A mutually rewarding experience.

Work. Realize your ambitions. And realize there’s more to being in business than just making a profit. That’s the Mars philosophy. And the opportunity we offer every one of our Associates. An opportunity to take what you do and make it mean more for you, for those around you and for the planet.  What you get here is challenging, interesting work. You get the tools you need to do a great job and you get to have the best possible people on your side to help you do it. And at the same time as getting to find ways to do business better today than we did it yesterday and driving a great career, you also get to build a more enlightened business and drive sustainability.

Because it’s never just about a single person, a single project or a single brand. It’s about how you can grab everything that’s within your reach here and use it to pursue mutual, long-term gain. It’s about having ideas. And ideals. Being prepared to risk failure because the promise of success means we’ll all be a little better off. It’s that mix of integrity and ambition that makes Mars such a special place to work. And why working here is always about more than just a job.

About Mars, Incorporated 

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

 

Job Purpose/Overview:

The purpose of this position is to drive the continuous improvement effort at the site; developing processes to identify and eliminate all types of losses, leading and coaching others to lead initiatives to address losses, and embedding a continuous improvement mindset in all Associates. The Continuous Improvement Technician will collect and analyse data, as well as work with all plant Associates to understand losses and opportunities for improvement. They will then lead the effort to execute improvements, while teaching and coaching others.

 

Key Responsibilities:

•    Champion the rigorous application of Mars Supply Excellence (MSE) tools and execution of standards
•    Support/lead continuous improvement activities such as work process improvements, loss elimination and problem solving using standard MSE tools and practices
•    Provide regular, ongoing communication with plant Associates and Line Managers of status of improvement activities
•    Drive safety, quality and efficiency measures through proactive problem resolution, follow-up and follow-through
•    Lead issue resolution to root cause of chronic stops and sources of contamination 
•    Work with Engineers to ensure required Clean, Inspect, Lubricate; Centerlines and abnormality handling tools/tasks are executed per standard 
•    Gather, interpret, and report data on problem issues; run trend analysis and share with other CI Technicians 
•    Collaborate with plant Associates and Technical Team; assist/lead problem solve processes and procedural issues and develop improvement recommendations for processes and procedures
•    Work with plant Associates and Technical Team to develop, design, and implement most efficient work procedures
•    Provide expertise and assist in the implementation and maintenance of visual workplace
•    Provide expertise and assist in the implementation of lean factory tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Single Minute Exchange of Dies, 5S, Waste Walks, Gemba Walks, etc. 
•    Develop electronic performance support systems to deliver Just-In-Time information as needed
•    Support Commissioning, Validation and Start-up process within factory
•    Complete Corrective Action/Preventative Action (CAPA) activities to drive improvement in quality and efficiency
•    Perform other duties as required to meet business needs, including operating equipment/flow to work
•    Leads and participates as key contributor to MSE Pillars where appropriate, including owning essential elements and acting as a pillar lead backup as needed
•    Update daily, weekly, monthly, and annual scorecards and KPIs as needed
•    Build capability in others by applying the Learn, Do, Teach methodology
•    Coach equipment owners via the Equipment Ownership coaching process helping drive out losses
•    Change management champion for team
•    Autonomous Maintenance owner for defined line or area of plant 
•    Lead and coach others on executing improvement initiatives, using MSE tools
•    Perform in depth data analysis to understand and visualize losses, and for investigational purposes when issues arise

 

Context and Scope:

 This role will work with all functions at the site as well as some at the corporate office. The direct team will be the Continuous Improvement team, which may include the Industrial Engineering team and the Focus Improvement Pillar team.

 

Education & Professional Qualifications:

•    High School diploma or equivalent required
•    Associates Degree or Bachelors Degree in Engineering, Supply, Business or technical field of study preferred
•    At least 2 years experience with TPM/MSE with participation in FI or AM preferred
 

Experience:
•    Self-development:  Learn & upgrade job related skills
•    Teamwork & effectiveness working with others
•    Successful Minor / Small project deliveries
•    Proven loss elimination track record and mindset
•    In depth data analysis to understand losses
•    Significant experience with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel

 

Knowlegde:
•    In Depth knowledge of plant systems, equipment, and production systems

•    Demonstrated effectiveness in listening, oral and written communication skills
•    Demonstrated ability to write clearly, concisely and in a professional manner, using proper grammar
•    Demonstrated ability to positively influence others not in direct span of control
•    Demonstrated ability to organize daily work, work independently and be self-motivated
•    Fluent in the following computer applications: Word, Excel and PowerPoint
•    Demonstrated use of good judgment and decision making skills with appropriate sense of urgency
•    Demonstrated ability to work under tight schedules in high-pressure situations
•    Demonstrated analytical and problem solving ability
•    Ability to learn and use process mapping
•    Use and coach others on MSE tools (specifically AM, PM, FI, E&T)
•    Ability to learn and apply system design concepts and principles
 

 

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.