Corporate Communication Lead

Purpose of the position:

We are looking for an experienced Corporate Communications Lead to help us shape the narrative of KFC's growth and role in society as a responsible, relevant, and modern brand. It provides an opportunity for someone to influence the highest level of the business. If you love the buzz of managing challenging issues, and understand the power of strategic communications, this is the role for you

This is an exciting prospect to join a newly emerging function at the Pan-European level in KFC.

Europe has the most demanding consumers in the world on issues of sustainability, responsibility, and transparency, and has the most demanding regulatory environment. It is also a time of growing scrutiny and competition amongst food and drink businesses, particularly in the QSR sector. As such, the role of strategic corporate communications has never been more critical. Jenny Packwood, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, is creating a small team of specialists to provide leadership on corporate affairs and sustainability issues to the markets, suppliers, and franchisees. The team will act as a small Center of Excellence in this fast-moving and increasingly regulated space, set the agenda, and liaise with the complex array of stakeholders connected to it.

KFC cares about doing things the right way – in fact, that is how we describe our approach to sustainability: Done the Right Way. However, currently, a lot of that work is not visible. We want to tell the story of the great work that KFC is already doing in the space of contributing to society to our critical stakeholders. We also want to protect the brand from risk. A key part of this role will be crisis and issues management, working in an agile and responsive way to support markets as issues emerge. This role will need to create a clear process and systems to support crisis management moving forward.

This is a Pan-European role, so a critical element of it is about building relationships with internal stakeholders, franchisees, and providing counsel and advice rather than delivering activations in markets. Franchisees are our most important stakeholders, and managing engagement with these partners will be another key element of the role.

What You Will Do

• Tell our story: craft the narrative that we want to tell about KFC across Pan-Europe, building a message house, proof points, and materials that can be translated and leveraged across markets.
• Build an approach to crisis comms management that supports our markets and franchisees across the region, and provide proactive and reactive issues and crisis management advice as and when required, select and appoint an agency to provide this support.
• Development of a coordinated plan on Visible Leadership for Pan Euro LT – attendance at conferences, speaking opportunities to fit business needs.
• Social Purpose: coordination of storytelling across the region; liaison with Social Purpose CoE / Yum
• Build a strategic approach to stakeholder management, prioritizing who we lean into most and where we put our energies.
• Coaching and building know-how amongst markets and franchisees – you'll be one of precious few with corporate comms and PR expertise. You'll be providing coaching to marketers and operators.
• Build a plan to support effective Franchisee engagement across the region.

Support the Done the Right Way agenda across the region, attending SteerCos, providing comms support and guidance as needed, and partnering with markets on issues and opportunities.

Working relationships

The role will report to Jenny Packwood, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for KFC Pan Europe and UK & Ireland. It will sit alongside two sustainability-focused leaders and will collaborate with them on sustainability storytelling, governance, among other things; this small function will also work closely with colleagues across the Pan European markets – France, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe.

About You

• A brilliant communicator with excellent interpersonal skills. This business is all about relationships
• A corporate comms ninja – but someone who gets the feel for consumer brands too. KFC is fun
• An ability to manage and engage with a complex range of stakeholders – from franchisees to NGOs and governments to media.
• An expert crisis comms leader – you've worked on many a crisis and have the scars to show it
• Confident and brave enough to speak your mind – but also a great listener, who is curious about others and what they need.
• An ability to work collaboratively across multiple business units, functions, and geographies – this role is all about taking people with you. It is all about influence.
• A calm, mature, credible individual who is at home with complexity and change.
• An ability to influence at a senior level.
• The confidence to challenge and ask the difficult questions.
• A sense of humour and the ability to find the fun in the day-to-day

Experience

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Agency leadership and management.
• Experience of managing communications in a large multinational organization, including stakeholder engagement and crisis management.
• 8+ years of experience, with some experience in the food sector.
• Experience working with and getting the best out of cross-functional teams.
• Strong project management and leadership skills.

About Us

From the centre of the continent to the remote (and not-so-remote) coasts and islands, KFC Pan Europe is the iconic chicken restaurant brand with a unique history of innovation and success. Always original, our passion is high-quality, finger-lickin' good chicken. Yes, we also have a secret recipe. No, we can't share it. What we can share is our heart-led, welcoming culture, where you can be your best self, make a difference, and have fun.

We're part of Yum Brands, Inc.—collaborating across the world with our sister brands, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger Grill. KFC Pan Europe has three business units: Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, and France. With more than 30 official languages in 150 different franchises, connecting with us is easier than ever. If you really want to do the math, we've also got 2,200 restaurants in 40 countries. Either way, we keep it original.

For us, the future is all about connecting food traditions and tomorrow's technology to innovate customer experiences, our global brand, and the best fried chicken you've ever tasted. We exist to feed people's potential, valuing personal development and an inclusive culture. This also means having a keen social purpose and investing in mentorship, upskilling, and food security. Creating opportunities for the most underserved and vulnerable groups in our communities helps grow new roots and strengthen bonds.

We want our people to be their best selves. So, we invest in skills, resources, and each other. At our Pan Europe Academy, we develop leadership and train all levels of restaurant and corporate employees. From Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to Individual Development Plans, we build meaningful careers that have a real impact.

The bottom line? We bring it.

Curious? We hope so.

Bring your spark, your spice, and your original story. At KFC Pan Europe, we're grounded in winning, celebrating, recognizing, welcoming, and belonging. We've got a big table. You have a seat at it.