Procurement Transformation & Innovation Lead

Yum! Brands; Woking; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Yum! Europe is seeking an LTO Commercialisation and Innovation Lead to bridge brand ambition with restaurant execution across KFC and Taco Bell launches in Europe. You will coordinate supplier briefs, guardrails, timelines and readiness checks to turn ideas into reliable, commercially strong launches.

Hybrid role based from Woking, requiring travel to markets and suppliers. You will lead procurement enablement for LTOs and innovation, manage cross‑functional teams, and ensure cost, quality and

Qualifications

• 6+ years' experience in procurement, supply chain, food commercialisation, NPD, innovation, category management or project delivery.
• Experience supporting food, packaging or product launches in QSR, foodservice, FMCG, retail or manufacturing environments.
• Strong project management skills and cross-functional decision making.
• Understanding of supplier briefing, costing, capacity, food safety, quality and launch readiness.
• Ability to balance creativity, speed, cost, risk.
• Excellent stakeholder management across brand, markets, suppliers, operations and finance.
• Confident escalating blockers in fast-moving innovation projects.

Responsibilities

• Act as the supply chain and procurement link across innovation calendars and launches.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to define supply requirements early.
• Launch supplier briefs for ingredients and packaging with guardrails.
• Run supplier engagement forums to access insights.
• Build launch readiness plans and risk logs for market execution.
• Work with category leads to secure sourcing routes and MOQs.
• Track performance and capture lessons to improve speed and cost.
• Support portfolio prioritisation by highlighting supply chain risks.

Skills

Procurement

Supply chain

Project management

Stakeholder management

NPD/Innovation

Cost management

Job description

Yum! Europe is a part of One Yum! Supply Chain Centre of Excellence (COE), set up to support KFC and Taco Bell with one supply chain, one purpose and one bold goal: unmatched profitability for every restaurant. The COE works horizontally across brands, markets, functions, franchisees and suppliers to deliver safe, reliable and sustainable supply; improve restaurant paybacks; accelerate growth; and power brand strategies through world-class category management, supplier partnerships, data, governance and innovation execution.

Bring menu innovation to life at speed and scale. This role is the procurement and supply chain link between brand ambition and restaurant execution, helping KFC and Taco Bell launch customer-loved LTOs and innovation platforms across Europe. You will coordinate the supplier ecosystem, briefs, timelines, cost guardrails and readiness checks that turn great ideas into reliable, commercially strong launches.

Lead procurement enablement for LTOs, innovation and commercialisation, ensuring product and packaging launches are supplier-ready, costed, governed and executable across European markets.

Please note - internally this role is known as LTO Commercialisation and Innovation Lead.

What you will do

• Act as the supply chain and procurement link across innovation calendars, LTO plans and brand commercialisation priorities.
• Coordinate Marketing, Food Innovation, FSQA, Operations, Finance, category teams, markets and suppliers to define supply requirements early.
• Launch supplier briefs for ingredients, packaging and product components, ensuring quality, food safety, sustainability, cost and capacity guardrails are clear.
• Run supplier engagement forums to access insights, co-create innovation and challenge suppliers to bring best-in-class execution.
• Build launch readiness plans, risk trackers, decision logs and escalation routes to support reliable market execution.
• Work with category leads to secure sourcing routes, pricing, MOQs, lead times, alternative suppliers and continuity plans for LTO components.
• Track commercial and operational performance of launches, capturing lessons that improve future speed, cost and reliability.
• Support portfolio prioritisation by making supply chain complexity, cost and risk visible in decision‑making.

What success looks like

• Improved restaurant economics through validated savings, cost avoidance, payback improvement and total cost optimisation.
• Reliable execution for KFC and Taco Bell markets, with stronger supplier performance, fewer disruptions and clear issue ownership.
• LTO plans that are understood by brands, functions, franchisees and suppliers, and translated into practical delivery plans.
• A supplier ecosystem that brings innovation, resilience, quality, food safety, sustainability and competitive advantage to the business.

What you will bring

• 6+ years' experience in procurement, supply chain, food commercialisation, NPD, innovation, category management or project delivery.
• Experience supporting food, packaging or product launches in QSR, foodservice, FMCG, retail or manufacturing environments.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage timelines, dependencies, actions and cross‑functional decisions.
• Good understanding of supplier briefing, costing, capacity, food safety, quality and launch readiness requirements.
• Ability to balance creativity, speed, cost, operational simplicity and risk.
• Excellent stakeholder management across brand, market, supplier, operations, finance and technical teams.
• Confident escalating blockers and creating clarity in fast‑moving, ambiguous innovation projects.

How you will work

• A natural organiser who brings pace and discipline without slowing innovation.
• Comfortable switching between creative brand conversations and detailed supplier execution.
• Focused on launches that work for customers, restaurants and franchisees.

Working pattern

Hybrid role based from Woking, with European market, restaurant and supplier travel as required.