Specialist, Transformation
Let's be part of something together
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TransformationLondon, United Kingdom, N2 8AWEmployeeCompetitive
Apply Overview
About Us
McDonalds 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. McDonalds is one of the UKs largest private sector employers, employing over 170,000 people.
Department OverviewWe are excited to appoint a Portfolio & Program Management Specialist, within the Transformation team for McDonald’s UK & Ireland.
You will be dedicated to portfolio management efforts related to Enterprise Transformation and will work across functions, programs, projects and initiatives to plan and govern an integrated approach.
You will oversee all initiatives that feed into the governance ‘intake’ process and function as the gatekeeper for quality assurance across each stage of the project lifecycle from intake and prioritization, through to delivery and value realization.
In addition, you’ll collaborate with other Specialists to assure the quality of inputs into the wider Transformation roadmap for the UK & Ireland. You will work alongside Change Management, Technology and National Operations to identify the impact to the business and plan for successful implementation and adoption.
Your expertise in building business cases and successful working relationships with cross-functional stakeholders will help make sure we have a robust approach to achieve our organizational goals. This role requires excellent attention to detail and a strong ability to join the dots, along with a passion to shape the future improvement and evolution of the team.
What Team will I be a part?
You will be part of the Transformation team in the UK & Ireland market, reporting to the Senior Manager of Transformation. The team plays an important role in helping the business deliver the right initiatives, in the right way, to support our restaurants, people, and customers.
Working closely with teams across the business, Transformation brings together strong delivery discipline, operational excellence, and practical problem‑solving to improve how we work and how change is delivered. The team is expected to challenge constructively, keep things simple, and focus on solutions that make a real difference in the market.
In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues within the market, as well as with global teams and external partners, to align priorities, manage complexity, and support effective delivery. It’s a great opportunity to contribute to meaningful change, strengthen execution capability, and help shape how transformation shows up day‑to‑day across the business.
Who are my customers?
Given the central nature of the role, you will work with a wide range of stakeholders. Building strong relationships, listening carefully, and engaging with authenticity are essential, as is the ability to tailor your approach to different audiences while staying grounded in what matters most to the business.Key stakeholders you will work with include (but are not limited to):
- Transformation team – working together to stay aligned on priorities, maintain delivery discipline, and support progress against the NEXT vision.
- Business Leadership Team (BLT) – using governance and insight to support effective decision‑making.
- Impact team – partnering to ensure messages are simple, clear, and consistent, and that strategic intent is translated into language that resonates.
- Franchisees – collaborating as valued business partners, recognising their role as key enablers of change in the market.
- Suppliers and external partners – working together in a smart, pragmatic way to maximise value and make the most of our scale.
- Restaurants – keeping everything we do grounded in the reality of restaurant operations, ensuring changes are practical, relevant, and deployed effectively.
DutiesEvolving our Portfolio function for effective business planning:
Adopt a ‘big picture’ view when assessing and prioritizing enterprise-wide initiatives
Maintain and quality control the integrated “Transformation Plan”. This is a joined-up roadmap that shows Global and Market enterprise programs and projects, marketing campaigns and functional initiatives that takes into consideration the change impacts to all three legs of the stool
Ensure that all dependencies are properly articulated and controlled. If necessary, escalations will need to be made if any dependencies are at risk of crystallization
Support the development and management of the key artefacts, identifying room for continuous improvementFacilitating effective Governance & Control:
Ensure that the Stage Gate process is followed for all relevant programs and projects across the lifecycle:
At initial ‘Concept’, determine the strategic priority
Ensure that all initiatives have effectively been assessed and prioritized against Restaurant Impact (“RISC”) and Technology enablers
Support the business case information gathering across costs, benefits and risks
Support the definition of the deployment approach
Manage change requests
When a Stage Gate is “ready” for assessment – supporting Project Managers / Initiative Leads with getting all required checks completed
Quality assuring all relevant documentation that is required to assure that a Stage Gate can be progressedSupport with Cost/Benefit Analysis:
Provide constructive challenge to owners on the benefits and costs associated with projects, ensuring sound decision-making
Scrutinize budget alignment with project objectives, collaborating closely with the functional G&A owner and/or finance team to determine that funding is availablePortfolio Reporting and Maintenance:
Work closely with the wider team to develop and maintain a robust reporting approach for the current portfolio of projects, generating insightful reports and addressing ad-hoc information requests from across the business.
Lead the preparation of input material for governance forums, including the distributed “Pre-read” to all attendees and the main presentation deck. To achieve this requires working with project managers to ensure that information they are providing is of the required standard.
