Brand Manager, Group Meals

KFC; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 132,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

KFC is seeking a Brand Manager, Group Meals in Plano, TX to own the CUO concept-to-market for buckets, family meals and sharing occasions, protecting Chicken on the Bone equity, and translating signature strengths into transactions.

The role reports to the Senior Director of Retail Marketing and leads the annual group-meals plan, strategy, calendar, and metrics, coordinating cross-functional teams, agencies, and franchisees to deliver national launches within pricing guardrails.

Qualifications

• 6-9 years of progressive experience in brand, category, or product marketing.
• Proven record owning a category, business, or platform with demonstrated commercial results.
• Experience leading commercialization from validated concept through national launch.
• Experience presenting business recommendations to senior leadership and franchise governance groups.
• QSR, restaurant, beverage, or CPG experience preferred.
• Undergraduate degree in Marketing or Business; MBA a plus.

Responsibilities

• Owns Group Meals CUO concept-to-market and Chicken on the Bone equity; recommends annual plan to Retail Marketing.
• Develop and own the annual plan - strategy, commercialization pipeline, promo calendar, targets, and metrics.
• Lead cross-functional teams, agencies, and franchisees to bring it to life across the system.
• Own group-meal commercialization from validated concept through national launch.
• Keep group meals culturally relevant while modernizing the offer; brief IMC and agencies.
• Align Ops, Supply Chain, Finance, and Value & eComm around shared priorities.

Skills

Brand marketing

P&L management

Pricing strategy

Forecasting

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Undergraduate degree

MBA (plus)

Job description

The Brand Manager, Group Meals owns KFC's family and sharing business – buckets, family meals, and group occasions built on Chicken on the Bone, KFC's most distinctive equity. The role owns this Consumer Understanding Opportunity (CUO) from validated concept to market, taking the concepts CI & Menu validate and converting KFC's signature strength into transactions.

This role is critical to the Bird Comeback Plan because it owns concept-to-market for the group-meal growth platform – and protects the Chicken on the Bone equity – that enables KFC to become more Relevant, Visible, and Consistent with customers. It anchors Modern Menu and Modern Value, giving families and groups an abundant, affordable reason to choose KFC.

Reporting to the Sr Director, Retail Marketing, this leader develops and owns the annual group-meals plan – strategy, commercialization pipeline, promotional calendar, financial targets, and metrics – pricing within the guardrails Value & eComm sets, and leads cross-functional teams, agencies, and franchisees to bring it to life across the system.

CUO Ownership (Concept-to-Market) & Growth Strategy – 20%

Owns the Group Meals CUO concept-to-market and Chicken on the Bone equity; Recommends the annual plan to Retail Marketing

• Take validated group-meal concepts from CI & Menu and own them concept-to-market across buckets, family meals, and sharing occasions.
• Protect and grow Chicken on the Bone as KFC's signature equity.
• Develop and own the annual plan - strategy, commercialization pipeline, promo calendar, targets, and metrics.

Business Performance & Commercial Impact – 20%

Owns platform P&L and performance; Prices within Value & eComm guardrails

• Drive group-meals sales, transactions, and average check against clear targets.
• Optimize assortment and bundle merchandising, pricing within the guardrails Value & eComm sets.
• Read window results fast and reallocate to what drives family traffic.

Innovation & Commercialization (Concept to Market) – 20%

Owns commercialization; Partners with FIT and Culinary

• Own group-meal commercialization from validated concept through national launch.
• Contribute group-meal tests into the single test-and-learn agenda owned by CI & Menu.
• Deliver clean concept-to-brief-to-retail-to-commercials execution.

Brand, Customer & Cultural Relevance – 15%

Recommends creative direction; Partners with IMC

• Keep group meals culturally relevant while celebrating Chicken on the Bone.
• Brief IMC and agencies for breakthrough, on-strategy family storytelling.
• Protect KFC's distinctive equities while modernizing the offer.

Cross-Functional & Franchisee Partnership – 15%

Partners with Ops, Supply Chain, Finance; feeds one franchisee voice

• Feed the single franchisee voice per topic - calendar via Sr Director, value via Value & eComm, menu via CI & Menu - rather than running a separate NCAC track.
• Align Ops, Supply Chain, Finance, and Value & eComm around shared priorities.
• Build franchisee trust by balancing ambition with operational excellence.

Data, AI & Modern Ways of Working – 10%

Owns adoption of AI and analytics tools for the platform

• Use AI and analytics for forecasting, planning, and portfolio decisions.
• Automate reporting to create capacity for innovation and strategy.

Education / Certifications

• Undergraduate degree required (Marketing or Business preferred); MBA a plus.

Experience

• 6-9 years of progressive experience in brand, category, or product marketing.
• Proven record owning a category, business, or platform with demonstrated commercial results.
• Experience leading commercialization from validated concept through national launch.
• Experience presenting business recommendations to senior leadership and franchise governance groups.
• QSR, restaurant, beverage, or CPG experience preferred.

Functional Capabilities

• Strong commercial acumen and financial literacy - P&L, pricing within guardrails, and category economics.
• Skilled at business case development, forecasting, and turning insight into growth.
• Excellent project management across multiple complex initiatives at speed.

Leadership Capabilities

• Leads through influence across cross-functional teams, agencies, and franchisees.
• Presents and defends recommendations to senior leaders and franchise governance.

Mindset

• Thinks and acts like an owner; balances creativity with commercial discipline.
• Consumer-first, data-informed, accountable, and thrives in ambiguity and speed.

Salary Range: $132,480 to $139,840 annually + bonus eligibility.

This is the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining pay, we'll consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job-related factors.