Specialist, North America Impact -Strategy

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. As the global leader in the food service industry, our legacy of innovation and hard work continues to drive us.

From drive thru updates to delivery to mobile order and pay, we are innovating quickly and growing. 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 Charities 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.

Job Description

Global Impact Overview:   

The Global Impact Team brings together key functions across McDonald’s that are critical to achieving McDonald’s purpose to feed and foster communities, including Global Communications, Government Relations, Public Policy, Sustainability, International Corporate Relations, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and oversight for the company’s corporate philanthropy and ESG strategy.  

The Global Impact team is aligned around a mission to make McDonald’s one of the most respected, trusted, and admired brands in the world. We will do this through actions to drive responsible business growth, investments to foster community, values-based advocacy, and compelling communications that matter to our customers, our System and our global partners. Read more about our Purpose & Impact here.  

North America Impact Overview:   

As part of operationalizing the Global Impact function, we have created the North America Impact team, to bring together Communications, Government Relations, Sustainability & ESG, and Philanthropy to support the North American business, in alignment with McDonald's Impact priorities. The team is based across McDonald’s US and Canada footprint and supports a range of priorities for the North America Impact Strategy. 

Role Description:  

The North America Impact Team seeks a Specialist, North America Impact – Strategy who will report to the Director, North America Impact – Strategy. The NAI Strategy Team leads the steering of and collaboration across the various internal functional teams, increasing and maintaining operator and supplier support through ongoing education and training, and scope development for and leadership of key external strategic partners.  

The Specialist, North America Impact – Strategy will support the maintenance of the NAI Impact Budget including budget allocations and management/resourcing of strategic projects across various internal functions. The Strategy Specialist will support regular course of business budget management including budget tracking, invoice processing, invoice reconciliation, projections, monthly/quarterly budget reporting, recodes, chargebacks, engagement of new NAI Strategy agencies, the allocation of incremental resources, all in alignment with US Finance timelines.  

The ideal candidate has experience supporting initiatives that directly impact business outcomes, as well as cross-functional stakeholder management and reporting.  

This position is based in Chicago, IL at the McDonald’s Global Headquarters - MHQ. 

Role Responsibilities:  

• Project Management: Initiate, organize, and facilitate special and ongoing projects.  

• Process Development: Develop and deploy collaboration tools and processes to facilitate standard ways of working, methodology sharing, connectivity, and efficiency and capacity building (e.x. integrated plans, reporting tools, templates, etc.). 

• Strategic Planning: Support the development and deployment of annual and long-term goals and objective setting.  

• Budget Management: In partnership with the Finance Team, provide holistic budget management including monthly/quarterly tracking and reporting, quarterly and end of year accruals, invoice processing, and vendor management in partnership with the defined Project Leads. 

• Agency Scopes of Work: In partnership with the Global Sourcing Team and the respective Project Leads, drive efforts to achieve scope and budget efficiencies amongst external partners and increased line of sight into the ways in which they are servicing the business. 

• Meeting Support: Work with Director to lead meeting facilitation, develop agendas, appropriately sequence topical priorities, coordinate pre-reads, meeting materials, and ensure effective follow-up on key decisions. Coordinate regular operational meetings, on/off-site planning meetings, and function-level team meetings. 

Core Competencies:   

• Curious & Agile:  Comfortable with complex topics; displays an ability to think independently and unafraid to ask questions to gain clarity; able to make sound, reasoned judgments and solve problems within a large organization. 

• Accountability and Motivation: Self-starter with a strong sense of initiative; displays an ability to manage multiple projects with simultaneous deadlines.   

• Detail Oriented and Process Driven: Displays an acute attention to detail with a focus on consistency and accuracy.  

• Communication: Excellent oral and written communications skills with an ability to seamlessly communicate and synthesize sophisticated information.  

• Business Acumen/Strategic Perspective: Understands business and the strategic role of communications in assessing and analyzing challenges and opportunities in line with business objectives.  

• Enterprise Mindset: Working within and contributing to an enterprise-view of priorities and keeping industry and external environments front of mind. 

• Developing and Leveraging Relationships: Understands the importance of building and sustaining relationships in a corporate environment and can call upon those networks to accomplish objectives. 

• Team-Orientation: Displays a strong team-minded approach with ability to work collaboratively with colleagues at all levels.  

• Composure:  Comfortable working in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment; strong work ethic and personal integrity.  

Qualifications

• Minimum 3-4 years of project management experience with a consumer-facing brand in QSR, food and beverage, consumer goods or other applicable industries  

• Experience with highly matrixed franchised and international businesses 

• Strong business acumen and proven strategic, analytical, and creative skills. 

• Highly collaborative and adept at leading and influencing cross-functional teams effectively, internally as well as external partners and agencies. 

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university  

• This position leverages skills from varied disciplines and professional backgrounds including:  

• Government Relations/ Public Affairs  
• Organizational Design/ Strategic Planning  
• Project Management (PM certification a plus)  
• Finance/Accounting  
• Event Planning/Production  
• Communications/ Public Relations 
• Journalism/ English 
• Marketing 
• Business  
• Law  

Additional Information

At McDonalds we are People from all Walks of Life...

People are at the heart of everything we do, and they make the McDonalds experience. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture that means people can be their best authentic self in our restaurants and offices, which helps us to better serve our customers. We have a strong heritage of diversity and representation within our communities, which we are proud of. The diversity of our people, customers, Franchisees, and suppliers gives us strength.

We do not tolerate inequality, injustice, or discrimination of any kind. These are hugely important issues and a brand with our reach and relevance means we have a very meaningful role to play.

We also recognise our responsibility as a large employer to continue being active in our communities, helping to develop skills and drive aspirations that will help people to be more aware of the world of work and more successful within it, whether with McDonalds or elsewhere.