Platform Engineer II Careers at McDonald's - Chicago, IL | Apply Now!
McDonald's
Platform Engineer II Careers at McDonald's - Chicago, IL | Apply Now!
Job Description
Platform Engineer II Careers at McDonald's - Join the Golden Arches Technology Revolution
Are you a talented Platform Engineer II ready to power McDonald's global technology transformation? McDonald's, the world's leading omni-channel restaurant brand, is accelerating innovation through its Accelerating the Arches strategy. With 65M+ daily customers across 25,000+ locations, we're doubling down on Delivery, Digital, and Drive-Thru. As a Platform Engineer II in our API Management team, you'll build the scalable infrastructure that enables seamless data movement and powers frictionless customer experiences worldwide.
Why Platform Engineering at McDonald's is Your Dream Career Move
McDonald's Global Technology isn't just keeping up with digital transformation—we're leading it. From AI-driven personalization to robotics in kitchens, our tech stack reshapes fast food for the 21st century. The API Management Platform Engineer II role sits at the heart of our Enterprise Data & Analytics Architecture (EDAA), where you'll design systems handling billions of API calls daily. Imagine your code enabling McDelivery for millions while ensuring 99.99% uptime during peak dinner rushes.
Our diverse engineering teams thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment. Check out our Global Technology Technical Blog to see how we're pioneering scalable microservices, edge computing, and zero-trust security at global scale.
Key Responsibilities: What You'll Actually Do Daily
As Platform Engineer II, you'll own the full lifecycle of our API ecosystem:
- Build Scalable Infrastructure: Architect API gateways (Apigee, Kong, Mulesoft) handling petabytes of transactional data across hybrid cloud environments.
- Automate Everything: Design GitOps workflows with ArgoCD, Terraform, and Jenkins to deploy APIs in minutes, not days.
- Monitor Like a Hawk: Implement observability stacks with Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry for real-time performance insights.
- Secure the Golden Arches: Enforce mTLS, OAuth 2.0, JWT validation, and WAF rules protecting customer PII and payment data.
- Optimize Ruthlessly: Profile slow endpoints, implement Redis caching, and auto-scale Kubernetes clusters during Black Friday-level traffic spikes.
Production ownership means you're the hero when systems go down at 7 PM Friday. You'll triage incidents via PagerDuty, perform root cause analysis, and deploy fixes—all while maintaining SLAs better than 4-nines.
Required Skills & Qualifications for Success
McDonald's seeks battle-tested engineers who live and breathe platform engineering:
- 3+ years production experience with API platforms in Fortune 500 environments
- Deep microservices expertise: gRPC, REST, GraphQL, service mesh (Istio/Linkerd)
- Cloud-native mastery: EKS/GKE/AKS, Helm charts, service catalogs
- IaC proficiency: Terraform modules, Pulumi, AWS CDK
- Security mindset: Secrets management (Vault), compliance (SOC2, PCI-DSS)
Bonus Points: Experience with McDonald's tech stack (Snowflake, Databricks, Kafka) or F500 retail scale.
McDonald's Platform Engineer II Salary & Total Compensation
Competitive tech compensation meets global brand stability. Platform Engineer II roles command $125K-$165K base salary plus 15-20% target bonus. Total comp easily hits $180K+ with stock grants and perks. Chicago HQ offers cost-of-living advantages over SF/NY while matching Big Tech salaries.
Exclusive McDonald's Engineer Benefits Package
Beyond cash compensation, enjoy:
- Financial Security: 6% 401k match + ESOP with MCD stock discounts
- Work-Life Balance: Unlimited PTO policy + 16 weeks parental leave
- Professional Growth: $5K annual learning stipend + internal tech conferences
- Perks Galore: Free McDonald's for life, hybrid WFH, gym reimbursements
Career Growth Path: From Platform Engineer II to Tech Leadership
McDonald's invests heavily in internal mobility. Excel as Platform Engineer II and advance to:
- Senior Platform Engineer → Staff Engineer → Principal
- Specialized tracks: API Architecture, Cloud Platform Lead, Security Engineering
- Leadership: Engineering Manager, Distinguished Engineer, VP Technology
70% of our tech leadership started as individual contributors. Clear promotion ladders + 360 feedback ensure merit-based advancement.
