Marketing Director - Innovation, Menu & Markets - KFC MENA

Location: Al Rayyan Tower, Al Nahda, Sharjah(Border of Dubai & Sharjah)Job Purpose:We are seeking a hands-on Marketing Director of Innovation, Menu & Markets to grow KFC, the biggest chicken brand in the region, across the GCC, Levant and Morocco.

This role is pivotal in leading the day-to-day marketing operations and the innovation agenda for the brand across all operating markets. The role owns the innovation pipeline, the menu architecture and the end-to-end execution of locally relevant marketing windows in every market, across dine-in, drive-thru and aggregator channels. Provide advisory and center-of-excellence support to other markets as required. This includes strategic guidance during critical situations, recovery planning and support on key initiatives, such as strengthening menu and NPD plans, in collaboration with local teams.The right person is a true hustler: hands-on, action-oriented and relentless on execution, with a strong food palate, the ability to bring diverse stakeholders along, and a proven record of leading high-performing teams to drive operational and commercial excellence across markets.Key Responsibility Areas:Strategic Leadership: Future-proof the brand across Customer, Commercials, Competitiveness & ChannelsSpot key customer and food trends early and shape brand strategy through relevant actions built into the 18-month plan that rolls into the AOP.Develop and execute an overarching marketing AOP that delivers on the brand’s strategic objectives across the geography.Market Windows & Execution Excellence: Own the local calendar, end to endOwn the planning and execution of locally relevant marketing windows in every market (e.g. Ramadan, Eid, National Days, summer, back-to-school and key sporting and cultural moments), tailoring offer, price and communication to each market.Deliver flawless, on-time launches from concept to restaurant, covering product readiness, supply, training, POS, digital and aggregator activation, and close gaps with speed and minimal escalation.Run a disciplined launch cadence with clear timelines, owners and post-launch reviews; read results fast, fix what is not working and scale what is.Maintain a strong, hands-on presence in markets and restaurants to ensure plans land as intended and learnings are captured and shared across markets.Stakeholder Management: Build alignment and get things doneDrive cross-functional collaboration with stakeholders, including but not limited to the Franchisor, country GMs and Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, R&D, Procurement and other business units, to deliver cohesive and impactful NPD and market initiatives.Build strong, trust-based relationships with country leadership teams; balance regional consistency with local market needs and negotiate trade-offs to land the best outcome for the brand.Manage agency, supplier and aggregator partner relationships to deliver high-quality work on time and within budget.Menu & NPD Leadership: Bring a strong food palate to every decisionOwn the menu strategy and architecture across core, value, premium and limited-time offers, ensuring a balanced, profitable menu tailored to each market.Lead the culinary innovation agenda to enhance brand love and relevance, driving customer penetration and frequency through sustainable new product platforms.Bring a strong, discerning food palate to product development: lead taste panels, kitchen sessions and product sign-offs with R&D and suppliers, and push for products that win on taste, quality and consistency.Translate local flavor preferences and culinary trends into a robust NPD pipeline that is operationally feasible and commercially viable.Fortify & Future-Proof Brand Connect: Modernize the brandActively guide all local market actions to embed the brand in local culture while retaining its global stature.Ensure brand consistency and quality across all market communication and activations.Digital Marketing Excellence: Build a digitally native brand, in line with the customers of the futureManage and leverage the aggregator channel to maximize revenue while delivering profitability objectives.Design market programs that shift customers towards dine-in and drive-thru habits.Financial Outcomes: Deliver profitable growthContinue to deliver industry-leading financial outcomes.Be accountable for commercial outcomes (transactions, average transaction value, sales and gross profit) for the brand in every operating country.Plan, monitor and adhere to resource allocation within budget, in line with Annual Operating Plan guidelines, and coach the team to do the same.Work with cross-functional teams to build a strong data- and learning-based marketing investment culture.Insights and Analytics: Role-model the use of data, while staying curious to spot trends that future-proof the brandUse consumer research programs to refine the consumer model, conduct competitor analysis, track consumer habits and initiate product improvements to meet market needs.Leverage insights from dedicated brand analysts to inform decision-making, optimize innovation and address menu gaps.Team Leadership: Build an enviable, high-performing, cohesive working environmentLead and manage a diverse, multi-disciplinary team across all eight operating markets: onboard, coach and mentor team members, set clear goals and hold the team accountable for delivery.Provide functional leadership to the team, fostering a culture of collaboration, ownership and innovation.Lead the brand agenda among cross-functional teams to accelerate delivery of the brand’s strategic objectives.Role-model Americana people practices and coach the team to build a strong talent bench.Be a strong advocate for the customer agenda within the KFC leadership team and a mentor for cross-functional teams.Be a flag bearer for Americana’s purpose, vision and strategy, instilling an ownership mindset and a bias for action.Qualifications and Experience:10–15 years of marketing leadership experience.Experience in QSR or retail is a must-have.Proven track record of managing marketing for multi-country, multi-channel portfolios in complex, high-transaction environments such as KFC or other global brands.Demonstrated success in owning and executing locally relevant campaigns and seasonal windows across multiple markets, on time and to a high standard.A strong food palate and genuine passion for food, with hands-on experience in menu management, NPD and product sign-off.Expertise in building brand love to drive both customer penetration and frequency.Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and align senior leaders, the franchisor, country teams and cross-functional partners.A hustler mindset: hands-on, resourceful, comfortable with ambiguity and driven to get things done at pace.Strong analytical and commercial mindset with the ability to interpret and act on data insights.Exceptional leadership and team management skills, with a proven ability to build future leaders while driving performance in cross-functional teams.