Brand Manager, Beverages

The Brand Manager, Beverages owns KFC's beverage business – tea, carbonated soft drinks, KWENCH, seasonal offerings, and future innovation. The role owns this Consumer Understanding Opportunity (CUO) from validated concept to market, with accountability for commercialization and performance, turning beverages into traffic, check, and engagement.

This role is critical to the Bird Comeback Plan because it owns concept-to-market for the beverage growth platform that enables KFC to become more Relevant, Visible, and Consistent with customers. It anchors Modern Menu and prices within Modern Value guardrails, and unlocks Partnerships – leveraging The Coca-Cola Company to fund and fuel category growth.

Reporting to the Sr Director, Retail Marketing, this leader develops and owns the annual beverage business plan – strategy, commercialization pipeline, promotional calendar, financial targets, and metrics – pricing within the guardrails Value & eComm sets, and leads cross-functional teams, franchisees, and Coca-Cola to deliver measurable results across the system.

CUO Ownership (Concept-to-Market) & Growth Strategy 20%

Owns the Beverages CUO concept-to-market; Recommends the annual plan to Retail Marketing

• Take validated beverage concepts from CI & Menu and own them concept-to-market across tea, CSDs, KWENCH, seasonal, and future innovation.
• Develop and own the annual beverage plan – strategy, commercialization pipeline, promo calendar, targets, and metrics.
• Translate trends into commercialization strategies that accelerate category growth.

Business Performance & Commercial Impact - 20%

Owns beverage P&L, attachment, and performance; Prices within Value & eComm guardrails

• Drive beverage sales, profitability, attachment, and guest satisfaction against targets.
• Optimize assortment and promotion, pricing within the guardrails Value & eComm sets.
• Grow beverage attachment and check across the calendar.

Innovation & Commercialization (Concept to Market) - 20%

Owns commercialization; Partners with Culinary, Supply Chain, and beverage suppliers

• Own beverage commercialization from validated concept through national launch.
• Contribute beverage tests into the single test-and-learn agenda owned by CI & Menu.
• Deliver clean concept-to-brief-to-retail-to-commercials execution.

• Strategic Partnership – The Coca-Cola Company - 15%

Owns the Coca-Cola marketing partnership; Partners on joint business planning

• Lead the Coca-Cola partnership to unlock innovation, funding, and joint growth.
• Convert supplier investment into system-wide category performance.
• Manage other beverage suppliers to strengthen long-term category health.

Cross-Functional & Franchisee Partnership 15%

Partners with Ops, Supply Chain, Finance; feeds one franchisee voice

• Feed the single franchisee voice per topic – calendar via Sr Director, value via Value & eComm, menu via CI & Menu – rather than running a separate NCAC track.
• Align Ops, Supply Chain, Finance, and Value & eComm around shared priorities.
• Build franchisee trust by balancing ambition with operational excellence.

Data, AI & Modern Ways of Working - 10%

Owns adoption of AI and analytics tools for the platform

• Use AI and analytics for forecasting, planning, and portfolio decisions.
• Automate reporting to create capacity for innovation and partnership work.

Education / Certifications

• Undergraduate degree required (Marketing or Business preferred); MBA a plus.

Experience

• 6–9 years of progressive experience in brand, category, or product marketing.
• Proven record owning a category, business, or platform with demonstrated commercial results.
• Experience leading commercialization from validated concept through national launch.
• Experience owning a category, business, or portfolio and leading external supplier partnerships.
• QSR, restaurant, beverage, or CPG experience preferred.

Functional Capabilities

• Strong commercial acumen and financial literacy – P&L, pricing within guardrails, and category economics.
• Skilled at business case development, forecasting, and turning insight into growth.
• Excellent project management across multiple complex initiatives at speed.

Leadership Capabilities

• Leads through influence across cross-functional teams, agencies, and franchisees.
• Presents and defends recommendations to senior leaders and franchise governance.

Mindset

• Thinks and acts like an owner; balances creativity with commercial discipline.
• Consumer-first, data-informed, accountable, and thrives in ambiguity and speed.

Salary Range: $132,480 to $139,840 annually + bonus eligibility. 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.