Director, Philanthropy

Job 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.

The Director of Community & Philanthropy will lead McDonald’s global community impact and charitable giving strategy as part of the Sustainability & Social Impact team within Global Impact. This role oversees a global portfolio, manages NGO partnerships (e.g. Ronald McDonald House, American Red Cross, etc.), and ensures alignment with values and sustainability goals. Reporting to the Senior Director, Social Impact, this position requires a seasoned leader with experience in corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, and partner engagement at a global scale skilled at advancing initiatives that strengthen McDonald’s social license to operate and supporting communities to thrive.

• Develop and implement McDonald’s global community impact and philanthropy strategy, including governance and multi-year planning, including integrating community priorities into business decisions to drive responsible growth.

• Oversee governance and annual reporting and disclosures, for community programs, ensuring measurable impact, for leadership and external partners.

• Manage charitable corporate contributions to ensure compliance and alignment across the enterprise while building and strengthening partnerships with internal teams and external partners (global NGOs, community organizations, foundations, government entities, industry peers).

• Lead and develop the Community & Philanthropy team, fostering talent and building organizational capacity.

• Direct global philanthropic initiatives, including volunteerism and disaster relief, and manage grantee relationships.

• Develop compelling narratives and proof points to showcase McDonald’s social impact and enhance brand reputation.

• Maintain McDonald’s partnership with Ronald McDonald House and deliver annual commitments.

• Lead and oversee annual reporting and disclosures, response to partner enquiries regarding McDonald’s philanthropic approach and ensure consistent communications.

• Supporting market capacity to develop and deploy strategies linked with global approach.

• 10 (12) + years of experience in community, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, international development, public affairs, consultancy, etc. ideally for a global company and with demonstrated success influencing at a global scale

• Exceptional communication, flexibility, influencing and interpersonal skills, to work with global, virtual and cross-functional teams

• Demonstrated leadership role, within industry working groups, establishing a strong partner network

• Proven ability to build strategic partnerships and represent organizations externally

• Proven global, multi-market experience with a strong track record of delivery; excels as a cross-functional collaborator with a global perspective, effectively aligning diverse partners to drive impactful results.

• Knowledge of nonprofit operations and grassroots engagement

• Ability to leverage systems and tools for community management and impact measurement; apply analytics to distill insights, define & measuring indicators

• Inspirational people…