Day in the Life of a McDonald's Platform Engineer II
9 AM: Standup - Review overnight incidents, plan sprint tasks
10 AM: Deep-dive API performance optimization with data team
12 PM: Free Big Mac lunch + pair programming session
2 PM: Terraform PR review + deploy to staging
4 PM: Grafana dashboards - confirm 99.99% SLA met
5 PM: Tech talk on 'Zero-Trust API Gateways at Scale'
Why Chicago? McDonald's Global Tech Hub Advantages
Our Chicago headquarters offers:
- Midwest cost of living (50% cheaper than Bay Area)
- Direct flights to 150+ cities for customer visits
- Vibrant tech scene + Big Ten sports culture
- Modern River North offices with McDonald's test kitchen
Ready to Accelerate Your Career with McDonald's?
Platform Engineer II roles fill fast. Our hiring process:
- 30-min recruiter screen
- Technical deep-dive (API design, system architecture)
- Live coding (optimize slow API endpoint)
- Cross-functional panel + values interview
- Offer within 1 week
Join the team powering 65M daily smiles. Apply now and help digitize the world's most iconic brand!
Locations
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- New York, New York, USA (Remote)
- San Francisco, California, USA (Remote)
- Austin, Texas, USA
Salary
131,250 - 181,500 USD / yearly
Source: ai estimated
* This is an estimated range based on market data and may vary based on experience and qualifications.
Skills Required
- API Management Platformsintermediate
- Microservices Architectureintermediate
- CI/CD Pipelinesintermediate
- Infrastructure as Codeintermediate
- Kubernetes Orchestrationintermediate
- Docker Containerizationintermediate
- AWS Cloud Servicesintermediate
- Security Best Practicesintermediate
- Performance Optimizationintermediate
- Monitoring Tools (Prometheus, Grafana)intermediate
- DevOps Automationintermediate
- Agile Methodologiesintermediate
- Apigee/Kong/Mulesoftintermediate
- Data Encryptionintermediate
- Scalability Engineeringintermediate
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (experience)
- Minimum 3+ years in API management, platform engineering, or software engineering in data-driven environments (experience)
- Strong hands-on experience with API management platforms like Apigee, Kong, or Mulesoft (experience)
- Proven expertise in microservices architecture and scalable system design (experience)
- Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions (experience)
- Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation (experience)
- Deep knowledge of containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes) (experience)
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and hybrid cloud environments (experience)
- Strong understanding of security protocols including OAuth, JWT, and data encryption standards (experience)
- Experience with monitoring and logging tools like Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack (experience)
- Ability to troubleshoot production issues and optimize system performance (experience)
- Excellent collaboration skills with cross-functional teams (DevOps, Security, Data Engineering) (experience)
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and maintain scalable and secure API management infrastructure to support McDonald's global business growth
- Implement and manage CI/CD pipelines for automated deployment, testing, and maintenance of APIs across multi-cloud environments
- Develop comprehensive monitoring strategies using tools like Prometheus and Grafana to ensure 99.99% platform availability
- Enforce security best practices including API gateway configurations, access controls, rate limiting, and data encryption
- Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks through code profiling, caching strategies, and resource optimization
- Provide 24/7 production support, rapid incident response, and root cause analysis for platform stability
- Collaborate with DevOps, security, and data engineering teams to align API solutions with Accelerating the Arches strategy
- Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for APIs, platform configurations, and deployment processes
- Develop self-service tools and governance frameworks to enable developer productivity and API ecosystem growth
- Conduct regular platform audits, capacity planning, and scalability testing for high-traffic scenarios
- Integrate emerging technologies like AI/ML services and serverless computing into the API platform
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical roadmaps for EDAA (Enterprise Data & Analytics Architecture)
Benefits
- general: Competitive annual salary with performance-based bonuses averaging 15-20%
- general: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance with low employee premiums
- general: 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match and immediate vesting
- general: Annual bonus potential up to 20% of base salary tied to company performance
- general: 20+ days of paid time off (PTO) plus paid company holidays and floating holidays
- general: Remote work flexibility with home office stipend up to $1,500 annually
- general: Professional development budget of $5,000 per year for certifications and conferences
- general: Employee stock purchase plan with 15% discount on McDonald's stock
- general: Free meals and beverages at McDonald's locations worldwide for employee and family
- general: Parental leave: 16 weeks paid for primary caregiver, 8 weeks for secondary
- general: Mental health support through Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with 24/7 counseling
- general: Gym membership reimbursement up to $50/month and wellness programs
- general: Relocation assistance package for qualifying positions including temporary housing
Tags & Categories
Answer 10 quick questions to check your fit for Platform Engineer II Careers at McDonald's - Chicago, IL | Apply Now! @ McDonald's.
