Sr Enterprise Architect

McDonald's Corporation • Chicago, IL

1d

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 OverviewMcDonald’s is in search of an experienced Data Architect with proficiency in data architecture design for advanced analytical solutions, an active participation in data governance initiatives, and ensuring that solutions include security and regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate will possess a track record of designing architectures specifically tailored for advanced data analytics and data warehousing scenarios. This includes understanding the nuances of various data models, ensuring optimal performance, and aligning designs with business needs for analytics or warehousing purposes. A history of successful collaboration with data strategy teams, data analysts, and other stakeholders to understand and address complex data requirements is crucial.  Your dedication to continuous data architect design and management improvements will contribute significantly to the effectiveness of our data-driven initiatives.

Requirements

• Strong knowledge of system engineering concepts and data integration patterns like APIs, event-driven architecture, ETL etc., across diverse cloud platforms like AWS/GCP PaaS, SaaS and Vendor solutions.
• Drive business and IT adoption of technology solutions, including AI/ML, IoT, Agentic AI, multi-Cloud, Automations, etc.
• Creation and providing adoption path to a set of standards, reference architecture patterns, principles, and guardrails across the enterprise.
• Collaborate with Infrastructure teams, Solution Architecture teams and Cybersecurity teams to ensure consistency with the enterprise architecture, as well as to identify when it is vital to modify the enterprise architecture.
• Rationalize technology landscape by leveraging capability mapping, evaluating technical debt, and recommending solutions towards cost optimization, improved operations, and solution sustainability.
• Effectively manage stakeholder expectations and achieve buy-in of complex concepts through timely and high-quality verbal/written communication.
• Manage, mentor, and provide architectural guidance across the organization by communicating the value of Enterprise Architecture, service offering, and instilling architectural and design thinking approaches.
• Manage the delivery by successfully planning, running and completing projects. Will collaborate with all the teams involved in a project to ensure the project produces the necessary outputs while meeting deadlines and staying within budget.
• Will interact with stakeholders to make sure the project meets their requirements and that they agree with the project's current direction.

Responsibilities

• Translate strategic business goals into cohesive enterprise-level architectural roadmaps, lead the creation and evolution of architectural artifacts, including principles, standards, and patterns, to govern the implementation of new solutions and ensure they align with the enterprise's target state.
• Leverage deep domain knowledge in QSR domains (eg: Menu, Ordering, Supply chain, Kitchen operations, Franchise Management, Restaurant Technology, Marketing and Loyalty) and Architecture Framework methodologies (eg: TOGAF) to develop and maintain the enterprise capability map, ensuring that strategic business objectives are directly supported by a clearly defined and rationalized architectural landscape.
• Leverage the enterprise Capability Map to perform current-to-target state gap analysis, ensuring digital investments across domains directly enable scalability, faster time‑to‑market, and alignment with business strategy.
• Define and analyze end-to-end enterprise Valuestreams by applying TOGAF principles, identifying opportunities for process optimization and architectural improvements that deliver measurable business outcomes and enhance stakeholder value.
• Facilitate and lead architectural review board (ARB) sessions, effectively communicating how proposed solutions impact the enterprise capability map and Valuestreams to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Conduct in-depth analyses of business challenges and IT capabilities to drive business and IT alignment. Identify critical gaps and opportunities to recommend architectural solutions that deliver tangible business outcomes.
• Collaborate across organizational boundaries to drive trade-off discussions, facilitate informed decision making and risk mitigation via well-researched and robust IT solutions.
• Maintain alignment, integration, and coordination of architecture activities across different programs, projects and products.
• Evaluate COTS software and lead PoC (Proof of Concept)/PoT (Proof of Technology) to select fit-for-purpose solutions aligned to Global Technology strategy

Benefits

• The 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.
• 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).
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed