Department Overview
The Global Cybersecurity (GCS) Cybersecurity Solution Architect helps define, communicate, and apply cybersecurity requirements and security architecture throughout the lifecycle of technology products and platforms. The architect uses broad technical knowledge, practical risk judgment, and collaborative problem solving to help teams design solutions that protect confidentiality, integrity, availability, privacy, and compliance. This role supports architecture reviews, threat modeling, and the development of reusable security patterns and guardrails. Throughout the review process, the architect documents security requirements, design decisions, risks, exceptions, and mitigations, and works with delivery teams to translate security expectations into practical technical outcomes. The role partners across the Global Technology organization, including product management, engineering, architecture, privacy, risk, and business teams. Success requires technical credibility, clear communication, sound facilitation, and the ability to influence decisions through evidence and trusted relationships. This role is part of the Global Cybersecurity function and the Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering team and reports to the Senior Manager of Cybersecurity Solution Architecture.
Accountabilities & Responsibilities
• Apply cybersecurity architecture principles to technology products, platforms, applications, and services in alignment with business priorities, company standards, and industry practices.
• Partner with technology and business teams to embed security into planning, design, delivery, and operational readiness.
• Facilitate architecture reviews and technical working sessions to identify security gaps, clarify design tradeoffs, and recommend proportionate, risk-based mitigations.
• Perform or support threat modeling, security architecture assessments, control mapping, and design reviews across cloud, application, identity, network, endpoint, IoT, and other technology domains.
• Translate security policies, standards, and regulatory obligations into clear technical requirements, guardrails, and actionable recommendations.
• Contribute to reusable security architecture artifacts, reference architectures, security models, standards, and design patterns that improve consistency and accelerate delivery.
• Document architecture decisions, security requirements, identified risks, exceptions, compensating controls, owners, and agreed remediation actions.
• Communicate technical and risk topics in concise, audience-appropriate language for engineers, architects, product teams, business partners, and leadership.
• Influence delivery teams without direct authority by using credible technical analysis, active listening, practical options, and an understanding of business context.
• Assess solution alignment with McDonalds policies and applicable frameworks, including NIST CSF, and ISO 27001, and help teams convert requirements into implementable design outcomes.
• Mature threat modeling capabilities within the architecture team and technology team. Leverage threat modeling tools like Threat Modeler/Irius Risk.
• Stay current on emerging security threats, architecture practices, cloud services, engineering patterns, and relevant technology trends, and share practical guidance with colleagues and delivery teams.
Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 4-6 years of technical leadership experience within the security vertical, including responsibility for guiding technical decisions, coordinating security work across teams, or leading security-focused design and delivery activities.
• Hands-on experience in information security, security engineering, solution architecture, application architecture, cloud architecture, or a closely related technical role.
• Working knowledge across several security domains, such as identity and access management, data protection, encryption, cloud security (AWS, Azure, or GCP), DevSecOps, application security, platform security, endpoint security, IoT, OT, network security, or zero-trust architecture.
• Experience participating in or facilitating security architecture reviews, threat modeling, control reviews, or design assurance activities.
• Knowledge of security frameworks and standards such as NIST CSF, and ISO 27001, with the ability to apply them to practical technology decisions.
• Ability to evaluate solution designs, identify material security risks, explain tradeoffs, and recommend pragmatic controls or mitigations.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills, including active listening, curiosity, and the ability to establish trust with technical and non-technical partners.
• Effective influencing and consulting skills, with the ability to guide decisions and encourage adoption without direct authority.
• Clear verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to simplify complex security topics for different audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, sound judgment, and the ability to organize ambiguous information into clear findings and next steps.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to organizational change, and maintain progress in a global, matrixed environment.
• A collaborative mindset that encourages shared ownership of security and contributes to an inclusive, high-performing culture.
• Security or architecture certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, CISM, TOGAF, AWS Certified Solution Architect, Microsoft Certified: Azure Solution Architect, or Google Professional Cloud Security Architect are preferred; equivalent demonstrated experience will be considered.
Compensation
Bonus Eligible: YES
Long - Term Incentive: YES
Benefits Eligible: YES
Salary Range
The expected salary range for this role is $138,207.00 - $172,758.00 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.
Additional Information:
Benefits eligible: This position offers health and welfare benefits, including but not limited to comprehensive health insurance, which includes medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental and vision coverage, as well as, life insurance.
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.
