Director, Strategy

KFC; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 174,240 - 183,920; Full time

Job summary

KFC is seeking a Director of Strategy to lead the global strategy and execution for the Global division. The role partners with the KFC Global Leadership Team to shape strategic agenda, translate it into clear priorities, and drive measurable business outcomes across markets.

Responsibilities include leading strategic planning, developing executive-level narratives, and ensuring cadence and governance for delivery.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in strategy, corporate development, management consulting, financial services, or related roles.
• Strong commercial and analytical capability including financial modeling, business case development, market analysis, and diagnostics.
• Ability to translate analysis into clear strategic choices and actionable recommendations.
• Excellent executive communication skills for senior stakeholder engagement.
• Track record of driving execution across cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
• High business judgment and strategic agility.
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills in a global matrixed org.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams.
• Comfort operating with ambiguity and pace.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of the global strategy and multi-year roadmap for growth.
• Translate strategic ambition into priorities, capability requirements, and investment needs with business cases.
• Lead strategic planning processes across regions/BMUs (MGPs and AOPs).
• Develop executive-level strategic narratives and decision materials for Yum leadership and the Board.
• Cascade strategy across the system to create clarity, alignment, and ownership among stakeholders.
• Drive execution discipline by defining objectives, milestones, owners, KPIs, risks, and decision points.

Skills

Executive communication

Strategic planning

Leadership

Influencing

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical capability

Business judgment

Ambiguity tolerance

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or equivalent

Job description

The Director, Strategy is a senior strategy and execution leader for KFC Global, responsible for shaping the division strategic agenda and translating it into clear choices, aligned plans, and measurable business outcomes. This role partners with the KFC Global Leadership Team, regional/BMU leaders, and cross-functional partners to define what it will take to achieve our long-term growth ambitions and to implement the reporting and governance mechanisms to drive delivery of the strategic plan. The role requires exceptional strategic judgment, commercial and analytical rigor, executive-level communication and influencing skills, and the ability to drive execution at pace.

Enterprise Strategy and Growth Agenda

• Partner with the CFO and KFC Global Leadership Team to develop, refresh, and operationalize KFC Global strategy, including the multi-year roadmap to achieve long-term financial and brand goals.
• Translate strategic ambition into a clear set of priorities, capability requirements, and investment needs with business cases across markets.
• Lead strategic planning processes, including MGPs and AOPs, across regions/BMUs

Executive Communications and Strategic Narrative

• Develop compelling executive-level strategic narratives and decision materials for Yum leadership, the Board of Directors, AOP, pre-AOP, Global Franchise Convention, investor relations inputs, and other senior forums.
• Cascade strategy across the system in a way that creates clarity, alignment, and ownership among GMs, regional teams, functions, and franchise stakeholders.
• Codify learnings and provide thought leadership across KFC Global, BMUs, cross-brand partners, and Yum teams.

Execution Discipline and Accountability

• Drive execution of strategy by defining objectives, milestones, owners, resourcing requirements, KPIs, risks, and decision points for priority initiatives.
• Run the strategic execution rhythm, including QBRs, SteerCo forums, KPI reporting, and escalation mechanisms that create transparency on progress, performance gaps, and interventions required.
• Partner with cross-functional initiative owners to remove barriers, clarify trade-offs, and ensure strategic priorities are delivered with pace and quality.

Commercial Insight, Analytics, and Business Cases

• Analyze drivers of KFC's performance across markets to identify both areas of strength (what's working) and opportunities to improve.
• Lead commercial analysis, financial modeling, and business case development for major strategic initiatives and growth investments, including M&A opportunities
• Use quantitative and qualitative insights to identify industry trends, customer and competitor shifts, market opportunities, and impacts to KFC performance.

Leadership, Influence, and Team Development

• Lead the Global Strategy team, building strong strategic, analytical, communication, and project leadership capability.
• Operate as a trusted thought partner to the CFO and broader Leadership Team, bringing an enterprise perspective and the courage to challenge constructively.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships and influence across a complex, global, matrixed organization without relying solely on formal authority.
• Role model high standards, intellectual curiosity, collaboration, and ownership.

Required: Bachelor's degree

Preferred: MBA or equivalent advanced business/strategy experience

Required Experience And Capabilities

• Significant experience in strategy, corporate development, management consulting, financial services, commercial planning, or related roles with a proven track record of shaping and executing growth strategies.
• Strong commercial and analytical capability, including financial modeling, business case development, market analysis, and performance diagnostics.
• Demonstrated ability to translate analysis into clear strategic choices, actionable recommendations, and measurable execution plans.
• Excellent executive communication skills, with the ability to simplify complexity, craft compelling narratives, and influence senior stakeholders through both written and verbal communication.
• Track record of driving execution across cross-functional teams, including setting milestones, managing dependencies, escalating risks, and delivering outcomes in a fast-paced environment.
• High business judgment and strategic agility; able to think forward, connect external trends to business implications, and challenge conventional thinking.
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills in a matrixed, global, franchise-led organization.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams.
• Comfort operating with ambiguity, pace, and senior-level visibility.

Preferred Experience

• Prior QSR, restaurant, retail, consumer, franchise, or multi-unit operating experience.
• Experience with digital transformation, loyalty, data/analytics, unit economics, or international growth strategy.

Salary Range: $174,240 - $183,920 annually + bonus eligibility and stock-based compensation. 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.