Facilities Optimization Project Lead - 12 Month FTC

-; Woking; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fast-food chain is seeking a Facilities Management Project Manager to provide strategic leadership for their facilities management systems, ensuring compliance across over 270 restaurants. The role includes overseeing the implementation of the CAFM system, driving operational improvements, and fostering cross-functional collaboration. Ideal candidates will have a strong project management background and skills in stakeholder management and data analytics. The position offers hybrid working, competitive pension contributions, and various employee benefits, including private healthcare and study support.

Benefits

Hybrid working from Woking RSC

Up to 11% company pension contributions

Fri‑Yay finishes at 1pm every Friday

25 days' holiday (plus bank holidays)

5 Live Well Days a year

Bonus scheme linked to performance

Private healthcare, Digital GP access & mental health coaching

Enhanced parental leave

Study support, income protection, life cover

25% off chicken products

Qualifications

• Strong experience in project management or facilities operations, ideally within the restaurant, retail, or hospitality industry.
• Proven success in implementing and optimising CAFM or enterprise asset management systems.
• Strong understanding of PPM compliance, maintenance scheduling, and operational performance reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, deployment, and optimisation of the CAFM system across all equity-owned sites.
• Drive long-term value creation through strategic planning, risk management, and proactive governance.
• Partner with suppliers, field teams, and finance to ensure maintenance programmes are executed efficiently.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Change leadership

Communication

Education

Project Management certification (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent)

Tools

Power BI

CAFM systems

ERP systems

Job description

Welcome to KFC. Home of the real ones.

We sell the world's best chicken. Seriously. And we've done it since 1939, when the idea of crispy, original recipe chicken took Kentucky by storm. Now, we're proud to serve 1000+ communities across the UK and Ireland, bringing the grit, pride and iconic reputation that we started with, all those years ago.

The Team

Our Operations teams are where the real magic happens - running over 250 company owned restaurants across the UK and Ireland, supporting our teams on the ground, solving challenges and driving for better every day. It's hands‑on, people‑first work, packed with real growth, real impact, and plenty of fun along the way.

From the teams serving up the Colonel's Original Recipe to life, to the leaders driving customer excellence, food safety, risk and compliance, we are an army of bold, passionate, guest obsessed people, keeping KFC at its best.

About the role.

The Facilities Management Project Manager provides strategic leadership for the optimisation of KFC UK & Ireland's facilities management systems and compliance framework, delivered through the Facilities Management provider for our 270+ Equity owned restaurants. Accountable for overseeing the end‑to‑end implementation and continuous enhancement of the CAFM system, the role ensures full PPM compliance across the estate while driving initiatives internally to elevate the processes to deliver commercial impact in relation to Repair and maintenance. Acting through strong supplier partnerships, the Project Manager drives operational excellence, data‑led insight, and cross‑functional collaboration to deliver long‑term value for the business.

What you'll do:

Strategic Leadership & Ownership

• Lead the design, deployment, and optimisation of the CAFM system to transform how facilities and asset data are managed across all our equity owned sites through managing and strategically leading our maintenance provider.
• Act as a strategic partner to senior leaders, identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, compliance, and cost effectiveness and led the end‑to‑end delivery of these initiatives through strong cross‑functional leadership.
• Anticipate and solve complex cross‑functional challenges across Operations, Risk and compliance, Legal and Finance, ensuring sustainable system performance and adoption of the new and existing processes relating to repairs and maintenance.
• Drive long‑term value creation through strategic planning, risk management, and proactive governance of our facilities management provider. Owning the overall project management and deliverables.

Operational Delivery & PPM Compliance

• Partner cross‑functionally with suppliers, field teams, finance, safety, and brand operations to ensure maintenance programmes are executed efficiently, safely, and consistently across all markets.
• Oversee the monitoring of maintenance performance, contractor compliance, and service level outcomes through advanced analytics and dashboarding tools. Translate complex data into actionable insights that influence operational, financial, and brand outcomes across the organisation.
• Leverage system intelligence to identify emerging performance gaps and root causes across vendors, geographies, and asset categories. Lead cross‑functional action plans that improve reliability, reduce spend variability, and strengthen overall operational resilience.
• Champion the simplification and standardisation of maintenance processes and tools, ensuring consistent execution, data integrity, and accountability across all restaurants.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Influence

• Build and sustain high‑impact relationships with leaders across Operations, IT, Finance, Supply Chain, and external vendor networks. Navigate competing business priorities to align maintenance strategies, technology roadmaps, and financial objectives at a global or enterprise scale.
• Lead complex, multi‑phase change management and capability‑building programmes for the CAFM (Computer‑Aided Facilities Management) system across geographically distributed teams and diverse operational environments.
• Serve as the single point of accountability for the end‑to‑end delivery of strategic maintenance and facilities initiatives - ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and operationally scalable. Manage complex interdependencies among IT platforms, vendor systems, and business functions.
• Lead transparent and data‑driven communication with senior leadership and cross‑functional steering committees, providing visibility into performance metrics, project risks, and business impact.
• Represent the facilities function in cross‑departmental governance forums, ensuring system performance, compliance, and operational readiness are embedded in enterprise decision‑making.

Experience

• Strong experience in project management or facilities operations, ideally within the restaurant, retail, or hospitality industry.
• Proven success in implementing and optimising CAFM or enterprise asset management systems.
• Strong understanding of PPM compliance, maintenance scheduling, and operational performance reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to take full ownership of complex projects, balancing strategic foresight with delivery excellence.
• Skilled in stakeholder management, change leadership, and communication across diverse audiences.
• Highly analytical, with proficiency in Power BI, ERP/CAFM systems, and performance dashboarding.
• Project Management certification (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent) preferred.

What's in it for you:

We offer benefits that make your life that little bit easier - because we know the juggle is real.

From flexible, hybrid working to Fri‑Yay early finishes and Live Well Days, we've created a package that supports the real you, in and out of work.

You'll get:

• Hybrid working from our Woking RSC (just 24 mins from London)
• Up to 11% company pension contributions
• Fri‑Yay finishes at 1pm every Friday
• 25 days' holiday (plus bank hols)
• 5 Live Well Days a year, just for you
• Bonus scheme linked to company & personal performance
• Private healthcare, Digital GP access & mental health coaching
• Enhanced parental leave and flexible return options
• Study support, income protection, life cover & more
• And yes - 25% off the chicken

The Road to becoming a real one...

1. Apply (Go on... do it) - send us your CV and answer a couple of app questions.
2. Intro call with our Talent Team
3. Virtual call with Hiring Manager
4. Virtual call with the Leadership Team

Ready?

We hope so, if you're ready to be part of our community, now's the time to apply.

Beware of fake job postings using Yum! and/or our brand logos -- KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill -- on fraudulent sites. Yum! Brands only posts jobs on official careers pages and never asks for money during onboarding. Avoid unsolicited contacts via Telegram, WhatsApp or similar social apps.