Director, Ways of Working / Agile COE

Company Description:

McDonald's evolving Accelerating the Arches growth strategy puts our customers and people first and demonstrates our competitive advantages to strengthen our brand. We are recognized on lists like Fortune’s Most Admired Companies and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.

Doubling Down on the 4Ds (Delivery, Digital, Drive Thru, and Development)

Our growth pillars emphasize the critical role technology plays as the best-in-class, global omni-channel restaurant brand. Technology enables the organization through digital technologies, and improving the customer, crew and employee experience each and every day!

Global Technology forging the way

Leading the digitization of our business is the Technology organization made up of innovation specialists who build industry defining tech using the latest innovations and platforms, like AI and edge computing to deliver on the next set of groundbreaking opportunities for the business. We take on technology innovation challenges at an incredible scale, and work across global teams who are always hungry for a challenge! This provides access to compelling career paths for technologists. It’s bonus points when you get to see your family and friends use the tech you build at their favorite McD restaurant.

Job Description:

The Global Technology Strategy & Planning team is focused on strategy formulation and prioritization, strategic and operational planning, program management, and vendor management efforts while building next-gen Total Cost of Ownership capabilities.

The Director of the Ways of Working / Agile Center of Expertise is a part of the Program Management Office (PMO) and the role reports to the Senior Director of Program Management. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader to fulfill the following core activities:

• As a senior expert in business agility, you will play a leadership role in driving organizational success through the establishment and continuous refinement of standards for Agile methodologies, ceremonies, and tools within the Agile Center of Expertise (CoE).
• Partner with senior leaders of the McDonald’s Global Technology organization to support the adoption of the Agile Triad Product Platform operating model and the new ways of working across multiple groups, products, and squads.
• Embed McDonald’s ways of working principles into the Agile CoE ensuring a balanced approach to supporting team members, fostering engagement and productivity, and delivering on business objectives. 
• Proactively anticipate and drive adjustments to the Agile capability in response to evolving global operating models, business needs, and ways of working.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for the ways of working (WoW) / Agile Center of Expertise (CoE) and provide leadership in introducing and implementing Agile techniques, methodologies, and tools that will support the vision and mission of McDonald’s Global Technology Agile Triad Product Platform operating model.
• Partner with McDonald’s Global Technology leaders to design, develop, and implement an effective Agile CoE operating model and transform into an outcomes-based organization (being able to operate in the gray).
• Develop organizational policies, standards, and guidelines for WoW / Agile CoE methods and tools to foster consistency and supporting best practices.
• Direct and manage a highly specialized team of Agile Coaches and Scrum Leaders deployed to Groups, Domains, and Squads within the Global Technology product platform.
• Create a robust measurement framework aligned with the Global Technology Agile Triad Domain Platform operating model objectives, selecting appropriate measurements, scales, and thresholds to assess Agile capability.
• Measure Agile capability performance, progress, and identify and provide insights on potential problems, issues, and risks.
• Identify, propose, initiate, and lead retrospectives and improvement programs aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the Global Technology Agile Triad Product Platform.
• Establish and communicate the rationale and need for organizational structure and cultural change, driving the understanding and acceptance of change initiatives.
• Lead organizational change by proactively removing obstacles, advocating for change, and influencing stakeholders at the highest levels.

Qualifications:

• 10 years’ experience in business agile coaching, mentoring and or similar leadership roles
• Knowledge across several agile frameworks including, Lean, Agile-Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programing (XP).
• Deep understanding of business agility frameworks, practices, and key behavior to organizational success
• Deep understanding agile software delivery, the path to production and other operational aspects
• Experience with Agile toolsets (e.g., Jira, Confluence, etc.)
• Exceptional communications and senior stakeholder management skills and strong Emotional Intelligence to read verbal and nonverbal cues in others so you can communicate effectively and cultivate healthy working relationships.
• Willingness and ability to live the McDonald’s values every day: Serve, Inclusion, Integrity, Community, and Family.

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant work experience playing an active role in agile transformations
• Demonstrated experience of coaching organized and senior leaders on agile best practices
• Demonstrated experience of having built agile capabilities within complex, decentralized organization at the start of their agile journeys
• Possess one or more advanced Agile certifications (e.g., PMI-ACP, IAPM-Certified Agile Project Manager, Scrum Alliance - Certified Scrum Product Owner, ICP Agile Coaching (ACC), Lean Six Sigma -Green/Black Belt, etc.).
• Experience working in a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry

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.