At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the strategy for food safety, quality assurance, and sustainable agriculture at McDonald's.
- Company: Join McDonald's, a beloved brand with over 1500 restaurants in the UK and Ireland.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to community and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on food safety and sustainability in a global company.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in food safety and quality assurance; degree in Food Science preferred.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
About Us
McDonald's has run its business in the UK since 1974 and currently operates over 1500 restaurants across the UK and Ireland, serving almost four million customers each day. McDonald's is one of the UK's largest private sector employers, employing over 170,000 people.
Department Overview
The Head of Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Nutrition & Sustainable Agriculture (QFSN & SA) is accountable for setting and delivering the end-to-end UK&I strategy for product quality, food safety, legality, nutritional compliance and sustainable agriculture, from farm through to restaurant. The role holds ultimate accountability for ensuring that all products supplied to McDonald's UK & Ireland meet the highest standards of safety, quality, legality and nutritional compliance, protecting customers, franchisees, and the brand. This includes ownership of assurance frameworks across the entire supply chain and restaurant estate, ensuring robust governance, proactive risk management and consistent execution. In addition, the role provides strategic leadership for sustainable agriculture and responsible sourcing, ensuring alignment with global sustainability priorities and UK&I Plan for Change commitments. This includes driving continuous improvement in animal health and welfare, environmental performance and farming practices, while maintaining strong alignment with food safety, quality and product integrity requirements.
Operating as a senior functional leader within the UK&I Supply Chain Leadership Team, the role ensures that QFSN and Sustainable Agriculture collectively act as a source of competitive advantage, enabling safe, compliant and sustainable growth, strengthening brand trust and supporting innovation. The role leads a multidisciplinary function and works in close partnership with Global teams, franchisees, suppliers, farmers, regulators and NGOs to embed a strong food safety and quality culture, effective governance and continuous improvement from farm to fork to restaurant.
What Team will I be a part of?
- A senior manager within the UK&I Supply Chain Leadership Team, partnering with peers across sourcing, logistics, strategy and sustainability.
- Leads the Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Nutrition & Sustainable Agriculture function, responsible for farm, supplier and restaurant assurance.
- Works in close collaboration with Global SC counterparts and teams to ensure alignment and consistency.
Duties
- Set and deliver the UK&I strategy for Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Product Legality, Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture, aligned to global standards, Plan for Change commitments and local legislation.
- Lead the QFSN & Sustainable Agriculture function as a cohesive, enterprise-level department, setting clear direction, priorities, governance and standards.
- Hold ultimate accountability for product quality, food safety, legality and nutritional compliance across the supply chain and restaurant estate.
- Provide senior leadership during incidents, crises, product withdrawals and recalls, representing the business credibly and ensuring timely, proportionate and well-governed decisions.
- Define and govern assurance frameworks across farms, suppliers and restaurants, embedding a strong culture of food safety, quality and sustainability across the supply chain.
- Lead delivery of sustainable agriculture and responsible sourcing priorities, including animal health and welfare, environmental performance and farming practices, ensuring alignment with food safety and quality objectives.
- Influence Executive-level decision-making and act as the senior UK&I representative externally, engaging with regulators, industry bodies, NGOs, franchisees and Global teams to protect brand trust and reputation.
- Build long-term functional capability by leading, developing and succession-planning a high-performing, multidisciplinary leadership team, role-modelling calm, inclusive and decisive leadership.
- Participate in the on-call rota for the leadership team to ensure continuity of operations during weekends and holidays.
Qualifications
- Proven director level 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, multidisciplinary 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.
At McDonald's, we are People from all Walks of Life...
Company Vision and Culture
Our Global vision is to build a better McDonald's and in the UK and Ireland we are working hard to be the UK & Ireland's best-loved restaurant company. McDonald's is defined by its culture. Our culture shapes and informs everything we think and everything we do. Our culture influences the way we interact with each other, and how we interact with customers, franchisees and suppliers. Our culture motivates and inspires us to attract and retain great talent, creating positive, energising, exceptional working environment for us all. Our values drive our culture and shape our beliefs, our priorities and our actions. They influence the decisions we make, how we treat one another and how we show up as a brand to the world.
- Serve: We put our customers and our people first
- Inclusion: We open our doors to everyone
- Integrity: We do the right thing
- Community: We are good neighbours
- Family: We get better together
At McDonald's we are People from all Walks of Life... People are at the heart of everything we do, and they make the McDonald's experience. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture that means people can be their best authentic self in our restaurants and offices, which helps us to better serve our customers. We have a strong heritage of diversity and representation within our communities, which we are proud of. The diversity of our people, customers, Franchisees and suppliers gives us strength. We do not tolerate inequality, injustice or discrimination of any kind. These are hugely important issues and a brand with our reach and relevance means we have a very meaningful role to play. We also recognise our responsibility as a large employer to continue being active in our communities, helping to develop skills and drive aspirations that will help people to be more aware of the world of work and more successful within it, whether with McDonald's or elsewhere.
- Head of Quality Assurance,Food Safety,Nutrition and Sustainability (Interim 12 months fix term) in London employer: McDonald's
McDonald's is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that prioritises inclusivity and employee growth. With a commitment to sustainability and quality, the Head of Quality Assurance role provides a unique opportunity to lead impactful initiatives while collaborating with diverse teams across the UK and Ireland. Employees benefit from a culture that values integrity, community, and personal development, making it a rewarding place to build a career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land - Head of Quality Assurance,Food Safety,Nutrition and Sustainability (Interim 12 months fix term) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with current employees at McDonald's. A friendly chat can open doors that applications alone can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching McDonald's values and culture. Show how your experience aligns with their mission of quality assurance and sustainability. Be ready to share specific examples!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! You want to be able to clearly articulate your vision for the role and how you can contribute to the team. Keep it concise and impactful.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you're serious about joining the McDonald's family.
We think you need these skills to ace - Head of Quality Assurance,Food Safety,Nutrition and Sustainability (Interim 12 months fix term) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in food safety, quality assurance, and sustainability. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at McDonald's!
Showcase Leadership Experience:Since this role is all about leading teams and driving strategy, don’t forget to include examples of your leadership experience. We love to see how you've influenced others and managed complex situations.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to describe your achievements and avoid jargon. We appreciate clarity as much as you do!
Apply Through Our Website:For the best chance of success, make sure to apply directly through our website. It’s the easiest way for us to review your application and get you into the process!
How to prepare for a job interview at McDonald's
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on the latest trends in food safety, quality assurance, and sustainable agriculture. Familiarise yourself with McDonald's specific practices and how they align with global standards. This will show that you're not just interested in the role but are also committed to their mission.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led teams through challenges, especially in high-risk environments. Highlight your experience in incident management and decision-making under pressure. McDonald's is looking for someone who can inspire and guide a multidisciplinary team, so be ready to demonstrate your leadership style.
✨Understand the Culture
Familiarise yourself with McDonald's values and culture. Be prepared to discuss how you embody these values in your work. Showing that you can fit into their inclusive and community-focused environment will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Think about how you've successfully engaged with various stakeholders in the past. Prepare to discuss your strategies for influencing executive-level decisions and working with regulators or NGOs. This role requires strong collaboration skills, so showcasing your ability to build relationships will be key.
