Job Description

McDonald’s seeks a Chicago Community Relations Manager for its Global Public Policy & Government Relations team. The position will be responsible for executing McDonald’s community relations strategy in Chicago by building 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  Multicultural & Chicago Public Policy & Engagement whose work in DC focuses on growing the company’s brand reputation and public affairs in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion spaces, and 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 Manager will execute a proactive engagement plan to enhance brand’s reputation with key audiences in Chicagoland. 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 multicultural audiences in Chicago.

The Manager 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, Multicultural & Chicago Stakeholder Engagement and will be a member of the Global Impact team, led by Global Chief Impact Officer, Katie Fallon.

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 Chicago 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

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  Must be fully vaccinated (i.e., at least 2 weeks after last dose) for COVID-19 and, if hired, present proof of vaccination by start date.

  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, elected officials, 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 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.