Director, AI Engineering

McDonald's - Chicago, IL

Full-time - Senior

Chicago, IL

Food Services and Drinking Places

About the position

The Director of AI Engineering at McDonald's is a senior leadership role focused on delivering strategic Generative AI (GenAI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives. This position involves leading an engineering team to develop GenAI-powered products and prototypes, fostering a culture of innovation, and ensuring alignment with global business strategies. The role emphasizes the importance of technology in enhancing customer experiences and driving business outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of software engineers in building GenAI-powered products and prototypes.
• Measure and monitor the usage and effectiveness of the products developed by the team to drive business outcomes.
• Collaboratively enhance corporate and market usage of Enterprise-hardened GenAI end-user tools.
• Manage resources and project timelines to ensure successful delivery of projects and deliverables.
• Stay updated with the latest developments in GenAI and leverage this knowledge to drive innovation.
• Ensure the ethical use of AI, adhering to best practices and guidelines.
• Work effectively in a cross-functional team to collaborate with different global functions and markets.
• Inspire and motivate the team, fostering a positive and productive work environment.

Requirements

• Hands-on engineering experience with production-ready Gen AI & AI applications.
• At least 10 years of experience in software, including building enterprise-grade systems.
• Several years of experience leading an engineering team and working with AI/ML.
• Expertise in industry trends and various LLMs, including LLM application development tools & frameworks.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills.
• Experience building high-performance teams and managing software engineers across various disciplines.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, AI, or a related area.
• Proficiency in stakeholder management to communicate and manage expectations effectively.
• Proficiency in project management, resource allocation, and budgeting.
• Experience in strategic planning and execution with strong decision-making skills.
• Experience handling compliance and regulatory requirements.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in foodservice, retail, or hospitality.
• Relevant cloud certifications, especially on GCP.