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Director, Global Menu

McDonald's

Chicago, IL

  • $168,350–$218,860 per year
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About the role

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. As the global leader in the foodservice industry, our legacy of innovation and hard work continues to drive us. 

From drive-thru updates to delivery to mobile order and pay, we are innovating quickly and growing. 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 a positive impact. We lead through our values centered on inclusivity, service, integrity, community, and family. From the support of Ronald McDonald House 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 the planet. We also offer outstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance, and flexible work arrangements. 

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to the diversity of our crew members, staff, operators, and suppliers. We promote an inclusive work environment that creates feel-good moments for everyone. We are interested in people who enhance our company culture: Does this role interest you? We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every single requirement!

Department Overview

We are looking for a shown beverage expert to join our Global Menu team. The Director Menu Innovation, Beverages & Desserts will contribute to the development and execution of our global beverage and desserts category strategy. This person will lead innovation to help optimize our beverage and dessert portfolio addressing current and future customer needs. In this role, the director will oversee a team of menu innovation professionals and work cross-functionally with internal partners and suppliers to deliver end-to-end product innovation with speed and quality top of mind. The role is responsible for providing insights to make strategic decisions that define the future product portfolio within the category and then driving the strategic development plan.

The ideal candidate brings a strong sense of passion, curiosity, and expertise in the beverage industry. They excel at translating strategic vision into compelling, consumer-relevant products through close collaboration with suppliers and a deep understanding of menu innovation processes.

As Director of Innovation, this individual will be operating in whitespace, bringing a creative, and forward-thinking approach to product development. They are motivated by a fast-paced, globally oriented, and highly multifaceted environment, and are adept at navigating complexity while driving significant innovation.

Duties

  • Provide strategic menu guidance and support to our VP, Beverage & Desserts Category Lead across global initiatives
  • Lead innovation and category management, including portfolio optimization
  • Ensure a robust pipeline of commercially viable concepts
  • Be responsible for core product line extensions, including feasibility checks and development coordination
  • Leverages Menu Architecture and other research to surface new opportunities
  • Identify and develop white space opportunities to expand the menu and meet emerging consumer demands
  • Define consumer needs and key product attributes, translating functional and emotional benefits into compelling product narratives and brand/product books
  • Own product and ingredient specification development in collaboration with cross-functional partners
  • Ensure global compatibility of ingredient application across food and beverage for system scaling, ensuring compliance with individual markets' regulatory requirements
  • Lead concept development and testing, including the creation of supplier briefs and alignment with culinary, operations, and supply chain teams
  • Synthesize concept testing findings and guide prioritization based on consumer, operational, and business impact
  • Provide ongoing market support, ensuring relevance and responsiveness to in-market needs.

Qualifications

  • Experienced in food product innovation, menu development, or category management, ideally in a global or multi-market environment
  • Ability to straddle and fluently converse in both the strategic and technical side of menu innovation
  • Deep beverage expertise, with a solid understanding of product forms, preparation methods, and consumer preferences
  • Extensive knowledge and relationship with supplier and culinary community
  • Consistent record leading innovation pipelines from concept to commercialization, including product line extensions and white space development
  • Collaboration and influencing skills; experience working in a matrixed and global, environment
  • Strong analytical abilities with experience in portfolio strategy, performance analysis, and interpreting consumer and concept testing data
  • Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to translate consumer needs into product strategies
  • Passionate about execution and understanding it isnt real until it's in the restaurants
  • Requires 8-10 years in beverage and/or liquid product development.
  • A degree in Food Science, Culinary, or equivalent and have commercialization experience.

Compensation

Bonus Eligible: Yes

Long - Term Incentive: Yes

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $168,350.00 - $218,860.00 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, including but not limited to comprehensive health insurance, which includes medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental and vision coverage, as well as, life insurance; 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).  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.