Manager, Project Management

McDonald's Corporation•Chicago, IL

About The Position

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 OverviewThe Manager, Planning & PMO Governance is responsible for enabling enterprise planning rigor and effective PMO governance across Global Technology. This role reports directly to the Director, Planning & PMO CoE to ensure that planning cadences, governance forums, and leadership communications are structured, efficient, and decision oriented. The position partners closely with the Sr. Director leading Global Technology Planning & PMO, along with senior leaders, platform owners, and subject matter experts to drive transparency, alignment, and disciplined execution across complex, cross platform initiatives.DutiesPrimary Duties:

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
Demonstrated experience in program management, planning, OpEx or PMO operations.
Experience supporting enterprise or platform‑level governance and planning forums.
Ability to work under tight deadlines managing multiple key business priorities.
Ability to solve complex problems and deal with a variety of work situations.
High adaptability in fast-moving, priority-driven environments.
Executive-level communication skills and presence – ability to level-up the details, identify what’s important, and advise our leadership.
Proven track record of managing competing priorities and addressing roadblocks –desire to work independently amid ambiguity in a fast-moving environment. Comfortable in the grey.
Enterprise planning and governance enablement.
PMO operating model and cadence management.
Executive facilitation and agenda orchestration.
Demonstrates strong attention to detail, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and consistency across deliverables and communications.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross‑functional stakeholders at multiple levels to drive alignment, decisions, and outcomes.
Ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, priority‑driven environments.

Responsibilities

Plan and orchestrate platform governance forums, including Consumer, Restaurant, and Cross‑Platform governance meetings, ensuring agendas are aligned to leadership priorities and ready for decision‑making.
Partner with senior leaders and subject matter experts to develop, sequence, and socialize governance content, maintaining flexibility to incorporate emerging or high‑priority topics.
Assess and drive continuous improvement across Platform governance bodies to improve efficiency, clarity, and outcomes.
Leads the calendar cadence and rhythms to support Sr. Leadership with platform governance forums.
Operationalize and streamline Planning & PMO (P&P) operating rhythms, including P&P All Hands, P&P Leadership Team meetings, and P&P community forums.
Lead preparation, facilitation, and follow‑up for P&P All Hands, ensuring effective two‑way communication between leadership and the P&P community.
Maintain and evolve planning and governance calendars to support enterprise planning, leadership alignment, and execution cadence.
Support annual and multi‑year planning activities by coordinating timelines, inputs, and artifacts that enable leadership alignment and execution readiness for governance decision-making.
Provide PMO and planning support to enterprise‑scale initiatives, ensuring milestones, dependencies, and governance expectations are visible and understood.
Represent the PMO in leadership forums, reinforcing PMO standards, governance expectations, and execution discipline.
Develop and deliver clear, executive‑ready communications related to planning outcomes, governance evolution, and PMO operating changes.
Act as an advocate for P&P employee engagement, ensuring feedback is surfaced, communicated, and translated into actionable improvements.
Enable transparency and collaboration by fostering effective communication between P&P leadership, delivery teams, and stakeholders.