Communications manager

Company Description:

McDonald’s is proud to be one 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.

Position Overview

McDonald’s is seeking a Communications Measurement & Insights (CM&I) Manager to join the Global Communications team within the Global Impact function. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of communications and reputation management at one of the most iconic and influential brands in the world.

In this role, you’ll have the chance to make your mark on a newly established in-house team, bringing fresh ideas, entrepreneurial energy, and a passion for data to help McDonald’s strengthen and protect its reputation. You’ll be at the forefront of transforming how communications decisions are made, equipping leaders with insights that guide strategy, anticipate risks, and unlock opportunities for impact across more than 100 markets.

As part of CM&I, you’ll work with a diverse mix of business leaders - from communications to government relations to social impact and sustainability - to deliver insights that matter. The team leverages world-class research and analytics (including reputation tracking, mis/disinformation monitoring, traditional and social media analyses, predictive data modeling, and channel performance evaluations) to ensure McDonald’s communications not only reach but also resonate with key audiences.

If you’re driven by curiosity, inspired by innovation, and eager to help shape the story of one of the world’s most recognized companies, this role is your opportunity to combine analytics, strategy, and creativity to influence decisions at the highest level.

This person will be responsible for leading issues and trends insights workstreams, in addition to helping develop the team’s COE infrastructure.

This role can sit in our Chicago or Washington DC office.

Duties

Issues Insights

• Lead the vision and execution of issues insights program, sizing the impact of risks, uncovering potential threats, and surfacing actionable insights to inform planning.

• Conduct ad-hoc custom research to proactively identify and evaluate issues/crises, including flash polling surveys and traditional/social media analyses.

• Oversee mis/disinformation monitoring program, assessing risks and triaging information to relevant stakeholders.

• Design reporting deliverables, integrating intelligence across business functions (e.g., Global Insights, Customer Care, Global Security, and Government Relations/Public Policy), and present findings to leaders.

• Equip teams to shape data-driven mitigation efforts by testing messaging strategies and tactics, quantifying potential impact, and building executive-ready business cases.

• Manage agency partners and oversee project workflows, including report building, dashboard development, and input collection.

• Continuously optimize research design and reporting by gathering feedback across Global Impact teams (e.g., Communications, Sustainability & Social Impact, Inclusion, Ronald McDonald House, Security, and Government Relations/Public Policy). Build business cases for alignment and implementation.

Trends Insights

• Run ad-hoc analyses on audience interests and expectations regarding social issues and trends. Leverage historical and predictive data (e.g., primary research, media analysis, secondary sources) to uncover opportunities and risks to the business.

• Partner with CM&I’s reputation health tracker lead to optimize research design for trend discovery. Leverage research program to counsel teams on strategies for future-proofing the business.

• Supervise real-time media alerting program designed for the Communications team and daily Global Officer Briefings summarizing industry trends and critical news of the day for Executive Leadership Group.

CM&I Center of Excellence (COE) Infrastructure

• Support CM&I’s transformation journey, including AI integration, data visualization, and onboarding of next-generation tools for uncovering insight.

• Drive execution of the CM&I roadmap to scale standardized monitoring, measurement, and insights across McDonald’s global markets.

• Partner with tech providers and agencies to align on modernization priorities, ensuring investments meet quality and timeliness standards. Establish milestones, track progress rigorously, and provide feedback.

• Develop resources outlining CM&I processes, KPIs guidance, tools, and reporting templates for market use.

• Have a strong familiarity with CM&I issues/trends and performance workstreams and build integrated solutions.

• Continuously test, refine, and optimize the infrastructure and operations to ensure CM&I effectively supports business needs.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with market leaders, Centers of Excellence, and Global Insights to scale best practices and drive adoption.

• Represent the Global Communications team both within McDonald’s and externally at industry forums as a thought leader in communications measurement and insights.

Qualifications

• Entrepreneurial mindset, passion for data, and a strong desire to drive business impact.
• Advocate for inclusion and culture-building, with openness to feedback and collaboration.
• Embody CM&I values: Rigor, Purpose, Balance, Vision, Innovation, and Laughter.
• Proven collaborator, with ability to support multiple workstreams and adapt to evolving priorities.
• Results-oriented self-starter with demonstrated success in bringing new ideas from concept to execution, independently or in partnership.
• Background (6+ years) in analytics, insights, and the communications/public relations industry, with required primary research, media monitoring, and issues measurement experience.
• Proficient interpersonal skills to manage agency partners and build internal relationships.
• Strong grasp of reputation’s role in business success; confident engaging senior leaders on reputational concepts and implications.
• Understanding of traditional and social media analytics and tools.
• Ability to apply data to inform strategic communications decisions and influence outcomes.

Compensation

Bonus Eligible: Yes

Long-Term Incentive Eligible: Yes

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $112,860.00 - $143,900.00 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 [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.