Support the wider team with successful delivery of all governance forums sessions including capturing accurate meeting notes and concise actions/decisions.Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration:
Collaborate seamlessly with the broader Transformation team and other business stakeholders to gain insights on in-flight projects that impact the portfolio
Actively govern and support progress of the program, project or initiative into delivery through relevant attendance at Cross-Functional Team Meetings (“CFTs”)
Act as a specialist in your field and support other change interventions as required, for example, supporting the creation of assets e.g. change plan, communications etc
Flexibly offer support for broader Program or Change Team activities, adapting to portfolio demands
Cultivate positive, supportive relationships with Project Managers, sponsors, and others to ensure project successAnnual Business Planning Support:
Collaborate closely with Global and Market stakeholders in annual business planning processes (“Phase Planning”) to build a comprehensive and achievable business plan
Work closely with Global teams to determine value, prioritization and sequencing of all Roadmap initiatives within your remitQualificationsRequired
- Program management and/or portfolio planning experience
- Experience in scoping and delivering projects; from plan to execution
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with an ability to extract information, influence, facilitate and challenge appropriately
- Be able to work under general direction within a clear framework and plan your own work to meet given objectives and processes
- Be adaptable to changing demands, ambiguity and a fast paced environment
- Proven self-starter, self-motivated with a positive ‘can do’ attitude
- Excellent written and oral skills
- Highly proficient IT skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Project
Desired
- Experience in scoping and developing business cases for new ideas/projects
- Knowledge of project and change tools/artefacts in a typical project lifecycle
- Experience in both Waterfall and Agile project methodologies
- Experience of PPM tool – e.g. Smartsheets
- Be able to pull together multiple sources of data/complex information and be able to tell a cohesive single story
- Relevant industry experience
At McDonald's, we are People from all Walks of Life...
Company Vision and Culture
Our Global vision is to build a better McDonalds and in the UK and Ireland we are working hard to be the UK & Irelands best-loved restaurant company.
McDonalds 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 McDonalds we are People from all Walks of Life...
People are at the heart of everything we do, and they make the McDonalds 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 McDonalds or elsewhere.
Benefits
perksHybrid Working
Enjoy the flexibility of hybrid working with 3 days in the office and 2 days remote.wellnessPrivate Medical Care
Corporate employees receive private medical care, either immediately or following 6 months service depending on your role.perksHoliday Allowance
Full-time office employees receive 28 days paid holiday annually, plus 2 months sabbatical per every 10 years’ service.wellnessWellness Benefits
Your wellbeing matters. Enjoy access to wellbeing resources, mental health support, and initiatives designed to help you feel your best – in and out of work.perksPension & Life Assurance
Access our stakeholder pension scheme alongside Life Assurance cover if you contribute a minimum of 3%.perksCareer Growth
We highly value talent and believe in helping our people grow. We support career progression through mentorship, training and leadership development opportunities.wellnessValues Heroes
We live by our values and we reward those who demonstrate their commitment to them.perksPerformance Reviews & Bonus
Your performance will be reviewed formally every 6 months and pay is reviewed annually based on performance. There is also potential to receive an annual bonus each year.perksMeals at Work
You can choose food from our restaurant menu on your break and can even try the latest promotions.recognitionLength of service
Your length of service doesn’t go unnoticed – we reward you with monetary benefits for long service.perksPay & Perks
Receive competitive pay and a range of exclusive perks, including employee discounts and an on-site gym at our Head Office.perksEmployee Discounts
Benefit from our generous employee discount scheme, covering a range of retailers and services across the UK.perksSummer Fridays
Summer Fridays allow our Corporate Careers teams to finish early, every Friday, during the summer months.MEET THE McD's TEAM
Sustainability
"My favourite thing about working at McDonald’s is the people…everybody from the restaurants up to exec, everyone is just brilliant."
Construction
"The best advice I could give someone joining McDonald’s is be yourself, bring all the knowledge you have gained and share those experiences amongst the team."
Sustainability
"My favourite thing about working at McDonald’s is the people…everybody from the restaurants up to exec, everyone is just brilliant."
Transcript[00:06] My name is Sasha.
[00:09] I am sustainability officer at McDonald's and I have
[00:12] been here for just under two years. My role is a really
[00:15] diverse one. My main focus is really about driving
[00:18] sustainability in the restaurants. How can we build
[00:21] our restaurants to a sustainable standard? How can we operate
[00:24] them to a sustainable standard whilst, you know also getting our
[00:27] crew involved. How can we sort of shift their behaviors? What can
[00:30] we do from that perspective? I also work a lot around greenhouse gas
[00:34] emissions and reporting. I think it's incredible that I work
[00:37] in a very small team. But when you
[00:40] think about the actual work that we do and the goals that we're sort of trying
[00:43] to achieve we're impacting around 1400
[00:46] restaurants that serve thousands of
[00:49] people every day. I think there's there's no other ways
[00:52] to describe the impact of my work. My favorite thing about working
[00:55] at McDonald's I'm sure everyone will say this but it's the people.
[00:59] Everybody from the restaurants all the way up to the
[01:02] exec everyone's just
[01:03] brilliant.
