Senior Product Development Manager (Food)

Welcome to KFC.

Take one man with a big idea, add 11 herbs and spices, grit, ambition, and buckets of heart – you’ve got KFC.

Since 1939, we’ve been bringing finger lickin’ good chicken to the world, and today we’re proud to be in over 1000 communities across the UK & Ireland. But without our people, none of it would be possible. Just like our recipe, they’re all original.

Join us. Bring it. And together, we can be part of something truly extraordinary.

Bringing it to the role.

The Food & Quality Team at KFC UKI are looking for 12 month maternity cover for a Senior Product Development Manager to lead a Product Developer and Implementation & Validation Technologist in both EPD and NPD for the KFC UKI Menu.  There are two roles available – One in our Core Development Team and one in our New Product Development Team. 

The Food & Quality Team at KFC are a fun, entrepreneurial team who have a critical role in making the KFC Brand modern and distinctive through our menu. Some highlights for the team over the last few years have been launching the first Vegan Burger into QSR (it sold out in days…) having our (KFC global award winning) Gravy Burger featured on a Channel 4 documentary, launching a Watermelon & Lime Southern Refresher beverage to allow us to remove full sugar Pepsi and wipe millions of calories from our menu and most recently developing a Buffalo Twister that sold double it’s predicted forecast. It’s an ideal time to now join the team and help craft our position on food for the future…. 

The role of Senior Product Development Manager sits in the Food and Quality team which forms part of the wider Innovation & Strategy team within the Marketing function.  This role is responsible for leading key EPD and NPD projects that both grow and protect our business. The role will report to the Head of Food & Quality and have two direct reports.

What you’ll do

• You’ll bring new product concepts to life, ready to launch across our 1000+ restaurants, and lead complex projects to drive brand growth and encourage customer loyalty.
• You’ll ensure our products are market-leading by identifying opportunities for optimisation, overseeing quality and taste, and implementing restaurant tests to track and enhance performance.
• You are a cultural role model, who makes the Food & Quality Team a positive, collaborative and action driving team. You’ll harness to power of recognition to make big things happen by developing, challenging, supporting and caring for your team.
• You are an established leader and coach, you will inspire and motivate your team to make KFC the Undisputed Chicken Champions in the UK & Ireland. 
• You’ll also manage critical project paths from ideation to launch, partnering with suppliers, agencies, and cross-functional teams to maximize success.
• Championing KFC’s food culture, you’ll share food insights and trends, driving a collaborative, positive environment within the Food & Quality Team.
• Your hands-on approach will help bring innovative ideas to life in our RSC kitchen, from ideation workshops to testing and evaluation.
• With a deep understanding of our menu and expertise in the poultry category, you’ll influence franchisees, leadership, and global food communities, making a lasting impact on KFC’s core menu.
• Troubleshoot and diagnose against product or packaging opportunities, building a plan with clear project aims and objectives to align with senior stakeholders 
• Guardian of the taste and quality of our finished products  
• Project management from brief to restaurant launch, collaborating with a full cross functional team in the process with opportunities to present your projects to our leadership team and franchisees 
• Design and implement restaurant tests ahead of launch, monitoring success and optimising where necessary  
• Evaluation of your new products post launch to track performance and ensure that they are loved by our customers 
• Partner with suppliers and agency partners to maximise success of projects  
• Champion the food culture across the business always inspiring with food news and trends  
• Be the guardian of taste and quality, and share your expertise across the business 
• Where relevant, ensure that our menu items are market leading through consumer research and benchmarking 
• Share learnings and ideas with the KFC global food community 
• Be a curious food expert, always keeping your knowledge fresh of the industry, trends and competitor ranges.

