Senior Manager, Transformation

About Us

McDonald’s has run its business in the UK since 1974 and currently operates over 1500 restaurants across the UK and Ireland, serving almost four million customers each day. McDonald’s is one of the UK’s largest private sector employers, employing over 170,000 people.

What you’ll be doing

As Senior Manager, Transformation, you’ll own execution and shape how transformation is delivered across McDonald’s UK & Ireland.

Reporting to the Transformation Director, you’ll sit at the heart of market execution, working closely with restaurants, franchisees and corporate teams to turn priorities into measurable outcomes.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the end‑to‑end execution of transformation initiatives, setting clear priorities, and ensuring delivery against agreed outcomes, timelines and quality standards
• Owning and managing the UK & Ireland transformation portfolio, setting roadmaps, sequencing delivery, managing dependencies, and maintaining a forward‑looking view of execution
• Owning the Operational Excellence and simplification agenda, shaping how improvement is identified, prioritised and realised across the business
• Establishing and evolving a Project Management Centre of Excellence, setting high standards for execution, governance and ways of working that are practical and fit for the business
• Partnering with senior leaders to balance business‑as‑usual performance with transformation delivery, ensuring plans are realistic, prioritised and grounded in operational reality
• Leading, coaching and developing a team of program and operational excellence professionals, building sustainable capability and future talent
• Acting as a key market voice into global and enterprise forums, advocating for UK & Ireland priorities and operational realities
• Building strong cross‑functional partnerships to reduce friction, enable collaboration and accelerate execution

What you’ll bring

You’re an experienced transformation leader who knows how to translate strategy into delivery at pace. You bring strong delivery discipline, a practical mindset, and the confidence to lead complex change in a fast-paced, operationally grounded environment.

• Significant experience leading large‑scale transformation, program delivery or operational excellence initiatives with clear accountability for outcomes within complex, matrixed organisations
• Strong program and portfolio management capability, making informed trade‑offs to deliver outcomes, value realisation and execution at pace
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and work effectively across global, segment and market teams
• A collaborative leadership style, with experience building capability and developing high-performing teams
• Commercial awareness, balancing value, capacity and risk to make sound delivery decisions
•  An adaptable, pragmatic approach – comfortable navigating ambiguity while maintaining rigour and momentum
• Alignment to McDonald’s values: Serve, Inclusion, Integrity, Community and Family

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. If you don’t meet every requirement but feel excited by the role, we’d still love to hear from you.

What you’ll get

• A senior, visible role with real influence over how transformation is executed across McDonald’s UK & Ireland
• Competitive salary, plus a comprehensive benefits package including bonus, cash allowance, free parking, lunch and gym access
• Hybrid working, offering flexibility between home and our East Finchley Support Centre
• Access to industry-leading learning, development and career progression opportunities
• The chance to work in a collaborative, inclusive culture where your ideas are valued and your impact is visible
• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference for restaurants, franchisees, people and customers across the UK & Ireland

Company Vision and Culture…

Our Global vision is to build a better McDonald’s and in the UK and Ireland we are working hard to be the UK & Irelands best-loved restaurant company.

McDonald’s is defined by its culture. Our culture shapes and informs everything we think and everything we do. Our culture influences the way we interact with each other, and how we interact with customers, franchisees and suppliers. Our culture motivates and inspires us to attract and retain great talent, creating positive, energising, exceptional working environment for us all.

Our values drive our culture and shape our beliefs, our priorities and our actions. They influence the decisions we make, how we treat one another and how we show up as a brand to the world.

Serve: We put our customers and our people first

Inclusion: We open our doors to everyone

Integrity: We do the right thing

Community: We are good neighbours

Family: We get better together

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.”

#LI-Hybrid