Director, Poultry Sourcing and Supply Chain

Director, Poultry Sourcing and Supply Chain

(Commercial Team – Restaurant Support)

WHO WE ARE

Nando’s PERi‑PERi USA is a growing restaurant group looking for a full‑time Director, Supply Chain & Product Sourcing to join our Restaurant Support family. We’re known for our flame‑grilled chicken, our South African roots, and our passion for putting people at the center of everything we do. We believe in changing lives through food, connection, and opportunity — and we lead with heart in every decision we make.

NANDO’S VISION

We want to be the most loved restaurant brand in North America — sharing the spirit of Nando’s PERi‑PERi with everyone who chooses to access it. We will redesign and build a business that thrives as it fully answers our consumers’ needs and endures over time by putting people at the heart of what we do. We will lead with our values and act with care, compassion, and kindness. By doing this, we will Change Lives Together, every day and everywhere.

THE ROLE

This Director role is a key position within our Commercial team, reporting into the Managing Director, Supply Chain & Innovation— responsible for building, strengthening, and stewarding the fresh chicken supplier ecosystem that keeps our restaurants running with excellence, consistency, and heart. You will lead the full “field-to-fork” supply chain for all our fresh, never frozen chicken products, ensuring that everything we serve reflects our brand hallmarks, our commitment to quality, and our ambition to scale.

You will shape the sourcing strategy, deepen supplier partnerships, and ensure our fresh chicken supply chain is safe, resilient, and ready for the future. You'll collaborate closely with Culinary, Operations, Marketing, and cross-functional partners to bring new products to life, protect food safety, and ensure our restaurants have what they need to deliver 14 Brilliant Shifts.

As with all members of the Nando's Restaurant Support team, the Director, Poultry Sourcing and Supply Chain is expected to wear multiple hats, seek out opportunities to make Nando's better every day, and be a values-led teammate who lifts others through clarity, care, and collaboration.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supply Chain & Product Management

• Lead the full sourcing lifecycle of our fresh chicken product — from field to fork — ensuring quality, consistency, and alignment to brand hallmarks.

• Partner with Culinary, Operations, and Marketing to evaluate new products, assess feasibility, and ensure scalability across full-service and fast-casual environments.

• Serve as the connective tissue between suppliers, distributors, and internal teams to ensure smooth communication, proactive issue resolution, and operational readiness.

• Monitor commodities markets to create a forward-thinking supply strategy, maximizing quality at the best price possible.

• Identify emerging trends, technologies, and supplier capabilities that strengthen efficiency, resilience, and distribution evolution.

• Oversee product transitions, exceptions, and communications to ensure restaurants have what they need to deliver brilliant experiences

Supplier Collaboration & Commercialization

• Build strong, strategic partnerships with suppliers to enable rapid innovation and seamless product launches.

• Oversee product specifications, compliance, and quality standards during development, first production runs, and commercialization.

• Negotiate and manage supplier agreements that support long-term brand objectives, cost stewardship, and supply reliability.

• Monitor supplier performance and proactively address risks to maintain consistency, integrity, and trust across the supply chain.

Food Safety & Quality Compliance

• Embed, measure, and calibrate food safety and quality assurance KPIs across all fresh chicken products — present and future.

• Ensure suppliers maintain scalable food safety programs aligned with FDA Food Code, FSMA, GFSI, and industry best practices.

• Monitor and follow up on audits to ensure specification and safety compliance.

• Monitor emerging food safety technologies and regulatory changes to keep Nando's ahead of compliance requirements.

• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to ensure safe manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with Operations, Culinary, Marketing, Training, and Commercial partners to ensure product readiness, operational feasibility, and brand alignment.
• Serve as a strategic advisor on supply chain risk, cost implications, and long‑term sourcing strategy.
• Support new restaurant openings and market expansion through supply chain readiness and vendor alignment.
• Lead with an “I am because we are” mindset — strengthening trust, removing friction, and ensuring shared success across functions.

Leadership Expectations at Nando's

At Nando’s our leaders role-model behaviors that define success:

• Culture & Psychological Safety: Create space for open dialogue and demonstrate active listening through actions.
• People Leadership & Development: Provide constructive feedback and development support consistently, using clear goals and measurable progress.
• Operational Excellence & Accountability: Deliver brilliant basics with pride and ensure compliance without compromise.
• Communication & Influence: Communicate priorities clearly and transparently through structured channels.
• Strategic Thinking & Agility: Anticipate trends, adapt plans, and lead change with clarity and pace.

Nando's North America provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Poultry Science, or a related field preferred.

• Extensive experience in poultry sourcing, product management, and compliance required.

• Expert-level understanding of fresh chicken in a supply chain, along with the commodities and markets that support it.

• 10+ years of experience in foodservice supply chain management, on the client or vendor side, including significant direct responsibility for poultry sourcing.

• Proven leadership in multi-city distribution networks with custom ingredients in their portfolio (strongly preferred).

• Demonstrated expertise in vendor, freight, and distribution management.

• Familiarity with supply chain systems and data analytics tools to support performance measurement and decision-making.

• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, GMPs, FSMA requirements, and GFSI schemes preferred.

• Ability to travel up to 35% across North America.

• Strong communication, relationship-building, and cross-functional leadership skills — grounded in care, clarity, and accountability.

Compensation: $130,000-$170,000

WORK ARRANGEMENT

While this role is remote and based in either the Eastern or Central time zone, our Restaurant Support Office is in Washington, D.C. We have vendors in three markets, and you are expected to travel on a regular basis to all of them. You are also expected to travel as needed for other business purposes, which may occasionally include weekends and special events. All business travel must comply with our company's travel policies. Eligible business-related expenses, including airfare, lodging, car rental, parking, and meals, will be reimbursed upon submission of a properly completed and timely expense report, subject to approval. Additionally, you are required to maintain all necessary travel documents in good standing throughout your employment.

YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS

The first 90 days of your employment will be a mutual onboarding and learning period, where both you and Nando's ensure you are set up for success in the role and that expectations are clear and aligned. We'll connect regularly to review progress, provide support, and ensure you have what you need to succeed. Employment with Nando's always remains at-will.