Director, Government Relations - Community Engagement and Public Affairs

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.

We are enjoying the flexibility of a hybrid work model, in which employees spend part of their week connecting with co-workers in our state-of-the-art headquarters. Located in the booming West Loop of downtown Chicago, it's set up to be a global hub that cultivates collaboration:

• Take a class at Hamburger University
• Sample future items in our Test Kitchen
• Utilize the latest technology to connect with your team around the globe

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.

McDonald's Global Impact team is aligned around a mission to make McDonald’s one of the most respected, trusted, and admired brands in the world. We will do this through actions to drive responsible business growth, investments to foster community and sustainability, values-based advocacy, and compelling communications that matter to our customers, our System and our global stakeholders (read more about our Purpose & Impact here).

Job Description:

We are seeking an experienced Government Relations Director to join our team and play a pivotal role in developing and executing an engagement plan for the elected officials on issues impacting the U.S. Business.  This person will be responsible for the company’s relationships with elected leaders in the Midwest-with a strong focus on the City of Chicago and State of Illinois.  This includes overseeing a team of Government Relations Managers over the Midwest region, ensuring that their respective state and local strategies promote and protect brand reputation.  They perform a number of critical activities including lobbying, strategic outreach to elected officials, events, message development, issue management, influencer engagement, policy communications and thought leadership.

This person will work closely with U.S. market leadership including Public Affairs, Communications, and internal people, philanthropy, DEI, and sustainability to ensure that policy and reputational objectives align and support corporate and U.S. business goals.  This position will lead the development of plans for engagement with the company’s top tier elected stakeholders via national trade associations, working closely with the company’s regional government relations managers to ensure alignment of all regional and national work.  This director will serve as the primary point of contact for national leadership organizations representing elected officials (USCM, AAMA, DGA and others) and will develop plans for using McDonald’s membership in these organizations to inform and influence U.S. public policy and perception.  In addition, based in Chicago, this position will serve as the lead representative to the city’s elected officials, developing and implementing a strategic outreach plan for developing and maintaining relationships with these officials. 

The Director will be a member of the North America Impact team.  This position will serve as the government relations voice on internal corporate relations joint planning and outreach teams, offering insights on activities, materials and messaging that can best be used to share the company’s core messages with elected officials.  The director will also oversee a regular communications cadence for elected officials and will ensure that Owner Operators are engaged and aware of government relations activities.  This director will also oversee the Government Relations Manager for the Midwest and responsible for the strategic direction of legislative strategy in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Working with key internal stakeholders and government relations directors to create and implement the strategy and plan for engagement with top tier elected stakeholders based on the company’s business priorities
• Manage a team of Government Relations managers representing state and local legislative and government responsibilities across the Midwest region including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as the public affairs supervisor responsible for the broader Government relations communications strategy.
• Primary responsibility for developing and maintaining relationships with elected leaders in the headquarter state of Illinois.  Will serve as a strategist for developing plans to implement policy made by political bodies within the Midwest.  Will offer senior management advice and insight into best working with and impacting policy makers
• Primary responsibility for engagement with elected official leadership organizations in which McDonald’s is a member.  Will serve as key contact, develop plans to leverage relationships, lead engagement events and make assignments for attendance.
• Develop strategies to positively impact brand reputation and legislative issues facing the McDonald’s system.
• Building relationships with organizations thorugh networking and outreach to achieve engagement objectives.  This includes working with external subject matter experts; representing McDonald’s at relevant meetings; and driving proactive outreach to convey McDonald’s progress in related areas as part of a broader effort to build third-party support.
• Working with regional managers to execute strategy and build brand trust with elected stakeholders who impact and engage in policy outcomes that impact McDonald’s
• Help direct field activities when grassroots action is necessary to influence legislation.
• Assist in developing and maintaining communication pathways with operator leadership, regional leadership, and senior management, advising them on all matters relating to state and local legislation and public policy issues of interest.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in stakeholder engagement or government relations outreach work (e.g. corporate, government, agency or relevant NGO/association environments)
• 10+ years of experience in either a corporate, trade, consulting or campaign setting, blending communication, political and policy strategies into effective, integrated plans to influence desired outcomes with elected officials
• 10+ years of providing strategic counsel to senior business executives (e.g. stakeholder engagement, message strategy development, media strategy, planning and execution)
• 10+ years of experience developing communications plans and strategies to keep internal stakeholders engaged in external work
• Experience influencing public policy issues in Chicago or Illinois
• Experience developing relationships and networking with key leaders in the Chicagoland  community
• Expeirence leading a team and managing individual to execute on critical government relations and community strategies
• Sophisticated understanding of how state and local governments make policy and laws
• Demonstrated record of developing and implementing sophisticated, integrated plans for reaching a desired public or government affairs goal

Additional Information:

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 mcdhrbenefits@us.mcd.com. 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.