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.

 

Key Responsibilities

•       Design, develop and manage scale up of raw materials and specifications that translate to full scale production and provide competitive advantage to Mars Inc.

•       Provide leadership and direction to drive on time and in budget project delivery; ensure quality, integrity and assurance of supply throughout the business by effectively integrating scientific discipline and knowledge to business needs.

•       Design and execute quality plans throughout the pipeline process for raw materials research.

•       Subject Matter Expert for technical risk assessments and raw material specifications for global and regional units that deliver fit for purpose.

•       Provides technical support to R&D and the broader business

•       Maintains an advanced level of working knowledge of the state of the art in their specific scientific/technological discipline through literature review and conference/international meeting attendance.

•       Communicate research outputs to key internal audiences through internal business report, technical briefs and verbal communications.

•       Thought leader within community of practice for raw materials best practices.

 

Context and Scope

Drives new learning and development of ingredient technologies within the peanut and tree nut categories.  The incumbent will report to the Sr. Manager-Mints, Nuts, Flavor Science as part of the Global Ingredient Science team, and the role does not include direct reports.

•       Ensure proper safety practices (GMP's, LOTO, etc.) are followed in all testing and production situations. 

•       Leverage and use an internal and external collaborative network of expertise and resources to help to address research needs, execute projects and promote corporate reputation.

•       Follows aligned ways of working on how to conduct a research and developed project

•       Develop and articulate testable hypotheses for research studies, plan and apply robust experimental design.

•       Understand techniques for handling large data sets; advise and build appropriate experimental plans to ensure results deliver desired level of confidence.

•       Develop and execute research programs/projects that meet the segments business needs building in a good understanding of our peers and competitors.

•       Translate consumer and customer relevant product quality attributes into specification; consult experts where appropriate.

•       Effectively communicate and problem solve with global teams through virtual and face to face interactions – available to travel globally and connect with teams in different time zones (eg. China)

•       Ability to document, organize and summarize project results through verbal and written communication.

•       Ability to work independently to manage multiple projects and prioritize activities.

 

Job Specifications/Qualifications

Education & Professional Qualifications     

Minimum: B.S. in Food Science, Food or Chem. Engr., Biochemistry or related discipline and 3 years of related experience, a M.S. degree with 2 years of experience (preferably within food or raw materials) or a PhD.

Preferred: Masters or PhD in Food Science, Food or Chem. Engr., Biochemistry or related discipline and 3+ years of related industry experience.

Knowledge / Experience

 •       Experience in raw materials/product / process research with successful project completions.

•       Experience with Peanuts and Tree Nuts preferred, especially with regards to technical risk assessments and specification development. 

•       Experience in agriculture and plant science is desired.

•       High drive for results and an ability to work with minimum input.

•       Demonstrated record of performing research in food, food ingredients or related systems.

•       An advanced understanding of the key scientific concepts associated with food systems and ingredient/process interaction is critical.

•       In conjunction with a general knowledge of food science and chemistry, in depth knowledge of specific job field. 

 

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.