Program Manager – Project Lead

Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence

Project Lead managing strategy execution and delivery outcomes for Yum! Brands programs.

Posted 6/8/2026full-timePlano • Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $125,200 - $150,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Drive end-to-end strategy execution for program initiative development and delivery, ensuring alignment to enterprise priorities and value realization targets
Lead integrated project planning, including complex dependency management, risk mitigation, and scenario planning across multiple workstreams and functions
Establish and run program governance cadence, including preparation for key decision forums, ensuring timely, high-quality decisions
Deliver insight-driven, executive-ready reporting that links progress to financial and operational outcomes
Proactively identify, analyze, and resolve ambiguous, cross-functional challenges with broad business impact
Influence and challenge senior stakeholders (including VP-level and external partners/franchisees) to drive alignment and accountability
Ensure program discipline and execution rigor across functions, elevating standards beyond “business as usual”
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, providing recommendations on risks, trade-offs, and strategic decisions
Maintain the program master plan (e.g., milestones, owners, risks)
Strategic and structured thinker who can simplify complexity and connect execution to business outcomes
Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to challenge senior leaders constructively
Advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a focus on actionable insights
Excellent executive communication skills (written and verbal)
High ownership mindset with the ability to drive pace and accountability across teams

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years leading large, complex, cross-functional programs with enterprise-level impact
Proven experience managing ambiguity and undefined problems, translating them into structured plans
Strong background in governance, risk management, and dependency orchestration across multiple teams
Experience influencing senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders in matrixed organizations
Familiarity with transformation programs or large-scale operational project management preferred

Benefits

Comp & perks

Employees (and their eligible family members) may enroll in the following types of insurance coverage: medical, dental, vision, legal, and accidental death and dismemberment, as well as FSA/HSA (depending on enrolled medical plan).
Yum! also provides short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance.
Employees may enroll in our 401(k) plan.
Yum! provides 4 weeks of vacation, paid sick leave, 10 paid holidays, a floating day off and 2 paid days for volunteer time each calendar year.

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

program initiative developmentproject planningrisk managementdependency managementscenario planningprogram governanceanalytical capabilitiesproblem-solvingexecutive communicationoperational project management

Soft Skills

strategic thinkinginfluencing skillsstakeholder managementownership mindsetcross-functional collaborationdecision-makingcomplexity simplificationaccountabilityinsight-driven reportingambiguity management