Innovation Manager

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC); Old Woking; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A global fast-food brand is seeking an Innovation Manager to lead the creative and strategic direction of key menu innovation projects. The role involves collaborating across teams, overseeing product development from concept to launch, and driving a culture of creativity. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in innovation, excellent strategic thinking skills, and a passion for food brands.

Benefits

Hybrid working options

Company pension contributions up to 11%

Friday finishes at 1 pm

25 days' holiday plus bank holidays

Bonus scheme

Private healthcare and mental health coaching

Flexible parental leave options

Study support and income protection

Discount on chicken

Qualifications

• Strong track record of innovation in food or related industries.
• Ability to develop presentations and documents creatively.
• Experience in cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic thinking and ideation across innovation projects.
• Define principles for food product development.
• Collaborate with stakeholders from various departments.
• Oversee product creation from concept to launch.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Creativity

Data savvy

Strong communication skills

Team-player mentality

Job description

As our Innovation Manager, you'll be holding the reigns of the creative and strategic direction of some key innovation projects to evolve our Finger Lickin' Good menu. You'll join the Innovation Team who are integral to shaping the future growth of KFC - including dreaming up new products and ideas (think Double Down and Dirty Louisiana), helping to transform categories and occasions and designing the customer food experience. You'll report into the Innovation Lead and will be responsible for key Product Innovation platforms for the UK&I business (no pressure!). This is a great opportunity that has opened up within the thriving and award winning Marketing team. At KFC, we believe innovation is a team sport - and this role is at the heart of that belief. The Innovation Manager will champion and be a part of a culture that is open and collaborative: inspired by our customers, driven by creativity, and delivered with pride.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

• You’ll play a big part in leading the strategic thinking and ideation across specific projects to evolve the KFC UKI menu over the short, medium and long-term.
• You will be part of the team that is the guardian of our brand’s food philosophy, defining the principles and plans that will guide food product development.
• You’ll dream up some amazing new product ideas and concepts, both independently and via collaboration with the wider team.
• We are growth focused and you’ll help shape how KFC grows into new categories to grow our share.
• You’ll get to grips with what gets our customers' tastebuds tingling – validating and testing the product innovation pipeline for your key platforms to ensure it meets their tastes, preferences, and expectations.
• You’ll also need to think holistically about each product concept – from taste and texture to packaging, price, and the occasion it’s made for.
• You will balance high-level strategic thinking with a creative hands‑on approach.
• You will often be called on to develop presentations and documents that bring our food vision and product pipeline to life in dynamic and compelling ways.
• You’ll oversee the creations from start to finish… as products move from concepts to being designed by the NPD team and ultimately launched, you will work closely with your colleagues to ensure strategic foundations remain sound and the launch is a success.
• You will work collaboratively with stakeholders from across the business, including Retail & Advertising, Operations, and Supply Chain.

  Someone who lives, breathes, dreams (and eats!) food. A mild inclination towards poultry might help.

• Someone who is fascinated and excited about building successful food brands.
• You are intellectually curious and creative.
• You’re ambitious and want to grow your career in food brand management. 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 solutions-driven, meaning you’ll be inquisitive, tenacious and determined – always looking for new ways to deliver ground-breaking work. We’re looking for a strong track record of innovation, ideally in food but if you’re the right candidate we are open minded to a mix of experience, although innovation is a must! Experiences that complement our business well are often from retail, QSR, casual dining or food on the go.
• You’ll have experience thinking about complex business growth challenges through a customer and brand lens. You’ll be data savvy and insight rich.
• It’s a team sport, so you’ll build strong relationships cross-functionally – you’ll need a total team-player mentality and a drive to getting things done.
• You must be able to demonstrate outstanding strategic thinking and superb communication skills.
• A foodie deep down, natural curiosity of trends and last but not least loves chicken!

  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.

Benefits

• Hybrid working from our Woking RSC (just 24 mins from London). Our Marketing team spends Tuesdays and Wednesdays face to face.
• Up to 11% company pension contributions
• Fri‑Yay finishes at 1 pm every Friday
• 25 days' holiday (plus bank holidays)
• 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
• 25 % off the chicken