Company Description

McDonald’s growth strategy, Accelerating the Arches, encompasses all aspects of our business as the leading global omni-channel restaurant brand. As the consumer landscape shifts we are using our competitive advantages to further strengthen our brand. One of our core growth strategies is to Double Down on the 3Ds (Delivery, Digital and Drive Thru). McDonald’s will accelerate technology innovation so 65M+ customers a day will experience a fast, easy experience, whether at one of our 25,000 and growing Drive Thrus, through McDelivery, dine-in or takeaway.

McDonald’s Global Technology is here to power tomorrow’s feel-good moments.

That’s why you’ll find us at the forefront of transformative technology, exploring new and innovative ways to serve our millions of customers and spread happiness one delicious Hot Fudge Sundae-dipped fry at a time. Using AI, robotics and emerging tech, we’re digitizing the Golden Arches. Combine that with our unparalleled global scale, and we’re reshaping all areas of the business, industry and every community that is home to a McDonald’s restaurant. We face complex tech challenges every day. But that’s where our diverse and talented teams come in. They’re made up of the best and brightest from all over the globe, and they thrive in the space where feel-good meets fast-paced.

Check out the McDonald’s  Global Technology Technical Blog to learn how technology and our global team are directly enabling the Accelerating the Arches strategy.

Job Description

Internship Overview

McDonald’s, one of the most recognized brands in the world, is seeking Engineers to own the transformation and ongoing evolution of our Point of Sale (POS) and Restaurant Technology. We’re looking at how to use technology to improve the customer experience and build new customer experiences. We’re also exploring technologies that can help us reduce or eliminate repetitive tasks and make employees’ jobs more interesting and rewarding. With all the new projects and initiatives, it is an exciting time to be on the team that is helping to make a Better McDonald's!

For the duration of the internship, you will be able to enjoy a flexible work environment where you can think critically and feed your need (and ours) for innovation. After going through initial training, you’ll dive in with your full-time team to learn the business and what will be expected of you for the duration of your internship. Our robust programming includes a variety of events such as our Executive Speaker Series, Learning Sessions, Peer Lunches, Employee Business Network sessions, and other exciting events happening at MHQ throughout the summer! We designed this internship to provide a smooth transition into McDonald’s so don’t worry – if you bring curiosity and work ethic, we will guide you through everything you need to know about us.

In addition, the skills and knowledge you will gain during the internship will set you up for a variety of career paths depending on your interests and strengths. Being a part of the internship program gives you early access to our full-time post-graduation opportunities as well.

What You’ll Do:

• Collaborate, design, and bring innovative products and services to market.
• Design and build innovative technologies in a large distributed computing environment, and help lead fundamental changes in the industry.
• Create solutions to run predictions on distributed systems with exposure to innovative technologies at incredible scale and speed.
• Build distributed storage, index, and query systems that are scalable, fault-tolerant, low cost, and easy to manage/use.
• Design and code the right solutions starting with broadly defined problems.
• Work in an agile environment to deliver high-quality software.
• Play a pivotal role in development of product features from beginning to end.
• Design, implement, test, deploy and maintain innovative software solutions to transform service performance, durability, cost, and security.
• Work in a startup-like development environment, where you are always working on the most meaningful priorities.

Internship Details

• This internship is based out of our global headquarters in Downtown Chicago. You MUST be willing to relocate to the Chicagoland area, if applicable, for the duration of the internship program.
• We do offer a housing stipend.
• You must be authorized to work in the U.S. and not require visa sponsorship for the internship and future employment.
• Our interns work full time, Monday – Friday, during all 10 weeks of the internship (June 9, 2025 - August 15, 2025).
• You will be eligible to participate in our Summer Hours program.
• The internship pays $30/Hr

Qualifications

You are a strong candidate if you:

• Are a Junior working towards your Bachelor's degree with a graduation date in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026.
• Pursuing a preferred major including: Computer Science, Computer Programming, CIS, Computer Engineering or other technology-related degree
• Have a passion for technology and using it to tackle business challenges
• Are involved in campus organizations, hold leadership positions, or have work experience in tech-related roles
• Programming experience with at least one modern language such as Java, C++, or C# including object-oriented design
• Experience in optimization mathematics such as linear programming and nonlinear optimization
• Adapt strong communication skills based on your audience
• Are committed to a culture of inclusiveness