McDonald’s is the largest restaurant chain in the Nordics and the market leader in both sales and market share, serving iconic products such as the Big Mac and world-famous fries to over 700,000 guests every day. Food Folk is the Nordic organization behind McDonald’s – one of the world’s most iconic brands.

Do you have a passion for commercial design and great guest experience?
McDonald’s Nordic is looking for a Restaurant Design Architect to join our Development & Property team. In this role, you’ll help shape the future of McDonald’s restaurants from initial site planning to detailed layout drawings — ensuring that every restaurant delivers great guest experiences and reflects McDonald’s world-class standards.

We offer a stable, long-term position with great opportunities to grow within a Nordic organization that values design, quality, and collaboration.

You will work closely with colleagues and partners across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, contributing to consistent, efficient, and inspiring restaurant environments throughout the region.

This position is based in Stockholm and reporting directly to the Head of Development of Food Folk, McDonald’s Nordic.

What You’ll Do

• Ensure design complete restaurant layouts using ArchiCAD/AutoCAD - from dining areas, back of house and interiors to exteriors, drive-throughs and service zones.
• Translate McDonald’s global design guidelines into efficient, compliant, and market-optimized restaurant solutions for Nordic markets.
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, internal stakeholders and our franchisees across countries to make every design a great guest experience, functional, and brand compliant.
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders — including Real Estate, Construction, Development, Operations, and Marketing to ensure all layouts enhance restaurant performance, customer flow, and team efficiency.
• Prepare and maintain design and construction drawing packages for layout approvals and later also drawings for permit applications.
• Contribute to design remodel programs and development projects across the Nordic markets.
• Support value engineering and design review processes to maintain quality while optimizing cost and performance.
• Ensure adherence to McDonald’s brand design, operational guidelines and other initiatives across all projects.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and innovation in restaurant design.

Who You Are

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, or related field (or equivalent work experience).
• 5+ years of experience in restaurant, retail, or commercial design, preferably within a multi-unit or franchise environment within the Nordics.
• Proven ability to work independently to produce complete ArchiCAD/AutoCAD drawing sets with minimal supervision.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in ArchiCAD and/or AutoCAD (required).
• Experience with Revit, SketchUp, or Adobe Creative Suite (advantageous).
• Knowledge of restaurant operations, space planning, and building systems.
• Familiarity with health and safety standards, accessibility standards, and local building regulations.

Personal Attributes

• We believe you are a highly organized and detail-oriented professional with excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset. You thrive in a dynamic environment, are both solution-oriented and creative, have a high drive and can manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• You are passionate about commercial design excellence and the guest experience, with a strong understanding of material selection and functionality.
• You are fluent in English, both spoken and written, and proficient in Swedish, Danish, Finnish or Norwegian.
• The role includes travel, on average a few days per month, so a category B driving license is required.
• We believe that this role is well suited for someone with experience in restaurant, retail, or commercial design, ideally within larger chain or franchise environments.
• Previous experience working with McDonald’s or another major quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand is an advantage, as is familiarity with layout design and coordination with suppliers. Experience adapting corporate design guidelines for local site conditions or international markets will also be valuable.

Why Join Us?

At Food Folk, you’ll be part of one of the world’s most successful restaurant companies, working in a truly Nordic, cross-country team that values collaboration, expertise, and innovation. This is a great opportunity for a hands-on designer who enjoys making a real impact, transforming ideas into spaces where millions of guests enjoy their McDonald’s moments every day. This is a permanent, full-time position based in Stockholm, with the start date to be agreed upon.

Application

In this recruitment, Food Folk collaborates with People360.
For more information, please contact Judith Kovacs at +46 705 111 466 or Anette Stenseth at +46 707 794 874. The last date to apply is 5^th of December, but interviews and selection are ongoing throughout the process. Due to GDPR regulations, we cannot accept applications via e-mail. Please use the “Apply” button to submit your application.

We look forward to hearing from you!