European Supply Chain Manager

BURGERS & FRIES AND INCREDIBLE CAREERS!

We’re the burger restaurant with the uncomplicated formula: burgers and fries cooked to perfection, with no frozen ingredients. And we’ve stuck to the same ‘perfect and serve’ philosophy since our family business began in 1986.

These days, we’re still just as much a family as we always have been. We have tons of integrity, we’re enthusiastic. we’re competitive and we just get it done – whatever the challenge.

As Five Guys continues to operate and strengthen its footprint across France, Spain, and Germany—while preparing for future European markets—this role offers the opportunity to take operational ownership of our European supply chain and lead distributor performance across the continent.

Why this role matters

This is a high-impact operational role at the core of our European restaurant business. It offers the opportunity to safeguard continuity of supply, build robust distributor relationships, and maintain high availability of our core products across multiple countries.

For the right person, this is a chance to combine commercial acumen, distributor leadership, and practical hands-on delivery in a business where supply chain execution has an immediate and direct impact on restaurant operations and customer experience.

Role Summary

This is a hands-on European Supply Chain Manager role responsible for the day-to-day performance, availability, and cost control of supply chain operations across France, Spain, and Germany, while setting up the supply chain for Portugal and future market entries.

Reporting to the Head of Supply Chain, you will sit at the centre of a fast-paced, multi-country environment requiring sound judgement, pace, and commercial credibility. The role manages the lead distributor in each country to ensure restaurants consistently receive the right products, in the right condition, at the right time and cost.

With a heavy focus on the availability and stock position of our core lines—beef, potatoes, bacon, and hot dogs—rapid decision-making, proactive risk management, and rigorous cost discipline are critical.

You will also work cross-functionally with Purchasing, Food Safety and Technical, Country Operations, and Finance to onboard approved suppliers, resolve live operational challenges, and launch new markets seamlessly.

Distributor & Logistics Performance

• Manage the day-to-day relationship and commercial performance with the lead distributor in each country

• Set clear expectations and performance standards across product availability, stock management, on-time delivery, quality, cost, and response times

• Run regular performance reviews, agree clear action plans, and hold distributor partners accountable to contractual standards and SLAs

• Work collaboratively with distributors and approved suppliers to tackle service drift and drive continuous operational improvements

Service Continuity & Incident Resolution

• Own product availability and supply chain service resilience across France, Spain, and Germany

• Maintain close control over stock cover, shelf life, and incoming supply, with relentless focus on beef, potatoes, bacon, and hot dogs

• Act early to mitigate risks of shortages, delivery failures, excess stock, or waste

• Lead the rapid resolution of rejected deliveries, stock gaps, and critical service issues, establishing clear back-up plans for essential items

Forecasting, Stock & Cost Control

• Collaborate with Operations, Finance, suppliers, and distributors to agree accurate demand forecasts for trading peaks, promotions, and new store openings

• Rigorously challenge distributor forecasts and stock plans to balance availability against working capital, lead times, minimum orders, and shelf life

• Proactively review excess, aging, and short-dated inventory to agree mitigation actions and reduce stock loss

• Audit and challenge distributor charges, storage rates, fuel escalators, and transport costs against agreed contractual terms

Product Implementation & New Markets

• Take approved products and suppliers from Purchasing handover through to successful restaurant launch

• Coordinate end-to-end operational rollouts, including master data setup, ordering schedules, stock builds, deliveries, and transitions from old to new products

• Lead the supply chain setup for Portugal and future European market expansions

• Coordinate distributor onboarding, cross-border transport, customs processes, systems setup, and restaurant support to ensure day-one operational readiness

Governance & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Food Safety and Technical to ensure end-to-end product traceability, regulatory compliance, and swift incident response

• Maintain a simple, effective European supply chain dashboard, operational risk register, and action tracker

• Identify and implement practical improvements across transport efficiency, packaging, stock loss, and supply chain sustainability

To be successful you will demonstrate

• Proven supply chain management experience within foodservice, retail, hospitality, FMCG, or fast-paced multi-site environments

• Strong background managing lead distributor models, stock ownership, and cross-border logistics across more than one country

• Solid operational knowledge of forecasting, fresh and dry stock management, shelf-life constraints, warehousing, and freight

• Commercial awareness and the confidence to interrogate, manage, and challenge supply chain costs

• A calm, decisive, and highly organised approach under pressure

• Experience launching products, changing suppliers, supporting store openings, or setting up supply chains in new markets

• Strong numerical confidence and proficiency in Excel and Microsoft 365

• Willingness and ability to travel regularly across Europe (UK-based role)

• Working knowledge of French, Spanish, or German is advantageous but not essential 

Rewards & Benefits

• A generous annual bonus based on business performance

• Pension scheme

• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity leave

• Electric car salary sacrifice scheme

• Long service rewards after 5 and 10 years with Five Guys

• Five Guys Perks & discounts

• Invite to our annual General Managers conference – this year we celebrated in Rome!

• Life assurance

• Private medical via Vitality

• Wellbeing support