McDonalds

Manager, Engineering - Drive Thru Orchestration Service

McDonalds$152K — $190K *
Food & Beverages
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years in software engineering, platform development, or orchestration with leadership experience.
  • 3+ years leading teams delivering distributed services or APIs at scale.
  • Strong background in event-driven architectures and API development.
  • Proven experience in managing complex migrations and architectural modernization.
  • Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills.

Responsibilities

  • Lead development of Drive Thru Orchestration Service for high availability and scalability.
  • Build and deploy an event-driven orchestration platform integrated with various services.
  • Coordinate migration from legacy systems to a modern API-first architecture.
  • Ensure support for multi-region deployment and robust error handling on the platform.
  • Define API specifications and data contracts for seamless interoperability.
  • Drive adoption of event sourcing and state management practices.
  • Oversee testing, validation, monitoring, and incident response for orchestration reliability.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision).
  • Life insurance coverage.
  • 401(k) plan for retirement savings.
  • Adoption and educational assistance programs.
  • Flexible work arrangements and time off policies including sick leave and parental leave.
Full Job Description
Department Overview

Manager, Engineering - Drive Thru Orchestration Service directs a team responsible for crafting, constructing, and operating the orchestration layer that drives next-generation drive thru experiences. This role is vital to providing a scalable, dependable, and AI-ready platform that ensures smooth customer ordering, reliable integrations, and rapid innovation throughout thousands of restaurant locations.

Duties

Orchestration Platform Leadership
  • Lead the full development and oversight of the Drive Thru Orchestration Service, ensuring high availability, reliability, and scalability across all ordering channels.
  • Build and deploy a decoupled, event-driven orchestration platform that works alongside menu, cart, payment, and fulfillment services.
  • Coordinate the migration from legacy, tightly coupled systems to a modern, API-first, and protocol-aligned architecture (e.g., .NET Proxy rewrite, WebSocket audio integration).
  • Ensure the orchestration platform supports multi-region deployment, real-time availability checks, and robust error handling.
  • Lead integration efforts with menu services (Model Context Gateway), cart management (Immutable Cart), payment, and external vendor systems.
  • Define and enforce API specifications, protocol alignment, and data contracts to ensure seamless interoperability.
  • Drive the adoption of event sourcing, GUID-based state management, and canonical data models to guarantee order accuracy and auditability.
  • Coordinate the implementation of telemetry, monitoring, and automated rollback strategies for operational excellence.

Team & Project Management
  • Build and mentor a high-performing engineering team, encouraging a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  • Manage project delivery, prioritization, and cross-functional dependencies, ensuring timely and on-budget execution.
  • Collaborate with product, architecture, and platform teams to align on requirements, priorities, and technical strategy.
  • Serve as the primary technical liaison for orchestration integration with external partners (e.g., Google, POS vendors, menu teams).
  • Communicate technical vision, progress, and challenges to senior leadership and collaborators.

Quality, Testing & Operations
  • Ensure robust testing, validation, and monitoring of orchestration flows and APIs.
  • Manage incident response, troubleshooting, and continual advancement for orchestration service reliability and performance.


Qualifications

Basic Qualifications
  • 7+ years of experience in software engineering, platform development, or orchestration systems, with progressive leadership responsibilities.
  • 3+ years leading engineering teams delivering distributed services or APIs at scale.
  • Strong experience with event-driven architectures, API development, and cloud-native platforms.
  • Proven ability to manage complex migrations and drive architectural modernization.
  • Excellent communication, collaborator management, and cross-functional leadership skills.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with drive thru, QSR, or retail orchestration platforms.
  • Familiarity with event sourcing, real-time data pipelines, and AI/LLM integration.
  • Bachelor's degree or Master's degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.


Compensation

Bonus Eligible: YES

Long - Term Incentive: YES

Benefits Eligible: YES

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $152,678.00 - $190,847.00 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.

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; 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).

About McDonalds

McDonald's Careers

Join the vibrant team at McDonald's, a global leader in the fast-food industry, and be part of a company known for its exceptional culture and commitment to innovation and leadership. At McDonald's, we offer a range of job opportunities that cater to a variety of skills and professional aspirations, making it an ideal place to jumpstart or advance your career. Work You'll Do At McDonald's, every position is an opportunity to grow. Whether you're looking for an entry-level role or a managerial position, you'll find that McDonald's supports your career ambitions with robust training programs and growth opportunities. Our team is dedicated to helping you develop the leadership and professional skills necessary for success in any endeavor. Join our diverse team and contribute to a culture that values innovation, leadership, and diversity. McDonald's is not just a workplace but a community where you can thrive professionally and personally. McDonald's Employment Benefits Choose a career at McDonald's and enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that supports both your professional and personal life. From competitive salaries and health benefits to employee discounts and flexible schedules, McDonald's is committed to the well-being of our team members. We also offer exclusive leadership and diversity training programs that empower our employees to take on new challenges and lead with confidence. Internship Opportunities Kickstart your career with a McDonald's internship. Our internships provide invaluable workplace experience and a chance to develop essential skills in a supportive environment. Interns at McDonald's work on real projects, learn from industry leaders, and gain exposure to the operational excellence that drives our global success. Innovation at McDonald's At the heart of McDonald's culture is a drive for innovation. We continuously seek innovative solutions to enhance the dining experience of our customers and improve our operational efficiencies. By joining our team, you'll collaborate on exciting projects that push the boundaries of what's possible in the fast-food industry. Networking and Professional Development McDonald's encourages professional development and networking through various initiatives and platforms. Connect with colleagues, mentors, and industry leaders who can help you navigate your career path and achieve your professional goals. Our commitment to career development is reflected in our ongoing training programs and our proactive approach to internal promotions and hiring. Join Our Team Explore the job opportunities at McDonald's and find the position that matches your skills and interests. We are hiring creative, curious, and motivated individuals who are ready to contribute to our dynamic team. Check out our open positions and apply today to take the first step towards a rewarding career at McDonald's. Stay Connected Keep up to date with the latest career tips, company news, and industry insights—all from the people who work here at McDonald's. Subscribe to our careers blog and personalize your experience to receive updates that align with your career interests. McDonald's is more than just a company—it's a place where you can make a difference. Join us and help shape the future of the fast-food industry while building a career that you can be proud of.
Learn more about McDonalds
Size
200,000 employees
Market Cap
$194.1 billion
Industry
Net Income
$4.7 billion
Founded
1955
5 Year Trend
-1.2%
Revenue
$19.2 billion
NASDAQ

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