What we’d love from you

About You

• Someone who lives, breathes, dreams (and ideally eats!) food  
• You thrive from working as a team and influencing stakeholders of all levels. You are a natural leader and able to take teams of all levels on a journey. 
• You are a motivated self- starter with a flexible working attitude and excellent time management. You thrive with ambiguous projects, seeking to discover clarity and bringing that clarity to stakeholders   
• Able to demonstrate commercial awareness as well as food/technical knowledge and skill  
• You’re ambitious and want to grow your career in product development. You don’t want it to stop just there though - we’ve got a culture of building great international leaders. 
• A huge part of Yum! is our internal culture and it’s something that we genuinely pride ourselves on. Key to this is being able to recognise and celebrate the successes of the company and our peers, as well as constantly striving to work together for better results. 
• We’re looking for someone solution driven, meaning you’ll be inquisitive, tenacious and determined 

Experience

• A minimum of 6 years’ experience in a relevant product development role in food service, retail or manufacturing  
• Degree in Food Science/ Technology/ related subject 
• Exceptionally strong influencing skills to motivate cross functional stakeholders and franchisees alike, and confident communicator at all levels of the organisation 
• Experience in Microsoft programmes such as PowerPoint & Excel and using specification and nutrition systems. 
• Proven project management including product optimisation, research and product launch 
• Experience leading different types of projects and working to changing priorities and tight timelines. 

Education:

•  A degree in Food Science or Food Technology is beneficial.

Be Original.

At KFC, everyone gets a seat at our table. Since we landed in the UK in 1965, we’ve fed our people’s potential – to be their best selves, make a difference and have fun.

Because it’s not just what you do at KFC. It’s the way you do it. Unapologetically you, undeniably original.

You’ll work with colleagues who all bring their originality to the table: their energy, spirit and sizzle and make every day high flyin’ and high fryin’.

As a multi-billion-pound business with over 1000 restaurants, we take ambition seriously. You’ll be treated with respect and supported in everything you do as you roll up your sleeves and play your part in bringing finger lickin’ good chicken to our customers. And whatever your journey looks like, we’ll help you get there. From flexible working to the chance to earn qualifications, we got you. There are all kinds of opportunities at KFC.

Buckets of Benefits

A career with KFC offers much more than just fantastic earning potential. We reward achievement with amazing incentives and benefits, including:

• Flexible, hybrid working with our Restaurant Support Centre located in Woking, Surrey – a 24-minute train ride from London Waterloo. Depending on job requirement, travel across the UK & Ireland may be required.
• Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution.
• ‘Fri-Yay’ time – finish up at 1pm every Friday, all year round.
• Live Well Days - 5 days per year to disconnect from our day-to-day (in addition to 25 days annual leave and bank holidays).

o   You can buy or sell up to 5 extra days of your core annual leave allowance each year.

o   After 5 years’ service, annual holiday allowance increases to 30 days.

• Bonus – We work hard and do our best work to succeed together. When the company and individual goals are reached, you’ll be rewarded through our bonus scheme.
• Wellness– We want you to be your best self, so you’ll have access to lots of wellbeing initiatives and programmes, including Telus Health, and 1:1 Mental Health coaching sessions with our partner Sanctus.
• Private healthcare, including access to Digital GP, with the option to increase to include family cover.

o   Flexible and Voluntary benefits including Dental Insurance, Health Screening and Gym Discounts.

• Insurances – All colleagues are covered by our life and income protection insurance which provides protection and peace of mind.
• Study Support may be available for job-related qualifications.
• Parental Leave – We offer enhanced paid leave and flexible return to work options for those important times.
• Colleague Discount – If you love KFC as much as we do, you’ll received a 25% discount.

Our Commitment to You

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our teams. We value, support, and celebrate the things that make Team KFC authentic and original and all candidates – regardless of age, background, ethnicity, gender, ability, religion, or sexual orientation. 

We welcome applications from underrepresented groups in our industry such as women, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

To make your journey with us accessible and tailored to your needs, we encourage you to let us know if you'd like any additional support with your application, have a disability or condition that may affect your performance during your recruitment process, or any other requirements.

Neurodiverse? Our accessibility toolbar can support you when you apply.

Ready to apply?

If you are ready to bring your passion, skills, and dedication to KFC, we encourage you to apply now. We look forward to welcoming you to our team and embarking on this extraordinary journey together. Bring it.

Don’t tick all the boxes? Don’t worry. If you don’t match all the criteria for the role and still think you’d be a great fit, we’d love to hear from you.