Lead Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Nutrition Manager

Department Overview

The Quality Assurance, Food Safety & Product Nutrition Manager (QAFSN Manager) is accountable for the effective leadership and management of the QAFSN team, ensuring the consistent delivery of food safety, quality, legality and product nutrition compliance across the McDonald’s UK & Ireland supply chain and restaurant estate.

Reporting into the Head of QFSN, this role focuses on operational excellence, strong governance, and disciplined ways of working, translating strategy into day‑to‑day execution. The role ensures that supplier and restaurant performance is effectively managed, risks are identified and addressed, and that the QAFSN team operates in a clear, consistent and data‑led way.

This role acts as the primary people leader for the QAFSN function, supporting the development of team capability, embedding a strong food safety and quality culture, and ensuring the team delivers high‑quality outcomes that protect customers and brand trust.

What Team will I be a part of?

• A  manager within the UK&I Supply Chain Leadership Team, partnering with peers across sourcing, logistics, strategy and sustainability.
• Leads the Quality Assurance, Food Safety and operational Nutrition function, responsible for supplier and restaurant assurance
• Works in close collaboration with Global SC counterparts and teams to ensure alignment and consistency.

Duties

• Lead, manage and develop the QAFSN team, setting clear expectations, priorities and ways of working, and supporting performance, capability and engagement through coaching and feedback.
• Ensure effective delivery of food safety, quality, product legality and product nutrition compliance across supplier categories and the restaurant estate.
• Own and embed QAFSN processes, governance and assurance frameworks, ensuring consistency, discipline and continuous improvement across the function.
• Drive strong supplier accountability, including performance reviews, audits, KPIs, action plans and escalation where required.
• Ensure restaurant food safety and quality programmes, standards and training are implemented effectively and remain aligned to risk and operational needs.
• Oversee the management of complaints, incidents and emerging risks, ensuring issues are assessed, managed and escalated appropriately in line with governance expectations.
• Use data, insights and trend analysis to prioritise team activity, manage risk and drive continuous improvement across supplier and restaurant performance.
• Partner with internal stakeholders (e.g. Supply Chain, Operations, Sourcing, Product Development) to support safe, compliant product delivery and change implementation.
• Provide operational leadership and representation with suppliers and internal forums, ensuring clear communication, challenge and follow‑up on performance.
• Role‑model strong leadership behaviours, accountability and a proactive food safety and quality culture within the team and supplier base.
• Participate in the on-call rota for the leadership team to ensure continuity of operations during weekends and holidays.

Qualifications

• Proven 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, multi‑disciplinary 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.

Benefits of working at McDonalds:

• Hybrid working of 2 days at home and 3 in our London office (unless travelling).
• Holiday allowance of 28 days per year, raising to 30 days per year after 3 years (in addition to bank holidays).
• Free breakfast and lunch when working in the office.
• Company car or allowance.
• Summer working hours.
• Competitive bonus and pension package.
• 8 week paid sabbatical for every 10 years of service.