At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team ensuring food safety and quality across McDonald's UK & Ireland.
- Company: Join McDonald's, a global leader in the fast-food industry with a commitment to quality.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, generous holiday allowance, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a collaborative culture with excellent career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on food safety and quality while leading a passionate team.
- Qualifications: Senior leadership experience in food safety and a degree in Food Science or equivalent.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
The Quality Assurance, Food Safety & Product Nutrition Manager (QAFSN Manager) is accountable for the effective leadership and management of the QAFSN team, ensuring the consistent delivery of food safety, quality, legality and product nutrition compliance across the McDonald’s UK & Ireland supply chain and restaurant estate.
Reporting into the Head of QFSN, this role focuses on operational excellence, strong governance, and disciplined ways of working, translating strategy into day‑to‑day execution. The role ensures that supplier and restaurant performance is effectively managed, risks are identified and addressed, and that the QAFSN team operates in a clear, consistent and data‑led way.
This role acts as the primary people leader for the QAFSN function, supporting the development of team capability, embedding a strong food safety and quality culture, and ensuring the team delivers high‑quality outcomes that protect customers and brand trust.
A manager within the UK&I Supply Chain Leadership Team, partnering with peers across sourcing, logistics, strategy and sustainability. Leads the Quality Assurance, Food Safety and operational Nutrition function, responsible for supplier and restaurant assurance. Works in close collaboration with Global SC counterparts and teams to ensure alignment and consistency.
Duties- Lead, manage and develop the QAFSN team, setting clear expectations, priorities and ways of working, and supporting performance, capability and engagement through coaching and feedback.
- Ensure effective delivery of food safety, quality, product legality and product nutrition compliance across supplier categories and the restaurant estate.
- Own and embed QAFSN processes, governance and assurance frameworks, ensuring consistency, discipline and continuous improvement across the function.
- Drive strong supplier accountability, including performance reviews, audits, KPIs, action plans and escalation where required.
- Ensure restaurant food safety and quality programmes, standards and training are implemented effectively and remain aligned to risk and operational needs.
- Oversee the management of complaints, incidents and emerging risks, ensuring issues are assessed, managed and escalated appropriately in line with governance expectations.
- Use data, insights and trend analysis to prioritise team activity, manage risk and drive continuous improvement across supplier and restaurant performance.
- Partner with internal stakeholders (e.g. Supply Chain, Operations, Sourcing, Product Development) to support safe, compliant product delivery and change implementation.
- Provide operational leadership and representation with suppliers and internal forums, ensuring clear communication, challenge and follow‑up on performance.
- Role‑model strong leadership behaviours, accountability and a proactive food safety and quality culture within the team and supplier base.
- Participate in the on‑call rota for the leadership team to ensure continuity of operations during weekends and holidays.
- Proven senior leadership experience in food safety, quality assurance or technical roles within complex, high‑risk food environments.
- Demonstrated ability to set strategy and lead large, multi‑disciplinary teams through ambiguity and change.
- Strong experience of incident leadership, risk management and regulatory engagement.
- Ability to influence at Executive level and across a broad stakeholder landscape.
- Experience embedding governance, data‑led decision‑making and continuous improvement at scale.
- Degree in Food Science or equivalent experience; advanced HACCP and food safety credentials expected.
- Hybrid working of 2 days at home and 3 in our London office (unless travelling).
- Holiday allowance of 28 days per year, raising to 30 days per year after 3 years.
Lead Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Nutrition Manager in London employer: McDonald's Corporation
Contact Detail:
McDonald's Corporation Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Nutrition Manager in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the food safety and quality assurance field. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about asking for informational interviews. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your expertise! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, highlight your experience in leading teams and managing food safety compliance. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s values and recent initiatives. Tailor your responses to show how your leadership style aligns with their goals, especially around food safety and quality culture. This will make you stand out as a candidate who truly gets what they’re about.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged. So, get your application in and let’s make some waves in the food safety world together!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Nutrition Manager in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Lead Quality Assurance role. Highlight your experience in food safety and quality assurance, and don’t forget to mention any leadership roles you've had. We want to see how you can bring your unique skills to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about food safety and quality assurance. Share specific examples of how you've led teams or improved processes in the past. We love a good story that shows your impact!
Showcase Your Data Skills: Since this role involves a lot of data-led decision-making, make sure to highlight your experience with data analysis and how you've used insights to drive improvements. We’re all about using data to make informed decisions, so show us what you’ve got!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensure it gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at McDonald's UK & Ireland!
How to prepare for a job interview at McDonald's Corporation
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of food safety, quality assurance, and nutrition compliance. Familiarise yourself with McDonald's specific standards and practices, as well as any recent news or changes in regulations that could impact the role.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that demonstrate your leadership experience, especially in managing teams through change and ambiguity. Think about times when you've successfully influenced stakeholders or led a project to improve food safety or quality.
✨Data-Driven Mindset
Since the role involves using data for decision-making, be ready to discuss how you've used data insights in past roles. Bring examples of how you've identified trends, managed risks, or driven continuous improvement based on data analysis.
✨Cultural Fit Matters
McDonald's values a strong food safety and quality culture, so be prepared to talk about how you would foster this within the team. Share your thoughts on building a proactive culture and how you’ve done this in previous positions.