Head of Marketing – Category, Calendar & Media

As Head of Marketing Category Calendar & Media youll play a pivotal role in shaping how McDonalds shows up for customers across the UK & Ireland. Sitting within the senior Marketing leadership team and reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer youll lead the strategic development of our category plans marketing calendar and media investment ensuring we focus on what matters most to our customers and our business.

This role balances long-term strategic thinking with operational rigour. Youll bring clarity prioritisation and pace to complex marketing plans ensuring they are insight-led commercially focused and deliver meaningful impact year after year.

About the team Youll join a dynamic fast-paced Marketing team of 40 people who are highly connected across Operations Supply Chain and Business Insights. The team is results-driven collaborative and thrives in a high-energy environment moving quickly working cross-functionally and enjoying what they do along the way.

About the role Youll lead marketing calendar planning media strategy and agency relationships with accountability for one of the largest media budgets in the UK. Your focus will be on increasing return on marketing investment and long-term brand value ensuring marketing spend delivers against both commercial and brand objectives.

While supported by Global Marketing colleagues this role operates with a high degree of autonomy and a significant reliance on agency partnerships requiring confident leadership clear direction and strong judgement in a fast-moving highly visible environment.

Key responsibilities

• Leading the development of annual food category plans partnering closely with insights and strategy teams to shape Family and Value strategies.
• Synthesising category plans into a single integrated marketing calendar ensuring clear prioritisation across campaigns channels and dayparts.
• Owning the overall marketing plan tracking performance against key metrics and adapting plans as market conditions evolve.
• Setting media strategy and guiding investment to maximise effectiveness and return on marketing spend.
• Leading agency partnerships particularly media agencies to ensure high performance and strong accountability.
• Collaborating cross-functionally across Marketing CX Menu CBI and Operations to ensure plans are operationally sound and customer-first.
• Influencing and engaging Franchisees Co-op partners and senior internal stakeholders to build confidence and alignment behind marketing priorities.
• Leading and developing a high-performing team of senior Marketing Managers setting clear ways of working and a strong team culture.

Qualifications :

What will make you successful

Were looking for a commercially minded marketing leader with deep media expertise and a strong strategic planning background who thrives in a fast-paced matrixed environment.

Youll bring:

• Proven experience leading large-scale media strategies and managing significant marketing budgets
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to drive value and make evidence-based investment decisions
• Experience using econometric models to optimise media performance and inform strategy
• Confidence influencing senior stakeholders including C-suite leaders and Co-op Directors
• Experience leading and challenging agency partners particularly media agencies
• A track record of delivering at pace with clear accountability to deadlines
• Inclusive leadership skills with the ability to build trust develop talent and bring people with you

What youll get

• A senior leadership role with real influence over one of the UK & Irelands most iconic brands
• Competitive salary plus bonus and cash allowance
• A comprehensive benefits package including free parking lunch and gym access
• Hybrid working offering flexibility between home and office
• Access to industry-leading training and development supported by significant annual investment in learning
• A collaborative inclusive culture where your voice matters and your impact is visible

Additional Information :

Company Vision and Culture

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

McDonalds 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 McDonalds we are People from all Walks of Life... 

People are at the heart of everything we do and they make the McDonalds 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 McDonalds or elsewhere.

#LI-Hybrid

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time