Sr Director, Internal Audit

McDonald's Corporation • Chicago, IL

1d

About The Position

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. As the global leader in the food service industry, our legacy of innovation and hard work continues to drive us.
From drive thru updates to delivery to mobile order and pay, we are innovating quickly and growing. Joining McDonald's means thinking big and preparing for a career that can have influence around the world.

The Senior Director, Internal Audit is a senior leader within Global Internal Audit (GIA), responsible for overseeing the Company’s SOX testing program and all internal audit activities across the U.S. Market and Corporate Functions. This role serves as a trusted advisor to U.S. and Corporate leadership and stakeholders on matters related to audit and internal controls.

This role is responsible for continuing to modernize and elevate GIA and delivering risk‑based assurance, forward-looking insights, and elevating the control environment in support of the Company’s strategic objectives.

The Senior Director leads integrated, risk‑based audits across all of McDonald’s U.S. and Corporate functions including operations, supply chain, finance, and compliance; evaluates the effectiveness of internal control structures; and ensures the SOX program is well‑governed, efficient, and scalable. The role partners closely with Finance, Global Business Services, Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, and operational leadership to anticipate risk, influence decision‑making, and drive continuous improvement, elevating GIA’s impact as a strategic risk and controls partner to the business.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• CPA or CIA required.
• 12+ years of progressive internal audit, external audit, and/or risk assurance experience.
• Experience managing global resources and leading complex, cross‑functional and multi-region programs.
• Proven track record interacting with senior leadership and driving alignment across large, global organizations.
• Strong understanding of US GAAP, GAAS, PCAOB standards, SOX, COSO, and IIA requirements.
• Strong foundation in internal audit, risk and controls, including SOX, COSO, IIA Standards, and enterprise risk management within large, complex organizations.
• Proven ability to lead through influence, partner effectively with senior leaders, and clearly translate complex risk and control matters into concise, actionable insights for executive and board‑level audiences.
• Demonstrate strong judgment in balancing priorities, making trade‑offs, and responding to change while sustaining high‑quality outcomes and developing team capability.
• Ability to identify complex, multi‑dimensional risk and control issues, understand how financial, operational, and strategic risks intersect, and develop practical, value‑adding solutions across a global enterprise.
• Strong analytical, decision‑making, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to lead high‑risk, cross‑functional initiatives and manage competing priorities.
• Ability to identify and leverage opportunities across data, analytics, automation, and technology to enhance audit effectiveness, efficiency, and insight.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for internal audit activities across the U.S. and Corporate Functions, ensuring coverage aligns to enterprise priorities and emerging risks.
• Hold the organization accountable for effective issue ownership, remediation, and sustainable resolution.
• Own audit planning and risk coverage decisions, making clear trade‑offs on scope, timing, and resourcing and transparently communicating residual risk.
• Lead SOX testing activities, including SOX program governance, planning, execution, issue evaluation, and end-to-end coordination, to support reliable financial reporting.
• Strengthen the SOX operating model by driving role clarity, improving project management discipline, and simplifying and automating testing approaches.
• Function as a strategic partner to senior leaders, providing forward‑looking perspectives on risk, controls, and governance.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing audit team and build a strong talent pipeline within GIA.
• Drive modernization through data, analytics, automation, and standardized ways of working.
• Ensure alignment with IIA Standards and SOX requirements and provide clear, insightful reporting on results, trends, and emerging risks.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director