Related Books and Jobs
Platform Engineer II Careers at McDonald's - Chicago, IL | Apply Now!
McDonald's
Platform Engineer II Careers at McDonald's - Chicago, IL | Apply Now!
Job Description
Platform Engineer II Careers at McDonald's - Join the Golden Arches Technology Revolution
Are you a talented Platform Engineer II ready to power McDonald's global technology transformation? McDonald's, the world's leading omni-channel restaurant brand, is accelerating innovation through its Accelerating the Arches strategy. With 65M+ daily customers across 25,000+ locations, we're doubling down on Delivery, Digital, and Drive-Thru. As a Platform Engineer II in our API Management team, you'll build the scalable infrastructure that enables seamless data movement and powers frictionless customer experiences worldwide.
Why Platform Engineering at McDonald's is Your Dream Career Move
McDonald's Global Technology isn't just keeping up with digital transformation—we're leading it. From AI-driven personalization to robotics in kitchens, our tech stack reshapes fast food for the 21st century. The API Management Platform Engineer II role sits at the heart of our Enterprise Data & Analytics Architecture (EDAA), where you'll design systems handling billions of API calls daily. Imagine your code enabling McDelivery for millions while ensuring 99.99% uptime during peak dinner rushes.
Our diverse engineering teams thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment. Check out our Global Technology Technical Blog to see how we're pioneering scalable microservices, edge computing, and zero-trust security at global scale.
Key Responsibilities: What You'll Actually Do Daily
As Platform Engineer II, you'll own the full lifecycle of our API ecosystem:
- Build Scalable Infrastructure: Architect API gateways (Apigee, Kong, Mulesoft) handling petabytes of transactional data across hybrid cloud environments.
- Automate Everything: Design GitOps workflows with ArgoCD, Terraform, and Jenkins to deploy APIs in minutes, not days.
- Monitor Like a Hawk: Implement observability stacks with Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry for real-time performance insights.
- Secure the Golden Arches: Enforce mTLS, OAuth 2.0, JWT validation, and WAF rules protecting customer PII and payment data.
- Optimize Ruthlessly: Profile slow endpoints, implement Redis caching, and auto-scale Kubernetes clusters during Black Friday-level traffic spikes.
Production ownership means you're the hero when systems go down at 7 PM Friday. You'll triage incidents via PagerDuty, perform root cause analysis, and deploy fixes—all while maintaining SLAs better than 4-nines.
Required Skills & Qualifications for Success
McDonald's seeks battle-tested engineers who live and breathe platform engineering:
- 3+ years production experience with API platforms in Fortune 500 environments
- Deep microservices expertise: gRPC, REST, GraphQL, service mesh (Istio/Linkerd)
- Cloud-native mastery: EKS/GKE/AKS, Helm charts, service catalogs
- IaC proficiency: Terraform modules, Pulumi, AWS CDK
- Security mindset: Secrets management (Vault), compliance (SOC2, PCI-DSS)
Bonus Points: Experience with McDonald's tech stack (Snowflake, Databricks, Kafka) or F500 retail scale.
McDonald's Platform Engineer II Salary & Total Compensation
Competitive tech compensation meets global brand stability. Platform Engineer II roles command $125K-$165K base salary plus 15-20% target bonus. Total comp easily hits $180K+ with stock grants and perks. Chicago HQ offers cost-of-living advantages over SF/NY while matching Big Tech salaries.
Exclusive McDonald's Engineer Benefits Package
Beyond cash compensation, enjoy:
- Financial Security: 6% 401k match + ESOP with MCD stock discounts
- Work-Life Balance: Unlimited PTO policy + 16 weeks parental leave
- Professional Growth: $5K annual learning stipend + internal tech conferences
- Perks Galore: Free McDonald's for life, hybrid WFH, gym reimbursements
Career Growth Path: From Platform Engineer II to Tech Leadership
McDonald's invests heavily in internal mobility. Excel as Platform Engineer II and advance to:
- Senior Platform Engineer → Staff Engineer → Principal
- Specialized tracks: API Architecture, Cloud Platform Lead, Security Engineering
- Leadership: Engineering Manager, Distinguished Engineer, VP Technology
70% of our tech leadership started as individual contributors. Clear promotion ladders + 360 feedback ensure merit-based advancement.
