Director, Crisis Management

Position Title: Director, Crisis Management

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time

Grade: Grade 07

Requisition ID: 42563

In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences —together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

About the role.

The Director, Crisis Management provides strategic leadership for food safety, quality, and reputational crisis management across GB&I and EMENA. This role is responsible for ensuring a rapid, coordinated, and effective response to incidents that may impact product integrity, regulatory compliance, or consumer trust.

Working closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams, you will build regional resilience, strengthen crisis preparedness, and safeguard the McCain brand through robust prevention and response frameworks.

What you’ll be doing.

• Lead and coordinate crisis response across the region, ensuring rapid and effective decision-making
• Design, implement, and continuously improve crisis management protocols and escalation processes
• Chair crisis management teams (“crisis cells”) during incidents and act as main contact for authorities
• Conduct risk assessments, root cause analyses, and oversee complex incident investigations
• Lead mock recall exercises and traceability tests to strengthen preparedness
• Monitor emerging risks, regulatory changes, and industry trends impacting food safety and quality
• Partner with Legal, Regulatory Affairs, Communications, and Operations during crisis situations
• Drive a strong food safety and quality culture across the organization
• Provide strategic reporting and recommendations to senior leadership
• Lead regional initiatives to improve resilience, readiness, and continuous improvement

What you’ll need to be successful.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Public Health, or related field (advanced degree preferred)
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in food safety, quality, or crisis/risk management in a food manufacturing environment
• Proven experience managing product recalls or major incidents at regional or global level
• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations (EU, UK) and systems (HACCP, GFSI, FSMA)
• Deep expertise in risk assessment (microbiology, allergens, food fraud, suppliers, etc.)
• Experience working across multiple countries and complex regulatory environments
• Strong leadership and decision-making skills in high-pressure situations
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills (including crisis communication)
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence senior stakeholders
• Fluent in English and French (additional European languages a plus)
• Willingness to travel (30%)

Benefits of the role.

• Competitive executive-level salary package
• Performance-related bonus
• Comprehensive medical and insurance coverage
• Retirement / pension plan
• Maternity and paternity leave
• Flexible working arrangements
• Learning and development opportunities (leadership & technical)
• Health and wellness programs
• Exposure to senior leadership and high-impact, strategic decision-making

About McCain

Click Here to learn more about McCain and how we provide you with opportunities to make an impact that matters.

Leadership principles.

At McCain, our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers, collaborate as a team, and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.

The McCain experience.

We are McCain. This statement is a testament to our collective strength and our individual value. Your contributions play a vital role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust, empowering us to bring out the best in one another. Here, you’ll find opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Join us and experience why we’re better together.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain’s Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy, as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here.

Job Family: Quality & Food Safety
Division: Continental Europe
Department: Quality CE
Location(s): FR - France : Nord : Villeneuve-d'Ascq

Company: McCain Alimentaire SAS