Assistant Food Developer at McDonald

What You’ll Be Doing:

• You’ll support the end‑to‑end development of new food and drink products - from initial concept through to launch - ensuring they meet consumer expectations, operational needs and brand standards.

You’ll take ownership of:

• Creating product and supplier briefs based on marketing promotional plans
• Developing products that meet consumer, operational, financial and nutritional requirements
• Supporting ideation, creation and optimisation sessions for research and testing
• Attending UK Chef Councils as part of the development process
• Partnering with Consumer Insight to design and execute research projects
• Analysing research results and optimising products accordingly
• Ensuring cross‑functional alignment across Supply Chain, Food Safety, Operations, Marketing and more
• Preparing product recommendations for Food Development Manager approval
• Managing projects through the Stage & Gate process to ensure timely delivery
• Building product pipelines for your categories
• Reviewing supplier capabilities and supporting first production runs
• Coordinating food showings and engagement sessions
• Supporting Operations Testing for new products
• Representing McDonald’s at media events as a brand ambassador when required

Qualifications
What You’ll Bring:

• You’ll thrive in this role if you’re energised by creativity, collaboration and the fast pace of food innovation.

We’re looking for someone with:

• A passion for food, flavour and quality
• 2- 3 years’ experience in food development
• Experience in QSR, retail, FMCG or grocery is ideal
• A relevant degree or qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Innovation, Nutrition or a related field
• Strong project management and organisational skills (Stage & Gate experience is a bonus)
• A curious, confident and logical approach to problem‑solving
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast‑moving environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)