Supervisor of Community Relations 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. As the global leader in the food service 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 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 - check them out here!

We are enjoying the flexibility of a hybrid work model, splitting our time between remote work and 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. 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!

 

Job Description:

McDonald’s seeks a Supervisor of Community Relations & Public Affairs for it's North American Impact team. The position will be responsible for implementing McDonald’s community relations strategy in Chicago and working with national organizations by establishing relationships with civic, business, and multicultural NGO organizations, planning and participating in community engagement events in partnership with the ESG & Community Philanthropy team, tracking and reporting on community engagement data, and managing and mobilizing relationships in partnership with the US Government Relations team.

The candidate will report to and support the Director of Government Relations, Community Engagement & Public Affairs whose work focuses on growing the company’s brand reputation and public affairs across the Brand’s impact pillars while supporting government and community relations work for our Global Headquarters in Chicago.

The ideal candidate will coordinate to ensure that programming is executed cross-functionally, represent McDonald’s at internal and external meetings and gatherings, provide support functions (including PowerPoint development, brief creation and policy analysis) that relate to but not limited to the legislative strategy around multicultural stakeholders, board engagement in Chicago for senior leaders, and various civic engagement public strategies.

In collaboration with the Director, the supervisor will execute a proactive engagement plan to enhance brand’s reputation with key audiences in Chicagoland and national organizations. The individual will work closely with the Director to develop, plan, and coordinate outreach, events, message development, issue management, influencer engagement, policy communications and thought leadership designed to share McDonald’s brand narrative with key audiences.

The supervisor will interface with key internal stakeholders (McDonald’s Owner-Operators, Public Policy, ESG & Philanthropy, US Government Relations State & Local, Field Brand Communications, Sustainability and Diversity & Inclusion) and external stakeholders (NGOs , consultants, and other industry professionals).

The ideal candidate will serve as an ambassador for the McDonald’s Brand, possess significant political acumen and have local civic engagement expertise and strategic planning capabilities.

The ideal candidate will bring previous relationships and/or experience working with a political caucus structure, especially multicultural caucuses. Strong writing, presentation and relationship-development skills are essential as this position requires communication to a variety of audiences at every level of the company. This position reports to the Director of Government Relations, Community Engagement & Public Affairs and will be a member of the North American Impact team. 

Primary responsibilities

• Support development of a plan for proactively establishing productive relationships within the Chicago civic community; maintain responsibility for implementing tactics for relationship development with civic organizations including chambers, business development organizations, etc.
• Support development of a plan to more robustly engage McDonald’s executives in the Chicago civic community
• Partner with the ESG & Philanthropy team on philanthropic giving to community NGOs in Chicago; provide strategic input on giving and recipients
• in partnership with the State & Local GR manager, develop strategies in Illinois community to positively impact brand reputation and legislative issues facing the McDonald’s system that intersect with the company’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Community priorities
• Advocate and work with third party groups to address system priorities.
• Establish and maintain a sophisticated community network.

Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree
• 5+ years of experience in Chicago local government, non-profit, or community engagement

Preferred qualifications

• Proven track record building and managing coalitions across communities
• Extensive experience in building and maintaining relationships, represent the brand, and manage and leverage a base of high-level stakeholders, electeds, celebrities/influencers, and local residents to build support around our headquarters
• Demonstrated experience and skills around working within Chicago neighborhoods
• Track record of designing strategies to meet goals and executing effectively on those strategies
• Track record of designing and implementing new systems or processes that meet a need or improve efficiency - ability to build a function from the ground up

Additional Information:

McDonald’s is committed to providing qualified individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their jobs. Additionally, if you (or another applicant of whom you are aware) require assistance accessing or reading this job posting or otherwise seek assistance in the application process, please contact recruiting.supportteam@us.mcd.com

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.