Job Description

Company Description:

McDonald’s is proud to be 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 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. We also offer a broad range of outstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance and flexible work arrangements.

Department Overview

The Director of Community & Philanthropy will lead McDonald’s global community impact and charitable giving strategy as part of the Sustainability & Social Impact team within Global Impact. This role oversees a global portfolio, manages NGO partnerships (e.g. Ronald McDonald House, American Red Cross, etc.), and ensures alignment with values and sustainability goals. Reporting to the Senior Director, Social Impact, this position requires a seasoned leader with experience in corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, and partner engagement at a global scale skilled at advancing initiatives that strengthen McDonald’s social license to operate and supporting communities to thrive.

Duties

• Develop and implement McDonald’s global community impact and philanthropy strategy, including governance and multi-year planning, integrating community priorities into business decisions to drive responsible growth.
• Oversee governance and annual reporting and disclosures for community programs, ensuring measurable impact for leadership and external partners.
• Manage charitable corporate contributions to ensure compliance and alignment across the enterprise while building and strengthening partnerships with internal teams and external partners (global NGOs, community organizations, foundations, government entities, industry peers).
• Lead and develop the Community & Philanthropy team, fostering talent and building organizational capacity.
• Direct global philanthropic initiatives, including volunteerism and disaster relief, and manage grantee relationships.
• Develop compelling narratives and proof points to showcase McDonald’s social impact and enhance brand reputation.
• Maintain McDonald’s partnership with Ronald McDonald House and deliver annual commitments.
• Lead and oversee annual reporting and disclosures, respond to partner enquiries regarding McDonald’s philanthropic approach and ensure consistent communications.
• Supporting market capacity to develop and deploy strategies linked with global approach.

Qualifications

• 10 (12)+ years of experience in community, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, international development, public affairs, consultancy, etc. ideally for a global company with demonstrated success influencing at a global scale.
• Exceptional communication, flexibility, influencing and interpersonal skills, to work with global, virtual and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated leadership role within industry working groups, establishing a strong partner network.
• Proven ability to build strategic partnerships and represent organizations externally.
• Proven global, multi-market experience with a strong track record of delivery; excels as a cross-functional collaborator with a global perspective, effectively aligning diverse partners to drive impactful results.
• Knowledge of nonprofit operations and grassroots engagement.
• Ability to leverage systems and tools for community management and impact measurement; apply analytics to distill insights, define & measure indicators.
• Inspirational people leader committed to building inclusive teams and mentoring talent.
• Strong commitment to advancing Inclusion.
• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree in sustainability, business and nonprofit management, such as an MBA or master’s degree in related field is ideal.
• Must be based in the Chicago-area.

Key Competencies

• Values Led Leadership: Strategic vision, ability to influence at all levels, and navigate ambiguity with emotional intelligence.
• Results Orientation: Agile and effective in a fast-paced environment.
• Partner Engagement: Ability to convene and lead multi-stakeholder collaborations that deliver measurable and scalable impact.
• Commercial Acumen: Demonstrates a strong grasp of how community and philanthropic initiatives drive business growth, enhance competitive advantage, and contribute to overall organizational success.
• Grant and Project Management: Experience in grant making, setting up governance/structures for proposal review; ability to manage multiple initiatives and mitigate risks.
• Data-Driven: Analyze and report on program effectiveness.
• Communication: Deliver clear, compelling messages aligned with social impact goals.
• Innovation & Adaptability: Creative problem-solving and responsiveness to change.

Compensation

Bonus Eligible: Yes

Long-Term Incentive: Yes

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $157,655.00 - $197,069.00 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.

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