Job Description

The Director, Calendar & Product Marketing is a senior marketing leader responsible for owning the end‑to‑end growth agenda for the KFC US menu. This role leads enterprise menu strategy, breakthrough innovation, national commercialization, and category growth across the full menu portfolio. The Director sets the three‑year vision for menu evolution, balancing bold, culture‑shaping innovation with disciplined commercial planning to drive transactions, profitable sales growth, and long‑term brand equity.

This role uniquely integrates product innovation, category strategy, menu architecture, and the national commercial calendar into a single, cohesive growth engine. Success in this position requires strong strategic vision, deep commercial acumen, and the ability to align cross‑functional partners to ensure what KFC invents, how it is merchandised, and when it launches are fully synchronized across physical and digital channels.

Enterprise Menu Vision & Multi‑Year Growth Strategy (5%)

• Define and lead a bold, insight‑driven three‑year menu growth vision aligned to KFC US brand, financial, and enterprise objectives.
• Own the integrated innovation pipeline and commercialization roadmap across all menu categories, including chicken on the bone, boneless, sides, sauces, sweets, and beverages.
• Develop annual and multi‑year growth plans grounded in consumer insights, competitive intelligence, and financial performance analysis.
• Balance disruptive innovation with operational simplicity and franchise profitability.

Innovation & Product Marketing Leadership (25%)

• Lead the Discover, Design, and Deploy stage‑gate processes for menu innovation and renovation.
• Oversee end‑to‑end concept development, including positioning, naming, pricing, packaging, and commercialization strategy.
• Ensure consumer‑led ideas translate into scalable, executable national programs.
• Manage and optimize an 18‑month rolling innovation pipeline aligned to business priorities and brand ambition.

Commercial Calendar & Menu Architecture (25%)

• Own the national and test commercial calendars, ensuring seamless integration of innovation, core menu, and beverage initiatives.
• Lead menu merchandising strategy, price architecture, and the consumer journey across physical restaurants and digital platforms.
• Optimize menu simplification, attachment strategies, and transaction‑driving mechanics.
• Drive cross‑functional alignment with Operations, Supply Chain, and Marketing to ensure flawless execution.

Product Marketing & Category Ownership (25%)

• Set and execute three‑year category growth strategies to drive mix, attachment, and profitability.
• Own innovation pipelines and vendor partnerships across all major menu categories.
• Lead and support Franchisee Squad and Subcommittee engagement, ensuring strategic alignment and strong collaboration.

Executive & Franchise Leadership (10%)

• Serve as a senior strategic partner to the Marketing Leadership Team and cross‑functional executives.
• Influence enterprise prioritization, investment decisions, and resource allocation.
• Align franchise stakeholders around innovation ambition and commercial discipline.
• Present growth strategies and performance updates to executive leadership and key governance bodies.
• Provide leadership oversight to ensure all menu and product touchpoints meet brand and campaign standards.

Organizational Leadership & Capability Building (10%)

• Lead and develop high‑performing Managers and Associate Managers across Product Marketing and Menu Planning.
• Build future‑ready capabilities in innovation, commercialization, and category management.
• Instill a general manager mindset and strong financial discipline across the team.
• Foster a culture of bold thinking, accountability, and executional excellence.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four‑year university required (Marketing preferred)
• MBA strongly preferred

Experience

• 15+ years of progressive marketing and commercial leadership experience.
• Deep experience in QSR, restaurant, or established CPG environments strongly preferred.
• Proven success leading large‑scale innovation pipelines and commercialization engines.
• Strong enterprise‑level strategic thinking and financial acumen.
• Extensive cross‑functional leadership and executive stakeholder management experience.
• Experience working within franchise systems is a plus.

Leadership & Competencies

• Bold, visionary leader with strong commercial discipline.
• Consumer‑obsessed and culturally attuned.
• Exceptional executive presence and storytelling skills.
• Ability to lead through complexity, ambiguity, and change.
• Demonstrated ability to build, develop, and mentor high‑performing teams.
• Strong budget management experience across agency fees and content production.
• Collaborative, resilient, decisive, and results‑driven.

What’s in it for you?

This role offers enterprise ownership of the KFC US menu growth strategy and the opportunity to shape breakthrough innovation for one of the world’s most iconic brands. The Director will have high visibility with executive leadership and franchise partners and will be positioned for future growth into broader general management or CMO‑track leadership roles.

Salary Range: $184,500 - $195,300 annually + bonus eligibility and stock-based compensation. This is the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining pay, we'll consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job-related factors.