Manager - International Sustainability & Social Impact

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.

In this role you will help to drive strategic alignment, engagement and programming on sustainability and social impact priorities, across Global Functions, Business Segments and Markets.

You will report to the Director of International Sustainability & Social Impact, part of the International Operated Markets (IOM) Segment, within the Global Impact function. It supports our mission to make McDonald’s one of the most respected, trusted, and admired brands in the world through actions that drive business resiliency and responsible growth, elevate brand trust and reputation, safeguard our license to operate, and foster community impact.

You will need to be agile and able to grasp a range of sustainability and social impact topics. The role will partner with subject-matter experts to leverage market insights, develop strategy, and deliver internal communications and alignment programs across a range of subject-matter areas – from packaging sustainability to nutrition, community impact and ESG reporting.

Being able to communicate confidently (both verbally and with good writing skills) and translating complex topics into simple and compelling internal communications is key. The role will need to collaborate across levels and partner with internal stakeholders across different functions, including Impact, Supply Chain, Restaurant Experience, Marketing and Finance.

Being able to think strategically and manage projects will be key competencies of the role. Having a good understanding of the legislative landscape and the value of sustainability & social impact on brand reputation is important to the role.

Job Responsibilities

• Collate and leverage insights and perspectives from Markets and Business Segments to help shape global or regional sustainability and social impact strategies and programs.
• Manage sustainability and social impact internal communication and engagement with international markets – including developing communication plans, preparing communication materials and presentations, and project managing and steering virtual and in-person multi-market meetings and events.
• Delivering strategic guidance and resources to effectively embed sustainability and social impact priorities into market planning processes to drive market prioritization and accountability.
• Lead and project manage strategic initiatives or responses to legislative requirements that benefit multiple markets and prevent siloed or duplicative efforts across markets – including coordinating strategy, managing cross-functional teams, budget management and leadership alignment and reporting.
• Support the International Director to continue to strengthen awareness, alignment and collaboration on sustainability & social impact priorities with the international Business Segment Leadership Teams.
• Maintain effective relationships and ways of working with market teams to support markets to enhance sustainability and social impact programming to drive business value – including identifying opportunities for sharing and stealing best practices, tools and resources, and central programming.
• Leverage global data, insights and measurement, to help markets to strengthen and quantify the impact of local sustainability and social impact strategies.
• Partner with the global ESG reporting team on market data and reporting requirements, as well as supporting local reporting approaches.
• Be an advisor and partner to global subject-matter experts to ensure central strategies and programs protect market resources, drive value for markets and respond to regional needs (e.g., EU legislative agendas such as CSRD, CS3D and PPWR).
  
  

• Demonstrated experience in developing, executing and/or communicating sustainability and social impact strategies within a corporate or consultancy setting. This includes experience translating goals into actionable initiatives, crafting communication materials, developing impact-driving programs, steering cross-functional teams to drive progress, understanding legislative trends and how to plan for them, turning data into insights to inform strategy, and influencing decision makers.
• Strong knowledge of restaurant or food industry related sustainability and social topics. The role will lead to alignment on key upcoming priorities linked to social impact, but it will need to flex across other topics as required.
• Outstanding presenting and written communication skills for developing presentations, leadership briefings and internal communications.
• Strong project management skills to lead cross-functional and multi-market programs and events to bring markets and teams together to solve problems.
• Data literacy – being able to understand, analyse, present and pull insights from sustainability & social impact metrics.

Personal Qualities:

• Enterprise mindset and ability to problem-solve and translate strategy into execution.
• Self-starter able to operate well in fast-moving, matrixed, and high-profile brands or corporate environments.
• Ability to foster collaborative working relationships with people at all organizational levels and inspire and motivate others without authority.
• Agility to work virtually across geographies and cultures.
  
  

At McDonald’s we are People from all Walks of Life...

People are at the heart of everything we do, and they make the McDonald’s experience. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture that means people can be their best authentic self in our restaurants and offices, which helps us to better serve our customers. We have a strong heritage of diversity and representation within our communities, which we are proud of. The diversity of our people, customers, Franchisees and suppliers gives us strength.

We do not tolerate inequality, injustice or discrimination of any kind. These are hugely important issues and a brand with our reach and relevance means we have a very meaningful role to play.

We also recognise our responsibility as a large employer to continue being active in our communities, helping to develop skills and drive aspirations that will help people to be more aware of the world of work and more successful within it, whether with McDonald’s or elsewhere.