Day in the Life of a McDonald's Platform Engineer II
9 AM: Standup - Review overnight incidents, plan sprint tasks
10 AM: Deep-dive API performance optimization with data team
12 PM: Free Big Mac lunch + pair programming session
2 PM: Terraform PR review + deploy to staging
4 PM: Grafana dashboards - confirm 99.99% SLA met
5 PM: Tech talk on 'Zero-Trust API Gateways at Scale'
Why Chicago? McDonald's Global Tech Hub Advantages
Our Chicago headquarters offers:
- Midwest cost of living (50% cheaper than Bay Area)
- Direct flights to 150+ cities for customer visits
- Vibrant tech scene + Big Ten sports culture
- Modern River North offices with McDonald's test kitchen
Ready to Accelerate Your Career with McDonald's?
Platform Engineer II roles fill fast. Our hiring process:
- 30-min recruiter screen
- Technical deep-dive (API design, system architecture)
- Live coding (optimize slow API endpoint)
- Cross-functional panel + values interview
- Offer within 1 week
Join the team powering 65M daily smiles. Apply now and help digitize the world's most iconic brand!
Locations
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- New York, New York, USA (Remote)
- San Francisco, California, USA (Remote)
- Austin, Texas, USA
Salary
131,250 - 181,500 USD / yearly
Source: ai estimated
* This is an estimated range based on market data and may vary based on experience and qualifications.
Skills Required
- API Management Platformsintermediate
- Microservices Architectureintermediate
- CI/CD Pipelinesintermediate
- Infrastructure as Codeintermediate
- Kubernetes Orchestrationintermediate
- Docker Containerizationintermediate
- AWS Cloud Servicesintermediate
- Security Best Practicesintermediate
- Performance Optimizationintermediate
- Monitoring Tools (Prometheus, Grafana)intermediate
- DevOps Automationintermediate
- Agile Methodologiesintermediate
- Apigee/Kong/Mulesoftintermediate
- Data Encryptionintermediate
- Scalability Engineeringintermediate
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (experience)
- Minimum 3+ years in API management, platform engineering, or software engineering in data-driven environments (experience)
- Strong hands-on experience with API management platforms like Apigee, Kong, or Mulesoft (experience)
- Proven expertise in microservices architecture and scalable system design (experience)
- Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions (experience)
- Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation (experience)
- Deep knowledge of containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes) (experience)
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and hybrid cloud environments (experience)
- Strong understanding of security protocols including OAuth, JWT, and data encryption standards (experience)
- Experience with monitoring and logging tools like Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack (experience)
- Ability to troubleshoot production issues and optimize system performance (experience)
- Excellent collaboration skills with cross-functional teams (DevOps, Security, Data Engineering) (experience)
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and maintain scalable and secure API management infrastructure to support McDonald's global business growth
- Implement and manage CI/CD pipelines for automated deployment, testing, and maintenance of APIs across multi-cloud environments
- Develop comprehensive monitoring strategies using tools like Prometheus and Grafana to ensure 99.99% platform availability
- Enforce security best practices including API gateway configurations, access controls, rate limiting, and data encryption
- Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks through code profiling, caching strategies, and resource optimization
- Provide 24/7 production support, rapid incident response, and root cause analysis for platform stability
- Collaborate with DevOps, security, and data engineering teams to align API solutions with Accelerating the Arches strategy
- Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for APIs, platform configurations, and deployment processes
- Develop self-service tools and governance frameworks to enable developer productivity and API ecosystem growth
- Conduct regular platform audits, capacity planning, and scalability testing for high-traffic scenarios
- Integrate emerging technologies like AI/ML services and serverless computing into the API platform
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical roadmaps for EDAA (Enterprise Data & Analytics Architecture)
Benefits
- general: Competitive annual salary with performance-based bonuses averaging 15-20%
- general: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance with low employee premiums
- general: 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match and immediate vesting
- general: Annual bonus potential up to 20% of base salary tied to company performance
- general: 20+ days of paid time off (PTO) plus paid company holidays and floating holidays
- general: Remote work flexibility with home office stipend up to $1,500 annually
- general: Professional development budget of $5,000 per year for certifications and conferences
- general: Employee stock purchase plan with 15% discount on McDonald's stock
- general: Free meals and beverages at McDonald's locations worldwide for employee and family
- general: Parental leave: 16 weeks paid for primary caregiver, 8 weeks for secondary
- general: Mental health support through Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with 24/7 counseling
- general: Gym membership reimbursement up to $50/month and wellness programs
- general: Relocation assistance package for qualifying positions including temporary housing
Tags & Categories
Answer 10 quick questions to check your fit for Platform Engineer II Careers at McDonald's - Chicago, IL | Apply Now! @ McDonald's.
Related Books and Jobs