Junior Brand Manager in Woking

ABOUT THE ROLE

Are you social media obsessed?! Are you plugged into Gen Z culture? Do you know your Tung Tung Sahur from your John Pork? If yes, we need you!! We want someone who genuinely understands the power of Social and our target Gen Z audience. We want KFC to be naturally embedded in culture and in an authentic and credible way, not by simply forcing our way into people’s feeds. We’re on the hunt for a witty, dynamic and enthusiastic person who always has their finger firmly on the pulse of culture to work hand-in-hand with our exceptional Social Media agency (Uncovered), coordinate our Social strategy & help bring campaigns to life.

You’ll work as part of our brilliant, award‑winning Brand team and sit within KFC’s broader Marketing function, working closely with industry‑leading agencies and partners. As well as being an expert in Social, we also want to find someone who has a passion for the wider world of Brand Management and a great understanding of what it takes to build and launch disruptive Brand Comms, partnerships & PR activations. You’ll need to be a bit of a Maverick – after all, we are the team that drives Fame & talkability for KFC!

WHAT WILL YOU SPEND YOUR TIME DOING:

This is an unbelievable role… it offers incredible, immediate exposure to all areas of KFC. You’ll be leading our Social Media channels, where KFC shows up unapologetically in culture. With a community of over 2.5 million followers and content reaching hundreds of millions of people every year, this is one of the loudest, most influential brand voices in the UK! We don’t just post - we entertain, react, participate and listen. Our audience doesn’t scroll past us, they talk to us and so we show up in the moments that matter for our community.

We’re looking for natural Social Media instinct – knowing the way that platforms work, the way people use them and the way that people speak. We live and breathe Social and don’t miss a trick. If you think you can beat us in picking up the latest trends on the fyp, have your finger on the pulse on new platforms, emerging creators or latest brainrot memes then you're applying for the right role!

Social Media plays a much larger role at KFC than you might think. We use it to launch products, create fun content and engage with our fans but it also has an impact on the way the business operates. From using Social listening to find insights which can direct the approach of a media campaign to crowd sourcing opinion on new meals influencing the next product release, it’s an incredibly valued area of the business. There’s certainly room to grow as part of an ambitious brand which has plans to expand & adapt considerably over the next few years.

Finally – you will be part of the team that is the voice of our brand, so a great sense of humour, as well as an ability to adapt and communicate in the KFC tone of voice is essential.

• Lead driving Fame and talkability across KFC’s social channels by identifying reactive moments and proactive opportunities that feel timely, playful and unmistakably KFC.
• Work hand-in-hand with our Social Media & PR agencies to grow communities across all of our channels & bring campaigns, launches and activations to life on social – ensuring everything feels native, social-first and culturally relevant.
• Continue to sharpen and redefine our social strategy, ensuring it ties in seamlessly with broader brand plans.
• Confidence spotting trends, moments and creators that feel right for the brand.
• Review and track performance and social insights, feeding learnings back into the team to continuously sharpen our content and creative approach.
• Step‑change our approach to creators and talent, with creators who drive talkability, hype and next‑gen relevance.
• Drive talkability and cultural buzz across relevant new products by leading on innovative, cross‑channel approaches across PR & social.
• Turning our big product launches into moments that fuel brand talkability and drive transactions.
• Work with our Media agency and wider team to plan and manage large media spends, managing our boosting budget to push our social and creator content to larger audiences.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key individuals and teams at the various agencies that you will need to work with on a daily basis.
• In times of negative PR, coordinate responses on social platforms.
• Leverage social partnerships to unlock additional opportunities for KFC to target the Next Gen and drive cultural relevance.
• Champion best in class social creative across the full calendar.
• Use innovative platforms, formats and testing to drive performance and elevate media performance.
• Most importantly, have fun with our followers.

WHAT WE’D LOVE FROM YOU EXPERIENCE

• Upwards of 3 years experience working in Social Media for either an agency or in‑house is essential.
• A complete natural with all Social Media platforms.
• A strategic thinker who is able to think longer‑term, articulate their ideas and take others on the journey.
• An excellent project manager, with prior experience working on big brand campaigns, involving the management of multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of partnering closely with an external Social Media agency.
• Enthusiasm about the brand is a must.
• Copywriting skills that are versatile.
• Imagination and creative spark, with a sharp eye for detail, ability to prioritise, work in a team, deal with feedback, see the bigger picture and stay calm under pressure.
• Good analytical skills and previous experience using social analytics tools would be a massive benefit.
• Wider experience of leading Brand Campaigns and/or PR activations which drive Fame & talkability.
• Great initiative.
• A KFC believer.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU

• Hybrid working from our Woking RSC (just 24 mins from London).
• Up to 11% company pension contributions.
• Fri‑Yay finishes at 1 pm every Friday.
• 25 days’ holiday (plus bank holidays).
• 5 LiveWell 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.

Compensation: Competitive salary