templates, and tools to enable consistent, high-quality execution across all projects.
• Define project scope, objectives, and success criteria in collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Develop detailed project plans, timelines, and resource allocations to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery.
• Manage governance processes, including stage-gate reviews, RAID logs, and dashboards, to monitor project health and drive accountability.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risks, manage interdependencies, and resolve issues to maintain project momentum.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with technical deployment leads, operations teams, and business stakeholders to ensure seamless execution and adoption of technology solutions.
• Support governance and engagement efforts with owner/operator stakeholders to identify barriers, accelerate delivery, and improve technology adoption.
• Assist with stakeholder communications to provide clear updates on initiatives, performance, and progress.
• Build effective presentations to tell the story of US Technology and keep internal stakeholders informed about department projects and priorities.

Stakeholder Engagement & Project Reporting

• Create and maintain project status reporting to provide leadership with visibility into performance, progress, and key decisions.
• Develop and deliver clear, compelling communications and presentations to internal and external stakeholders, highlighting initiative progress, performance metrics, and strategic impact.
• Serve as a key liaison between the U.S. Technology team and broader business units to ensure transparency and alignment.
• Support a data-driven culture by facilitating performance tracking, reporting, and process improvement efforts.

Project Management Center of Excellence Creation, Communication & Maintenance

• Identify opportunities to enhance project delivery through automation, process optimization, and innovative practices.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a shared digital artifact library to support knowledge sharing and standardization across the organization.
• Communicate to key stakeholders on process tips, best practices, and updates.
• Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and iteration to drive growth and team satisfaction.
• Monitor and correct process deviations.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging feedback and regularly reviewing processes and outcomes.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in program/project management, operations strategy, or a related field
• Proven success delivering complex technical deployments as the accountable Project/Program Manager
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and manage stakeholder relationships
• Experience developing and implementing performance metrics, reporting tools, or process improvements in a complex environment
• Familiarity in program management tools and reporting platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Excel, Smartsheets)
• Knowledge of process mapping, process optimization, and process documentation
• Exposure to organizational change management tactics to drive adoption and adherence to processes.

Who you are:

• A passionate project manager – you’re always the first to raise your hand to organize and mobilize the team on projects big or small
• Endlessly curious with strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to deliver actionable insights
• An organized and concise communicator, with experience presenting data and progress updates to leadership
• A multi-tasker with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment
• Detail-oriented, organized, and a team player with a strong work ethic and focus on accountability
• An innovator who is always open to questioning the status quo to drive to a more effective future state
• Passionate about efficiency, automation, & how teams work together

Compensation

Bonus Eligible:YES

Long - Term Incentive:YES

Benefits Eligible: YES

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is$115,872.00 -$144,840.00per year The above represents the expectedsalaryrange for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining yourpay, 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.

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 [e-mail]. 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.