Category Manager

Take one man with a big idea, add 11 herbs and spices, grit, ambition, and buckets of heart – you’ve got KFC. Since 1939, we’ve been bringing finger lickin’ good chicken to the world, and today we’re proud to be in over 1000 communities across the UK & Ireland. But without our people, none of it would be possible. Just like our recipe, they’re all original. Join us. Bring it. And together, we can be part of something truly extraordinary.

KFC Europe is one of YUM’s largest Regions and significant profit contributor. It has over 2000 stores across 4 BMU’s: UK; France; WEBU (Western Europe) & CEE (Central and Eastern Europe). The region is expected to grow at over 250 stores per annum. This role is focussed on delivering value across the whole region and due to the untapped potential, the opportunity provides scope for a driven category buyer to make a huge impact across a large number of countries and franchise partners.

What you’ll do:

• Project focussed role involving managing multiple projects across the equipment/CAPEX space.
• Focus on improving return on investment and payback periods through analysis, action planning and execution of an equipment procurement strategy.
• Other key areas of focus include:

• Management of Key Equipment Suppliers;
• Management of Global OEM Supplier relationships;
• Management of day-to-day escalations from across Pan Europe.
• Lead the analysis of supplier and contract performance to identify opportunities to reduce spend and improve execution.
• Partner with Global Equipment Procurement on Tier 1 equipment (the big stuff like fryers).
• Work cross functionally to implement and track projects to deliver benefit.
• Support the definition of the category and sourcing strategy that delivers on short- and long-term goals.
• Owns the ‘Build Smarter’ (Cost optimization) for equipment spend.
• Supports the Category Manager in the definition and implementation long term category strategy that delivers against the needs of KFC by:

• Aligning closely with relevant stakeholders to consider KFC U.K., France, Western Europe and Central & Eastern Europe priorities.
• Supporting the creation of the Category Strategy integrating internal factors (e.g. technical requirements) and external factors (e.g. supply market dynamics).
• Researching and selecting the right levers for each sub-category to extract maximum value from the procurement spend, ensuring the inclusion of non-commercial levers (e.g. specification improvement, partnerships).
• Conducting the category risk management, identifying potential risks and developing mitigation plans.
• Supporting the supplier management strategy by:

• Researching and defining the supply base requirements and supplier qualification criteria.
• Monitoring supplier performance including uninterrupted supply, right first-time quality and other financial and relevant operational KPIs.

What we’d love from you:

• EXPERIENCE:

• Strong analytical skills, ability to extract meaningful conclusions from data.
• Proven experience of working collaboratively in complex stakeholder environment.
• Proven experience of outside the box thinking and comfort in challenging the status quo.
• Proven experience in understanding contract KPIs and successfully driving supplier performance.
• Procurement or Supply Chain experience.
• Ideally - Experience in a food service/FMCG or retail environment.
• Ideally - 2+ years Experience in an equipment/ CAPEX/ construction/ engineering role.

• ABOUT YOU:

• Strong skills in Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Quick to learn and apply new knowledge.
• Values action over activity.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Effective team worker.
• Strong drive for results and ambitious to grow and develop within the organization.

Buckets of Benefits:

• A career with KFC offers much more than just fantastic earning potential. We reward achievement with amazing incentives and benefits, including:

• Flexible, hybrid working with our Restaurant Support Centre located in Woking, Surrey – a 24-minute train ride from London Waterloo. Depending on job requirement, travel across the UK & Ireland may be required.
• Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution.
• ‘Fri-Yay’ time – finish up at 1pm every Friday, all year round.
• Live Well Days - 5 days per year to disconnect from our day-to-day (in addition to 25 days annual leave and bank holidays). You can buy or sell up to 5 extra days of your core annual leave allowance each year. After 5 years’ service, annual holiday allowance increases to 30 days.
• Bonus – We work hard and do our best work to succeed together. When the company and individual goals are reached, you’ll be rewarded through our bonus scheme.
• Wellness – We want you to be your best self, so you’ll have access to lots of wellbeing initiatives and programmes, including Telus Health, and 1:1 Mental Health coaching sessions with our partner Sanctus.
• Private healthcare, including access to Digital GP, with the option to increase to include family cover.
• Flexible and Voluntary benefits including Dental Insurance, Health Screening and Gym Discounts.
• Insurances – All colleagues are covered by our life and income protection insurance which provides protection and peace of mind.
• Study Support may be available for job-related qualifications.
• Parental Leave – We offer enhanced paid leave and flexible return to work options for those important times.
• Colleague Discount – If you love KFC as much as we do, you’ll receive a 25% discount.

Our Commitment to You:

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our teams. We value, support, and celebrate the things that make Team KFC authentic and original and all candidates – regardless of age, background, ethnicity, gender, ability, religion, or sexual orientation. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups in our industry such as women, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. To make your journey with us accessible and tailored to your needs, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like any additional support with your application, have a disability or condition that may affect your performance during your recruitment process, or any other requirements.

Ready to apply? If you are ready to bring your passion, skills, and dedication to KFC, we encourage you to apply now. We look forward to welcoming you to our team and embarking on this extraordinary journey together. Bring it. Don’t tick all the boxes? Don’t worry. If you don’t match all the criteria for the role and still think you’d be a great fit, we’d love to hear from you.