Quality Lead

Overview

Welcome to KFC. We sell the world’s best chicken and have done so since 1939. Across the UK & Ireland, we serve 1000+ communities, bringing a long-standing reputation and iconic brand to life.

Across the Restaurant Support Centre (RSC), we aim to grow our potential and support our teams as part of one of the world’s most iconic brands. Our doors are open, and we’re excited to find the right person for this role.

Our Marketing team is a 50-strong crew of bold thinkers, culture shapers and creative doers—from Brand and Digital to Strategy, Food Quality and Innovation. We’re here to keep KFC at the heart of culture across the UK & Ireland, blending iconic roots with fresh ideas. We don’t just make ads – we build love, drive growth, and stay one step ahead of what’s next.

This is the person who keeps it real when it comes to food. At KFC, great food is at the heart of everything we do—and this role makes sure it stays that way.

As Quality Manager for UK & Ireland, you’ll lead the end-to-end quality, food safety and compliance agenda across one of our most important markets. You’ll also run our Innovation Kitchen, playing a critical role in bringing new products to life and ensuring they land brilliantly in restaurant.

You’ll be the subject matter expert across food safety, legislation and product quality—while also deeply connected to how our food is made, from supplier through to the customer experience in restaurant. Working closely with the Food & Quality Director and cross-functional teams, you’ll help protect the brand while enabling innovation and growth. You’ll also collaborate with our Pan-Europe Quality function, who lead supplier audits and ingredient compliance, ensuring alignment across markets.

This is a broad, high-impact role spanning strategy through to execution—truly from farm to fork.

• Owning food safety, quality and legal compliance across all KFC products in UK & Ireland
• Leading and developing a small, high-performing team (Quality Technologist and Kitchen Manager)
• Delivering product and process projects from concept through to successful restaurant launch
• Acting as the guardian of product quality—ensuring consistency across every restaurant
• Leading the response to new regulations and legislation, keeping the business compliant and future-ready
• Acting as the key contact for trading standards, customer incidents and technical PR matters
• Driving continuous improvement and cost-efficiency initiatives with supply chain, suppliers and operations
• Leading product, equipment and recipe validation, including reformulation where needed
• Supporting key brand priorities such as nutrition and Halal standards
• Using data, audits and insights to identify risks and continuously raise standards
• Partnering cross-functionally to embed quality into all business decisions
• Building and championing a strong food safety culture across the organisation

Because great food doesn’t happen by accident. You’ll ensure every product we serve is safe, compliant and high quality—while helping us innovate and evolve to meet changing customer expectations.

It’s a unique opportunity to combine technical expertise with real commercial impact.

We’re looking for someone who combines strong technical expertise with a practical, hands-on mindset.

• A collaborative team player who builds strong relationships across functions
• Self-motivated, curious and adaptable in a fast-paced environment
• Comfortable working in a lean team with broad responsibility
• A pragmatic problem-solver with strong commercial awareness
• Passionate about high standards, continuous improvement and delivery
• Energised by working on food that reaches millions of customers

• At least 5 years’ experience in a food technical role (manufacturing, retail or food service)
• Degree in Food Science or a related discipline
• Strong expertise in food safety, quality management systems and food legislation
• Experience working across the full food supply chain, from supplier to end consumer
• Proven track record of delivering projects and influencing multiple stakeholders
• Confide…