Junior Marketing Operations Manager

KFC UK & Ireland; Woking; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fast-food chain is seeking a Junior Marketing Operations Manager to join their award-winning team in Woking, England. This role involves managing marketing campaigns and requires a passion for restaurant marketing strategy and execution. You will work closely with various teams to ensure successful project delivery and brand alignment. This position offers hybrid working, a competitive salary, and various employee benefits including a generous holiday package.

Benefits

Hybrid working

Up to 11% company pension contributions

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Private healthcare

25% off the chicken

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of experience in marketing and/or creative services.
• Ability to execute multiple key projects across the marketing mix.
• Previously worked in a fast-paced retail or restaurant environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage multi-channel project delivery from briefing to execution.
• Build relationships with internal teams and external agencies.
• Track implementation and execution of marketing strategies.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Creativity

Tools

Microsoft Office

Jira

Monday.com

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.

Across the Restaurant Support Centre (RSC), we come to work to be ourselves, and to make something of ourselves. We want to see our potential go that little bit further, as part of one of the world’s most iconic brands.

What’s the gig? Well, you support our restaurants — and we’ll support you every step of the way. Simple. Our doors are open — and they can take you anywhere.

All we ask is that you be you. Because that makes us, us. Sound good? Great. Let’s find out about that job.

THE TEAM

Join our award-winning Marketing team – a driven group of over 50 passionate creatives spanning across Strategy & Innovation, Brand & Retail Management, Digital Growth, Food Quality, and more.

Together, we work to keep KFC at the centre of culture in the UK and Ireland, building on our iconic legacy while creating fresh, relevant experiences for both loyal fans and new customers, with a relentless focus on our world-famous finger lickin’ good chicken. Bold, creative, and deeply connected to what matters, our team thrives on pushing boundaries and driving growth.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

KFC UK & Ireland is looking to bring on board a talented and ambitious Junior Marketing Operations Manager. We want someone who not only LOVES chicken but has a real passion for growth and delivering winning results.

Our ambition is to be the undisputed chicken champions. Marketing Operations play a key role in this through the delivery of marketing campaigns across KFC’s owned channels. We’re looking for an original to join the team – an innovative, experienced and enthusiastic person who always has their finger firmly on the pulse. Someone who wants accountability and can manage the full marketing mix to deliver flawless marketing execution across our complex and growing estate. Someone who ‘gets’ the fun, fresh, bold KFC brand personality and applies that across all their work.

In this role, there’s buckets of opportunity to work across a wide variety of projects within the fast-paced retail environment. You should have existing experience at a similar level within marketing and/or creative services (minimum 3 years brand and/or agency).

WHAT YOU'LL SPEND YOUR TIME DOING:

As a Junior Marketing Operations Manager, you will report into the Head of Marketing Operations and be responsible for delivering flawless execution of key strategic projects to drive transformation for UK & Ireland restaurants. Including:

• Multi-channel project management, from briefing through to execution across creative, print/POS and digital within a fast paced and reactive environment.
• Build strong relationships with cross functional internal departments, agencies, restaurant teams and franchisees.
• Championing a Test & Learn mindset, with the ability to adopt best practices, and implement performance optimisations post campaign go live if required.
• Tracking implementation and delivery with our agency partners and raise any blockers that prevent ‘right first time’ execution.
• An acute eye for detail with an innovative mindset that brings fresh ideas and improvements to drive efficiencies and transformation.
• You remain curious and on the pulse of new retail developments and the best-in-class high street restaurants to identify ways to optimise our restaurant marketing.
• Ability to manage short term delivery with long term planning, constantly being aware of the brand strategy for our growth layers and how the restaurant space can be used to activate through a combination of brand and retail thinking.

WHAT WE'D LOVE FROM YOU:

ABOUT YOU

• You have a real passion for restaurant marketing strategy and execution with a combination of creative, executional and commercial acumen.
• You’re an aspiring future Marketing Director, looking to build your career within an award-winning and talented team.
• You are a team player and always ready to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in, we’re looking for someone who enjoys pace and wants variety in their role.
• You love to take ownership and, in some instances, work independently, jumping at the chance to make your mark and have impact.
• You must be self-motivated and able to manage your workload and priorities. You would consider yourself as highly organised!
• You have excellent attention to detail – nothing will escape those meticulous eyes of yours!
• You are hungry to learn and are proactive with your own development. You are someone who will take the opportunity to learn from some of the best marketers in the business.
• And finally, you bring high energy, enthusiasm, and your own special secret recipe to the KFC Marketing team culture.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 3 years’ experience at equivalent level within marketing and/or creative services either within a brand and/or agency.
• Proven ability to project manage and execute multiple key projects across the full marketing mix.
• You have strong partnership and stakeholder management skills - an important skill in this role as you partner with our agency partners, internal teams and our franchisees.
• You have experience working in a fast-paced environment. Additional experience within retail, QSR and/or restaurant environments would be beneficial.
• You are well-versed in Microsoft Office programs, and you take on Microsoft Excel like a pro!
• A bonus if you have experience using content and/or project management systems eg. Jira, Teams and Monday.com.

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), we embrace our F2F collaboration time, this role is required to be in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Up to 11% company pension contributions
• Fri-Yay finishes at 1pm every Friday
• 25 days’ holiday (plus bank hols) a
• 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

Because real ones deserve real rewards.

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 + Agency Partner
4. F2F interview & Task at our HQ, Home of The Real Ones in Woking

KFC FOR EVERYONE:

Whoever you are and wherever you’re from, KFC is a place where you can bring the real you to work.

Our promise is this: every person who applies to a role at KFC, regardless of age, background, ethnicity, gender, ability, religion or sexual orientation, will have an equal opportunity to work here. We don’t just welcome, we encourage applications from underrepresented groups from all industries.

If you’d like any additional support with your application, have a disability or condition that may affect your performance during the recruitment process, or have any other requirements — just let us know. We’ll be there to help you be the real you.

Ready?

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

Worried you aren’t ticking all the boxes? Don’t - we’d still love to hear from you.

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.