Sr Director, Enterprise Architecture

Duties

• Lead Enterprise Architecture Practice
• Represent the architecture function in executive-level discussions
• Translate technical strategy into business value and risk implications
• Lead the enterprise-wide architecture governance
• Ensure alignment to McDonald’s tech standards and target states
• Drive cross-functional collaboration
• Mature EA into an internal consultancy offering agile, stakeholder-aligned services
• Set the vision, strategy and roadmap for the enterprise architecture function
• Manage EA resources (e.g., budget, including tooling, training, and staffing investments)
• Ensure governance and compliance
• Provide coaching to develop a skilled EA team
• Foster both technical depth / subject matter expertise, and soft skills (behavioral competencies) necessary to influence without direct authority
• Mentor and develop future leaders within the organization
• Create pathways for internal growth
• Build a culture of accountability, setting clear expectations and empowering team members to make sound decisions independently
• Shape and Guide Business Strategy
• Analyze market trends, disruptive forces, and financial levers to inform strategy
• Develop future- and current-state models to support strategic decision-making
• Bridge Strategy and Execution
• Align business and IT through technology-enabled business models and roadmaps
• Address execution challenges while balancing innovation and growth
• Drive Innovation and Emerging Technology Adoption
• Identify and assess disruptive technologies and innovation opportunities
• Provide actionable insights and manage innovation execution using agile methods
• Strengthen Business Engagement
• Act as a trusted advisor to business leaders on technology investments
• Develop consumable, timely architecture guidance to support strategic decisions
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder alignment
• Emerging Tech & AI Adoption
• Lead the evaluation and strategic adoption of disruptive technologies, including Generative AI, machine learning, and advanced data paradigms
• Establish safe, ethical, and scalable frameworks for AI implementation

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, system analysis or a related field of study, or equivalent experience
• Professional Experience: 15+ years of progressive technology experience, with at least 8+ years in a senior leadership role guiding enterprise-level architecture, strategic planning, or platform engineering in a global, highly distributed environment
• Proven track record of successfully driving large-scale digital transformation, legacy modernization, or cloud migration initiatives
• Technical Depth: Multidisciplinary experience spanning at least three key areas: Business/Enterprise Architecture, Solution/Technical Architecture, Cloud Platforms (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS), Data/Analytics Engineering, or DevSecOps
• Hands-on familiarity with modern tech stacks, API-led connectivity, microservices architectures, and data mesh principles
• Leadership & Influence: Outstanding capability to lead, inspire, and influence without direct authority
• Proven success in navigating highly matrixed, global organizational structures with multiple regional and franchise stakeholders