Job Description

We are enhancing the Global Communications function within the Global Impact Team to advance how we tell the incredible stories of our business, brand and impact!

The Manager of External Affairs (Impact Communications) is part of the Global External Affairs team that develops coordinated communications and media engagement strategies to deliver McDonald’s Accelerating the Arches business strategy and strengthen the brand through advocacy and action across the two Impact priorities of People and Planet. The Manager reports to the Senior Manager for Impact Communications. Primary responsibilities include leading media relations, partner engagement and executive insight to advance McDonald’s People & Planet priorities. For Planet, this would include initiatives linked to programs such as net zero, circularity, regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and for People this would include programs like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), employment opportunity, workforce and community efforts.

In addition to following McDonald’s policies and procedures, principal accountabilities include, but are not limited to:

**Strategy & Planning **

• Apply critical thinking & understanding of the internal/external landscape to support the development of coordinated external affairs and media engagement plans that advance and promote McDonald’s Impact agenda.
• Help lead third-party relationships with priority NGOs, SMEs, industry, suppliers, and partners as related to projects/initiatives.

**Proactive Storytelling & Narrative Management **

• Use insights and knowledge of business priorities and reporter interests to identify proactive earned media moments and pitch/place breakthrough stories for targeted audiences.
• Complete executive visibility and thought leadership plans for Impact-focused moments such as international climate meetings/convenings, ESG breakthroughs, Purpose & Impact Reporting, etc.
• Collaborate with Impact peers and cross-functional business partners to implement integrated communications campaigns in support of key business breakthroughs.
• Constantly mines for potential news angles and data to support opportunistic storytelling, and maintain McDonald’s corporate narrative related to People & Planet.
• Drafts communications materials, including but not limited to: media strategies, key messages, press releases, statements, question and answer documents and owned assets.
• Supports reactive media relations and issues management for Impact initiatives, develops risk and leak mitigation strategies to protect the business and/or influence the landscape for optimal storytelling.
• Helps establish new and maintain existing media relationships on behalf of McDonald’s.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Collaborates with global and regional/market Impact and communications partners to serve and advance global Impact initiatives.
• Connects with cross-functional subject matter authorities in Global People, Sustainability, Menu, Supply Chain and Legal to understand, develop and deploy key elements/messaging of the Impact narrative.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in agency and in-house roles.
• Experience working on programs related to sustainability and social impact.
• Familiarity with emerging media platforms and history of working directly with top tier media.
• Experience managing integrated communications plans via myriad channels.
• Crisis and issues management experience.
• Experience managing partner agencies.

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.