Trade Marketing Manager - QSR & Restaurants in City of London

London based. Got big ideas and a soft spot for fast food culture? Do you know the difference between a good restaurant activation and one that makes people text their mates about it before they’ve even finished their meal? Can you turn insight into action, relationships into growth, and “we should do something cool” into a fully executed national campaign? If so, pull up a seat.

We’re looking for a Trade Marketing Manager to shake up the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) world — building standout marketing strategies, unforgettable activations, and partnerships people actually get excited about. This isn’t a “sit quietly and update spreadsheets” kind of role. This is a “spot the trend before everyone else does, pitch the idea, rally the teams, and make it happen” kind of role.

What you’ll actually be doing

• Making brands impossible to ignore: You’ll lead the marketing strategy across major QSR accounts, helping create campaigns and activations that drive visibility, relevance, and commercial growth. Think: National promotions, Staff engagement programmes, Trade shows & industry events, Customer activations, Big partnership moments, “Why hasn’t anyone done this before?” ideas.
• Turning strategy into serious momentum: You’ll work closely with Key Accounts, Sales, Brand Marketing, and field teams to build marketing plans that don’t just look good in presentations — they deliver in the real world. You’ll: Build scalable activation toolkits, Support high-impact execution in trade, Spot growth opportunities before competitors do, Help shape Joint Business Plans that unlock new business, Bring fresh thinking into the QSR channel.
• Becoming the QSR oracle: You’ll know what’s happening in the industry before most people do. What’s trending? What’s changing? What are competitors doing? What do customers actually want? You’ll turn those insights into smart, commercially-driven recommendations that influence strategy and strengthen category leadership.

Who you are

• You probably have 4+ years in Trade Marketing, Brand Marketing, or commercial roles.
• You understand QSR, hospitality, or On Premise environments.
• You love combining creativity with commercial thinking.
• You can confidently present ideas to stakeholders and customers.
• You are highly organised without becoming painfully corporate.
• You thrive in fast-moving environments where priorities evolve quickly.
• You enjoy building relationships as much as building campaigns.
• Bonus points if you’ve worked with regional or global restaurant groups before.

The vibe

We move quickly. We back ideas. We care about execution. We believe great marketing should make people feel something — including customers, consumers, and internal teams. There’ll be collaboration, travel, trade visits, brainstorming sessions, ambitious targets, and probably more restaurant coffees than medically advisable.

In return? You’ll get the chance to: Shape strategy in one of the most exciting channels in the industry, Work on large-scale activations with real visibility, Influence commercial growth at a national level, Build partnerships with major restaurant brands, Create work that people actually notice. And yes — you’ll probably never look at a drive-thru the same way again.