Principal Software Engineer

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

As a  Principal Engineer in Customer Technology , you are a  trusted partner and strategic leader  who helps craft the future of McDonald’s technology. You’ll define solutions to  complex business and technical challenges , influencing multiple teams across critical platforms. Your work will drive innovation in  McDonald’s Global Mobile App and Marketing technologies , ensuring scalable, high-performing solutions that improve customer experiences worldwide. Join McDonald’s and be part of a team that’s reimagining technology to create  exceptional customer experiences  at a global scale!

What You'll Do:

• Strategize & Solve: Understand McDonald's business and technical environments to develop solutions that tackle complex business challenges.
• Innovate & Build: Lead the engineering design and development of iOS and Android applications , as well as cloud services, ensuring scalability, availability, and performance.
• Set the Vision: Partner with architecture and engineering teams to define and communicate technology strategies , ensuring alignment across platforms.
• Drive Best Practices: Champion agile, DevOps, and modern engineering principles , fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Lead & Inspire: Guide high-performing engineering teams, offering mentorship, technical leadership, and coaching to build top-tier technical talent.
• Experiment & Validate: Conduct proof-of-concepts (POCs) and prototypes to assess emerging technologies and their impact on business goals.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. Ongoing learning to stay ahead of technology trends.
• 12+ years of experience in software engineering, with a focus on mobile app development.
• 4+ years of strategic planning and technical leadership experience.
• Shown success in solving complex technical challenges across multiple platforms .
• Experience leading enterprise-scale solutions in a large organization with multiple business units.

Technical Expertise:

• Strong experience in mobile application development (iOS & Android) using Swift, SwiftUI/UIKit, Kotlin/Android Java, and Jetpack Compose .
• Knowledge of microservices and event-driven architecture , with hands-on experience in Java, Kotlin, Spring Boot, Micronaut, and .NET .
• Expertise in databases and cloud technologies, including MongoDB, Postgres, Elastic Search, Kafka, and ReactJS .

Leadership & Collaboration:

• Ability to influence partners and align teams around technical strategies.
• Strong communication and storytelling skills to convey technical concepts clearly.
• A teammate who thrives in collaborative environments and fosters innovation.
• Proven track record to break down silos and create alignment across technical and business teams.

Compensation

Bonus Eligible: Yes

Long - Term Incentive: Yes

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $195,371.00 - $244,214.00 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.

Competencies Background & Values Building Blocks Execution Proficiency Strategic Proficiency Talent Proficiency

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 [email protected]. 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.