Sr. Lead, User Experience Research

McDonald’s is proud to be one of the most recognized brands in the world, with restaurants in over 100 countries that serve 70 million customers daily. We continue to operate from a position of strength. Our updated growth strategy is focused on staying ahead of what our customers want and realizing further growth potential. Our relentless ambition is why McDonald’s remains one of the world’s leading corporations after almost 70 years. Joining McDonald's means thinking big and preparing for a career that can have influence around the world.

At McDonald’s, we see every day as a chance to create positive impact. We lead through our values centered on inclusivity, service, integrity, community and family. From support of Ronald McDonald House Charities to our Youth Opportunity project and sustainability initiatives, our values keep us dedicated to using our scale for good: good for our customers, people, industry and planet. We also offer a broad range of outstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance and flexible work arrangements.

The UX Research team is part of the McDonald’s Customer Experience (MCX) function, which delivers human centered experiences to users across the globe.

We are building a world class design research team, and we are looking for an experienced mixed-method researcher to join our talented UX Research team, bringing curiosity, creativity, rigor, and vision to our growing function.

Working alongside designers, product managers, and tech partners, the Sr. Research Lead drives a wide range of design research that delivers a deep, ever-evolving understanding of our global users, and that influences the design and development of cohesive, engaging, and meaningful experiences for customers and crew members around the world.

The operational complexity and global scale of McDonald’s offer opportunities for the Sr. Lead to drive meaningful change, impacting hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Responsibilities:

We’re seeking an experienced design researcher who can:

- Lead large, complex research projects. This includes:

• Strategizing: proactively identifying opportunities for conducting research based on product and corporate strategy, as well as societal, cultural, and market trends and shifts
• Scoping: setting timelines and determining resources
• Planning: identifying learning goals, choosing or developing research methods and activities, recruiting participants, developing discussion guides, and collaborating with designers to create stimulus
• Executing: running research sessions using appropriate methods based on learning objectives, and ensuring that research sessions are timely, engaging, productive, fruitful, and occasionally unexpected
• Synthesizing: Making sense of the raw data captured in research and turning it into deep, meaningful, actionable insights and recommendations that drive product strategy and roadmaps, while balancing the realities of the business and restaurant operations
• Socializing: Creating and delivering presentations, workshops, and other mediums to communicate research findings and recommendations to partners and stakeholders

- Collaborate closely with other researchers, designers, and cross-functional partners. This includes:

• Proactively identifying opportunities for research to learn more about users, their behaviors, needs, and desires
• Influencing the vision and strategy of the four main product areas alongside colleagues in Design, Product Management, and Tech
• Participating in product planning sessions by providing perspective on the what, when, why, and how of research based on overall product, domain, and corporate strategy
• Establishing and building relationships that position you as a trusted partner and point of contact for research and research-related activities to members of the design team, cross functional partners, and beyond
• Coaching junior members of the Research team helping them grow and advance their research skills
• Advising, coaching, and upskilling design colleagues on conducting basic usability and other unmoderated research
• Actively participating in design critiques within and outside your product area, providing perspectives rooted in customer insights
• Planning and leading productive and engaging research and design workshops with peers, partners, and stakeholder from across the organization

- Shape the future of the UX Research team. This includes:

• Proposing, trying, and implementing new ways of working (tools, processes, activities, etc.)
• Contributing to a supportive and innovative culture in which UX Researchers can do the highest quality work
• Ensuring Research is a trusted and strategic partner in important company, product, and design decisions
•  Identifying junior team members who are demonstrating readiness for advancement and collaborating with the Director to move them forward
• Suggesting and organizing sources of learning and inspiration such as articles, books, podcasts, movies, field trips, and other experiences outside the four walls of McDonald’s

- Advocate for, and demonstrate the importance of, research throughout the organization. This includes:

• Evangelizing the importance and value of design research, and championing the user in all venues
• Advocating for research priorities in the product planning and development process
• Communicating team purpose, value, and role within the broader mission of the company

Benefits eligible: Yes
Bonus eligible: Yes
Long term incentive eligible: Yes
The expected salary range for this role is $149,260 - $190,310 per year 
The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we may also consider your experience, and other job-related factors.

· 5-7 years of relevant professional experience

· Direct experience conducting design research across different types of methodologies (exploratory, generative, evaluative, qualitative, quantitative)

· Passion for setting standards for highest quality work, including clear articulation of research objectives, discernment in choosing/creating research methods, rigor in synthesis, and clarity in communication of research findings

· Experience setting research strategy that connects with business and product strategies

· Demonstrated success collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and cross-functional peers / stakeholders (e.g., product managers, designers, engineers, marketing, and other insights teams)

· Ability to think strategically regarding the application of research and data

· An understanding and appreciation for the accurate application of data and metrics in UX Research

· Excellent communications skills; in particular, the ability to clearly communicate key insights and recommendations to business partners through well-crafted narratives, frameworks, evidence from users, and visions of future user experiences that balance business and tech realities with creative visions for future experiences

· Exceptionally curious with strong collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills,

· An urgency and hunger to immerse in the problem space. We’re not just sitting at our desks—we want to learn and draw inspiration from hospitality experiences at large

· A need to productively challenge existing assumptions and ways of working

Benefits eligible: This position offers health and welfare benefits, a 401(k) plan, adoption assistance program, educational assistance program, flexible ways of working, and time off policies (including sick leave, parental leave, and vacation/PTO). Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on job classification and length of employment. 

Bonus eligible: This position is eligible for a bonus, calculated based on individual and company performance.

Long term Incentive eligible: This position is eligible for stock or other equity grants pursuant to McDonald’s long-term incentive plan.

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 [email protected]. 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.