Overview

With over 60 years of history, Pizza Hut has become the world's largest pizza company, with 18,000+ stores across 100 countries. At Pizza Hut, our vision is to be the younger & more everyday leaders in global pizza culture, and our purpose is to connect people together through the joy of pizza.

As part of the YUM! Brands family, which includes KFC, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill, Pizza Hut proudly stands alongside the largest restaurant group worldwide. Together, we strive for culinary excellence and unmatched dining experiences, whether in our restaurants or at home.

Job Purpose

We are seeking a talented Food, Safety & Quality Manager to lead FSQ activities for the German market. Based in Düsseldorf, this role is a key part of our UK & European Centre of Excellence for FSQ, collaborating cross-functionally with peers in the UK and across Europe.

This role will be the principal driver of the National Quality and Food Safety agenda for 70+ stores within the Pizza Hut Germany market and over 80 suppliers. You’ll be the FSQ expert on the ground in Germany, partnering closely with local restaurant teams, suppliers, franchisees, and cross-functional teams to embed and elevate Food Safety and Quality across the business. This is a hands-on individual contributor role suited to someone who is highly proactive, self-driven, and passionate about making a tangible impact in a growing market.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the management and performance of local and regional suppliers, including regular reviews, product evaluations, and corrective action planning.
Oversee quality assurance plans, including new supplier approvals and specification alignment.
Partner with the Supply Chain team to drive Cost of Sale (CoS) efficiencies while maintaining product quality.
Lead the Quality Service Assessment (QSA) supplier program and reporting processes.
Collaborate on new product development, providing QA input during ideation, testing, and launch phases.
Manage and approve product specifications, allergens, and nutritional documentation, serving as a TrueView (or equivalent) superuser or back-up as needed.
Support the Development team in restaurant openings and site approvals, ensuring compliance with all FSQ and Yum! standards.
Work collaboratively with the Training & Operations team to develop national training for food safety, core products, and quality initiatives.

Audit, Compliance & Safety Programs

Act as the local lead for RFS audits, restaurant emergencies, audit compliance, and auditor calibration activities.
Localize and implement Yum! and Pizza Hut global food safety programs within the German market.
Champion high performance in the ACE external audit program, helping restaurants maintain excellence in safety, hygiene, and operational standards.
Provide proactive operational leadership on restaurant food safety performance, working closely with Operations to identify trends and implement improvements.
Participate in product recovery and crisis response activities as required, including rapid decision-making through Yum’s Crisis Product Recovery System.

Digital Compliance & Communication

Provide ad hoc support with the upload and maintenance of allergen and nutritional data on the customer website.
Provide ad hoc technical support on food quality issues, working across teams including Legal, Marketing, Operations, and Franchise partners.
Contribute to cross-functional summits, product shows, and food team events, offering technical FSQ input and hands-on support as needed.

FSQ Strategy & Technical Ownership

Act as the technical expert for assigned categories, developing deep knowledge of supplier capabilities, quality metrics, and innovation opportunities.
Define, track, and review FSQ KPIs and data to inform supplier performance, product quality, and improvement strategies.
Apply strategic, risk-based approaches to evaluate and mitigate food safety risks across the supply chain and restaurant environments.
Refine FSQ programs, tools, and processes to enhance responsiveness, efficiency, and long-term effectiveness.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years’ experience in Food Safety or Quality Assurance, ideally within QSR, food manufacturing, or hospitality environments.
Fluent in German and English (both written and spoken) to operate effectively across local and international stakeholders.
Strong understanding of German and EU food safety legislation, including local regulatory frameworks for Supply Chain and Restaurant operations.
Proven experience in supplier auditing, product development support, and external audit preparation.
Demonstrated ability to work independently in-market while collaborating effectively with remote, cross-functional teams.
Pragmatic problem-solver with a scientific mindset; able to offer practical, evidence-based recommendations and contribute to continuous improvement of quality programs.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to adapt across diverse management styles and stakeholder needs.
Exceptional attention to detail with a solution-oriented and proactive approach to risk and quality.
General awareness of economic and operational metrics relevant to food facility and business performance.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in food science, Food Technology, Microbiology, or a related field.

Working Relationships

Line manager, and the UK & EU Quality Assurance teams
Pizza Hut Global FSQ teams and Centre of Excellence
Pizza Hut Franchise Partners and Above Restaurant Leaders
External Suppliers, industry and academia, including ACE Auditors
YUM! Global QA community

This role is based at our Restaurant Support Centre in Düsseldorf, a minimum of 2 days per week in the RSC is required. Additionally, travel to Supplier facilities based in the Germany and Europe may be required from time to time. As Pizza Hut is a franchise business, you may also be required to attend franchisee offices, and other locations from time to time. There will be events throughout the year that will take place in Germany including (but not limited to) RSC days, Functional team meetings / 121s and supporting with market visits.

Beware of fake job postings using Yum! and/or our brand logos -- KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill -- on fraudulent sites. Yum! Brands only posts jobs on official career pages and never asks for money during onboarding. Avoid unsolicited contacts via Telegram, WhatsApp or similar social apps.

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