At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic marketing plans for McDonald's in the UK & Ireland.
- Company: Join one of the UK's most iconic brands with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonuses, free parking, lunch, gym access, and hybrid working.
- Other info: Access to top-notch training and development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on marketing strategies that resonate with customers.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in media strategies and managing marketing budgets.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 ÂŁ per year.
About the Role
You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping how McDonald’s shows up for customers across the UK & Ireland. Sitting within the senior Marketing leadership team and reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, you’ll lead the strategic development of our category plans, marketing calendar and media investment ensuring we focus on what matters most to our customers and our business. This role balances long‑term strategic thinking with operational rigour. You’ll bring clarity, prioritisation and pace to complex marketing plans, ensuring they are insight‑led, commercially focused and deliver meaningful impact year after year.
Key Responsibilities
- Leading the development of annual food category plans, partnering closely with insights and strategy teams to shape Family and Value strategies.
- Synthesising category plans into a single, integrated marketing calendar, ensuring clear prioritisation across campaigns, channels and dayparts.
- Owning the overall marketing plan, tracking performance against key metrics and adapting plans as market conditions evolve.
- Setting media strategy and guiding investment to maximise effectiveness and return on marketing spend.
- Leading agency partnerships, particularly media agencies, to ensure high performance and strong accountability.
- Collaborating cross‑functionally across Marketing, CX, Menu, CBI and Operations to ensure plans are operationally sound and customer‑first.
- Influencing and engaging Franchisees, Co‑op partners and senior internal stakeholders to build confidence and alignment behind marketing priorities.
- Leading and developing a high‑performing team of senior Marketing Managers, setting clear ways of working and a strong team culture.
Qualifications
What will make you successful
- Proven experience leading large‑scale media strategies and managing significant marketing budgets.
- Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to drive value and make evidence‑based investment decisions.
- Experience using econometric models to optimise media performance and inform strategy.
- Confidence influencing senior stakeholders, including C‑suite leaders and Co‑op Directors.
- Experience leading and challenging agency partners, particularly media agencies.
- A track record of delivering at pace, with clear accountability to deadlines.
- Inclusive leadership skills, with the ability to build trust, develop talent and bring people along.
What you’ll get
- A senior leadership role with real influence over one of the UK & Ireland’s most iconic brands.
- Competitive salary, plus bonus and cash allowance.
- A comprehensive benefits package including free parking, lunch and gym access.
- Hybrid working, offering flexibility between home and office.
- Access to industry‑leading training and development, supported by significant annual investment in learning.
- A collaborative, inclusive culture where your voice matters and your impact is visible.
Sr Manager, Marketing in London employer: McDonald's
Contact Detail:
McDonald's Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Sr Manager, Marketing in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its marketing strategies. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals, especially around customer engagement and media investment. Show them you’re not just another candidate!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! You want to be able to clearly articulate your value and how you can contribute to their marketing plans. Keep it concise but impactful—think of it as your personal marketing campaign.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search. Let’s get you that senior marketing role!
We think you need these skills to ace Sr Manager, Marketing in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Strategic Thinking: When crafting your application, make sure to highlight your experience in developing strategic marketing plans. We want to see how you've balanced long-term vision with operational execution in previous roles.
Be Insight-Led: Use data and insights to back up your achievements. We love candidates who can demonstrate how they've used insights to shape their marketing strategies and drive results. Don't forget to mention any econometric models you've worked with!
Highlight Collaboration Skills: This role involves working closely with various teams and stakeholders. Make sure to showcase your ability to collaborate cross-functionally and influence senior leaders. We want to know how you've built trust and alignment in past projects.
Tailor Your Application: Take the time to tailor your application specifically for this role. Use the job description as a guide to align your skills and experiences with what we're looking for. And remember, applying through our website is the best way to get noticed!
How to prepare for a job interview at McDonald's
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Senior Manager in Marketing, you'll need to demonstrate your strong commercial acumen. Brush up on key metrics and be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive marketing decisions in the past. This will show that you can make evidence-based investment decisions.
✨Showcase Your Strategic Thinking
Prepare to talk about your experience in leading large-scale media strategies. Think of specific examples where you've developed category plans or marketing calendars that had a significant impact. This will highlight your ability to balance long-term strategy with operational rigour.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
You'll need to influence senior stakeholders, so practice articulating your ideas clearly and confidently. Be ready to discuss how you've built trust and alignment with franchisees and co-op partners in previous roles. This will demonstrate your inclusive leadership skills.
✨Demonstrate Team Leadership
Since this role involves leading a high-performing team, think about how you've developed talent and fostered a strong team culture in the past. Share specific examples of how you've set clear ways of working and supported your team to deliver at pace.