Director, AI Engineering

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.

Department Overview

This senior Gen AI and AI software engineering leadership role is pivotal in delivering strategic Generative AI (GenAI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives that will transform McDonald’s. You will be responsible for leading an engineering team that builds GenAI & AI products, GenAI & AI product components, and GenAI & AI powered prototypes. You will need to foster a culture of innovation and ensure ongoing alignment of initiatives with evolving business strategies, at a global level.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

+ Lead, mentor, and manage a team of software engineers, in building GenAI-powered products, GenAI product components, and GenAI prototypes to help drive value for McDonald’s in leveraging new GenAI technology to create value. This work will include assessing & integrating GenAI into our existing products and systems to boost efficiency, personalize consumer experiences, and create entirely new offerings.

+ Passionate about customer success with what your teams build. Take care to measure and monitor, that what your teams build is used, and useful to driving business outcomes

+ Collaboratively power corporate and market usage of Enterprise-hardened GenAI end-user tools

+ Manage resources and project timelines to ensure successful delivery of projects and deliverables

+ Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in GenAI, and related areas, and leverage this knowledge to drive innovation

+ Ensure the ethical use of AI, adhering to best practices and guidelines

+ Work effectively in a cross-functional team to collaborate with different global functions and markets.

+ Inspire and motivate your team, and foster a positive and productive work environment consistent with McDonald’s values

Qualifications

+ Hands on engineering experience with production ready Gen AI & AI application. At least 10 years of experience in software, including building enterprise-grade systems. Should include several years leading an engineering team and work with AI/ML

+ Expert on industry trends and various LLMs, including LLM Application development tools & frameworks

+ Excellent communication and storytelling skills

+ Passionate engineering leader with experience building high performance teams, must lead and manage a team of software engineers, that includes backend, frontend, some design, etc

+ At least bachelor’s or Master's degree in Computer Science, AI, or a related area

+ Proficiency in stakeholder management to effectively communicate and manage expectations of those linked to the work outside your team

+ Proficiency in project management, resource allocation and budgeting to ensure timely, efficient and successful delivery of outcomes

+ Experience in strategic planning and execution with strong decision-making skills to align initiatives with business goals and make informed choices that benefit the organization

+ Some experience in handling compliance and regulatory requirements to ensure engineering practices adhere to relevant laws and regulations

Preferred Qualifications

+ Experience in foodservice, retail or hospitality

+ Relevant cloud certifications, especially on GCP

Compensation

Bonus Eligible: Yes

Long - Term Incentive: Yes

Benefits Eligible: Yes

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 . 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.

Requsition ID: 847