[01:04] My best memory would have to be
[01:07] COP 26 and as someone who dedicated
[01:10] my life to sustainability it felt like a
[01:13] once in a lifetime opportunity. It was
[01:17] really exciting just being in a room where I
[01:20] knew governments, leaders of countries, all
[01:23] these sort of officials were in a room deciding on
[01:27] policy around things that would actually dictate my career and
[01:30] the future of my career and I think I would never
[01:33] have had this opportunity if it weren't for actually being at McDonald's.
Construction
"The best advice I could give someone joining McDonald’s is be yourself, bring all the knowledge you have gained and share those experiences amongst the team."
Transcript[00:00] My name
[00:07] is Evan. I'm a construction manager and I've been at McDonald's
[00:10] for four years.
[00:11] My role as a construction manager is to look
[00:14] after my team of project managers working
[00:17] with our franchisees and our own restaurants
[00:20] to make them a better place for our customers. I don't really have
[00:23] a typical day. I split my time between between running my
[00:26] own construction projects, managing my team and engaging with
[00:29] the franchisees and the business on how we're progressing
[00:32] against our program. The size of the organization is
[00:35] just, you just find something
[00:38] new in it every day. It's sounds really cheesy, but it's it's
[00:41] a big family. The people here are one of the reasons that I enjoy my
[00:44] role so much. So the best piece of advice I could give for
[00:47] someone joining McDonald's is be yourself. Bring all the
[00:50] knowledge that you've got and share those experiences amongst the team just
[00:53] because we've been doing something one way doesn't mean that we're doing
[00:56] it the best way. The culture at McDonald's is really inclusive.
[00:59] You always learning stuff off different people
[01:02] be it brand new starters or people that have been here 30 years.
[01:05] We're, we really keen to develop people to
[01:08] be the best that they can be. So as long as you as an
[01:11] individual,
[01:12] want progression and training there's there's plenty of
[01:15] opportunities to develop yourself professionally and
[01:18] there's loads of opportunities which can provide
[01:21] accredited qualifications, you know apprenticeships as
[01:24] well as externally if you want to pursue something like
[01:27] a chartership like I did last year to be a chartered construction
[01:30] manager. Being part of McDonald's team is really great,
[01:33] it's rewarding and the people just make every day
[01:36] really fun to be at work.
Specialist, Transformation
- Location:
- London, United Kingdom, N2 8AW
- Contract Type:
- Employee
- Department/Role:
- Transformation
- Pay:
- Competitive
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect from the recruitment process?
The recruitment process differs for each role. If we think you’re a good fit, we’ll invite you to a competency based interview and then onto a second interview usually with an associated task to complete or present.
What are the pay rates at McDonald’s?
Our pay rates differ from role to role, but we always ensure that these rates remain competitive. Alongside this, we also offer a wide range of benefits including holiday and sick pay, and employee discounts that offer savings at over 1,600 retailers.
Does McDonald's offer flexible working?
Enjoy the flexibility of our hybrid working model with 3 days in the office to foster collaborative team environment and 2 days remote to support work/ life balance.
What documents should I provide as proof of eligibility to work?
Before we can employ you, we are required to verify your eligibility to work in the UK & Ireland. You’ll need to provide acceptable original documents such as a valid passport or a valid UK/Ireland visa (with a college letter listing term dates, where applicable). Only original documents will be accepted.
How do I apply for a vacancy at McDonald’s head office?
Either click on the 'Job search' page or the ‘Job search’ button on the page of the vacancy you’re interested in. Then select the role that suits you, and complete an online application form.
How much holiday am I entitled to?
All full-time members of the Head Office team get 28 days paid holiday as well as bank holidays on top. For part-time workers, holiday will be determined on a pro-rata basis.
What do I wear in the office?
At our Head Office, we have a Dress for your Day Policy - the bottom line is that we want you to be empowered to make the decisions that meet the needs of your day.
I have a disability, what support can I get with my McDonald's job application?
During the application process, you can request for any reasonable adjustments to be made so you can find the right support needed during the application and onwards.
I want my pronouns to be known if I get this role, is this possible?
Yes. When you work in Head Office, you’ll receive a company email address and will easily be able to include your desired pronouns in the signature.
Can I get individual feedback on my application or interview?
Due to the high level of applications we receive not everyone will receive individual feedback. This depends on where you are in our process and this could potentially be written or over the phone.
Are there any wellbeing services I can access?
Yes! McDonald’s has a wellbeing hub on the staff website and our colleagues have access to the Employee Assistant Programme (EAP), which is run by AXA health care, offering a variety of services.
Is there opportunity for progression at McDonald’s?
Definitely. We highly value talent and always aim to encourage employees to remain within our business. To put it into perspective, half of our Executive Team started their career in restaurants. At McDonald’s, there are no limits to how far or fast you can progress.
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