Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Nutrition Lead (12 Month FTC)

About Us

McDonald’s has run its business in the UK since 1974 and currently operates over 1500 restaurants across the UK and Ireland, serving almost four million customers each day. McDonald’s is one of the UK’s largest private sector employers, employing over 170,000 people.

The Opportunity

The Lead Quality Assurance, Food Safety & Nutrition (QFSN) is accountable for setting and delivering the end‑to‑end QFSN strategy for McDonald’s UK & Ireland, ensuring the highest standards of food safety, product quality, legality and nutritional compliance across the entire supply chain and restaurant estate. Operating as a functional leader within the UK&I Supply Chain Leadership Team, this role provides strategic direction, governance and leadership across suppliers, restaurants and internal stakeholders. The role ensures QFSN is a source of competitive advantage, protects brand trust, and enables safe, compliant and innovative business growth. This role leads a multi‑disciplinary QFSN function and works in close partnership with Global teams, franchisees and suppliers to embed a strong food safety culture, robust risk management and continuous improvement mindset across the system.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Set and deliver the UK&I QFSN strategy, aligned to global standards and local legislation, with clear priorities across food safety, quality and nutrition.
• Translate business strategy into clear functional roadmaps, embedding robust QFSN governance across key processes including stage & gate, NPD, supplier approvals and change management.
• Hold accountability for food safety, quality and nutrition risk across the UK&I supply chain and restaurant estate.
• Provide leadership during incidents, crises and recalls, ensuring timely, proportionate and well‑governed decision‑making.
• Oversee the effectiveness and continuous improvement of food safety management systems, allergen controls, microbiological programmes and nutrition compliance.
• Champion a strong food safety and quality culture, ensuring accountability, transparency and continuous learning across the system. 
• Lead engagement with regulators, enforcement bodies and external stakeholders as required.
• Influence cross‑functional decision‑making to ensure food safety, quality and nutrition considerations are embedded early and effectively.
• Drive continuous improvement through data‑led insight, risk‑based prioritisation and trend analysis.
• Lead, develop and inspire a high‑performing QFSN team, building capability through succession planning, coaching and talent development.
• Embed McDonald’s cultural values, inclusive leadership behaviours and accountability across the function.
• Role‑model calm, decisive leadership in complex and high‑pressure situations.

What You’ll Need

• 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 track record 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.

What You’ll Get:

• Competitive salary, plus a comprehensive benefits package including location Allowance, car Allowance, free parking, lunch and gym access.
• Access to industry-leading training and career development opportunities.
• A collaborative and inclusive culture, where your ideas are valued.
• Hybrid working, offering a mix of office 3 days per week and remote for 2!

Company Vision and Culture…

Our Global vision is to build a better McDonald’s and in the UK and Ireland we are working hard to be the UK & Irelands best-loved restaurant company.

McDonald’s is defined by its culture. Our culture shapes and informs everything we think and everything we do. Our culture influences the way we interact with each other, and how we interact with customers, franchisees and suppliers. Our culture motivates and inspires us to attract and retain great talent, creating positive, energising, exceptional working environment for us all.

Our values drive our culture and shape our beliefs, our priorities and our actions. They influence the decisions we make, how we treat one another and how we show up as a brand to the world.

Serve: We put our customers and our people first

Inclusion: We open our doors to everyone

Integrity: We do the right thing

Community: We are good neighbours

Family: We get better together

At McDonald’s we are People from all Walks of Life... 

People are at the heart of everything we do, and they make the McDonald’s experience. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture that means people can be their best authentic self in our restaurants and offices, which helps us to better serve our customers. We have a strong heritage of diversity and representation within our communities, which we are proud of. The diversity of our people, customers, Franchisees and suppliers gives us strength.

We do not tolerate inequality, injustice or discrimination of any kind.  These are hugely important issues and a brand with our reach and relevance means we have a very meaningful role to play.

We also recognise our responsibility as a large employer to continue being active in our communities, helping to develop skills and drive aspirations that will help people to be more aware of the world of work and more successful within it, whether with McDonald’s or elsewhere.”

#LI-Hybrid