Software Development Manager - Release Management

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. Department Overview The Software Development Manager – Release Management at McDonald's leads best-in-class software release activities across multiple product lines. This role suits a proactive, self-motivated individual who works well with multi-functional teams and focuses on operational efficiency. As a key member of our release management team, you will guide Release Managers and Defect Managers. You will also collaborate with Test Leads, handle sprint and release close-out tasks, and lead special projects to update release processes. You will evaluate, develop, and grow talent within the Release Management and Defect Management teams. If you excel in rigorously leading important metrics, coordinating with vendors, and driving detailed execution, this is the perfect opportunity for you! Accountabilities & Responsibilities Release Management Leadership - Coordinate the full release lifecycle, ensuring planning, validation, documentation, communication, and deployment are accomplished effectively. - Guide and support Release Coordinators and Defect Coordinators, including assessing performance and encouraging talent through structured mentoring and development plans. - Maintain release calendars, deployment timelines, readiness assessments, and governance compliance. Sprint & Release Close‑Out - Guide sprint and product launch wrap-up ceremonies, including: - Scope completion validation - Defect review and prioritization - Documentation of risks and known issues Multi-functional communication of results - Drive post-release retrospectives and follow-up on improvement actions. Defect & Issue Management - Coordinate defect triage, prioritization, assignment, and root-cause analysis. - Ensure consistent defect lifecycle processes and strong RCA documentation. - Partner with engineering to drive defect burn-down and long-term product stability. Quality, Testing & Compliance Alignment - Collaborate alongside Test Leads to ensure accurate implementation of testing strategies, regression plans, and acceptance criteria. - Ensure releases meet performance, accessibility, security, and functional quality gates. - Advance risks or quality concerns proactively and openly. Release Management Special Projects Coordinate special projects including: - Tooling and automation improvements Process and governance modernization - Reporting and analytics improvements Pilot rollout frameworks and enablement strategies - Collaborate across departments including the project management office dedicated to solution preparation, Engineering, Product, and Ops. Operational Excellence & Benchmark Ownership - Partner with senior leadership to define release adoption strategies and operational readiness plans. - Develop, track, and report benchmarks measuring release predictability, defect leakage, cycle time, MTTR, testing compliance, and overall release quality. - Use data-driven insights to improve processes and elevate team performance. - Maintain clear dashboards and operational reporting. Cross‑Functional & Vendor Collaboration - Collaborate closely with Engineering, Product, PMO, Solution Readiness, Operations, and partner teams. - Coordinate interactions and teamwork involving outside vendors to make sure work corresponds with release deadlines. - Collaborate optimally with offshore teams, ensuring alignment across time zones, clear communication, and consistent execution. - Facilitate release readiness reviews, dependency alignment, and cross-team planning sessions. Preferred Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or a related technical field. - More than 5 years of experience in software development, release management, DevOps, or comparable technical leadership positions. - More than 2 years of experience managing people, including proven ability in assessing and developing talent. - Strong understanding of SDLC, Agile practices, defect lifecycles, and release governance. - Experience collaborating with external vendors, offshore personnel, and extensive multi-functional groups. - Excellent communication, risk management, and problem-solving capabilities. - Ability to lead teams in fast-paced, high-complexity environments. Preferred Qualifications - Experience in large enterprise, multi-platform, or high-transaction environments. - Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps tooling, cloud environments, and automation frameworks. - Experience leading distributed global teams. - History of using important metrics and analytics to drive continuous improvement. Compensation Bonus Eligible: Yes Benefits Eligible: Yes Salary Range The expected salary range for this role is $127,332.00 - $159,165.00 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). McDonald’s is an equal opportunity employer committed to the diversity of our workforce. We promote an inclusive work environment that creates feel-good moments for everyone. McDonald’s provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities as part of the application or hiring process or to perform the essential functions of their job. If you need assistance accessing or reading this job posting or otherwise feel you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please contact mcdhrbenefits@us.mcd.com . Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis. McDonald’s provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, age, disability status, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, protected military or veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. 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