Head of Food Innovation & Commercialisation

Role: Head of Innovation & Commercialisation - Europe

Responsibilities

• Sitting on the regional leadership team and reporting directly to the General Manager, leading the Europe food innovation strategy and setting a clear vision for the next 3-5 years.
• Coach and develop a world-class food innovation and safety regional team.
• Build and manage a robust multi-year innovation pipeline, including breakthrough innovation, sustaining platforms, value propositions, and market-specific solutions informed by insights, global consumer trends, culinary inspiration, and brand storytelling.
• Accountable for upholding Taco Bell's brand food standards, ensuring all core ingredients and menu builds consistently meet the highest quality, safety, and established brand expectations.
• Oversee the regional commercialisation process: supplier engagement, costing, operational validation, complexity evaluation, and launch readiness.
• Partner at a senior level with Marketing to bring innovation narratives to life and ensure brand-right menu strategy across markets.
• Engage and influence franchise partners, building capability and alignment around food strategy, operational execution, and innovation adoption.
• Collaborate with Operations to ensure products meet global safety and quality standards and land consistently across restaurants.
• Represent Europe within Global FIT, providing regional perspectives and influencing global pipelines, frameworks, and capability initiatives.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in food innovation, product development, culinary strategy, menu innovation or similar roles within QSR, CPG, FMCG, or food-centric consumer brands.
• Proven track record in creating and scaling breakthrough innovation and delivering commercially successful launches across markets.
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to connect consumer insights, culinary trends, and operational realities into distinctive menu propositions.
• Demonstrated experience influencing senior stakeholders and franchise networks, with strong storytelling and communication skills.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams; able to inspire creativity, challenge norms, and cultivate an innovation culture.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with shifting priorities and competing demands.

Preferred

• Some understanding of restaurant food safety and supplier QA systems and processes.
• Culinary innovation background, global brand exposure, or experience in multi-country QSR and/or franchised environments.

Work Arrangement

• Hybrid working - 2 days required in our office at Woking.

Benefits

• Company and performance-related bonus.
• Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution.
• Private healthcare with the option to increase to include family cover.
• Annual holiday allowance starts at 25 days with the option to buy or sell up to 5 extra days per year. After 5 years' service, annual holiday allowance increases to 30 days.
• Competitive parental leave and flexible return-to-work options.
• Wellbeing Reimbursement - a fund to claim back costs throughout the year that support wellbeing (e.g., vitamins subscriptions, language lessons, gym membership).
• Flexible and voluntary benefits including dental insurance, health screening, and gym discounts.

We're looking for someone who lives for culture, craves growth, and wants to build a brand that refuses to blend in. If this sounds like you, we encourage you to apply.