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 Title:            Procurement Operations Director

Location:            Hackettstown, NJ/Tri-State Area

Segment:            Mars Wrigley Confectionery

Level:                  P3

 

Job Overview

The primary role of the Commercial Director Operations is to lead the Operations team in the development and execution of procurement operational strategy for all ingredients and packaging materials for Mars Wrigley in support of 14 production sites within the US.  The Commercial Operations Team is the key interface between Procurement and key business stakeholders such as Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Finance. 

 

This leader is responsible for inbound supply chain strategy development and execution, supplier performance improvement, inventory management, systems support, and ensuring the delivery of exceptional business results in the following key areas for ingredients and packaging materials:

Efficient and effective execution of $2B of direct sourcing strategies to deliver cost, quality, service and sustainability targets including leading Value Creation “What” (COGS) to step change delivery to support 4%+ / year target. In addition, the Ops team Is responsible for coordinating Inbound to our External Manufacturing sites and suppliers.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and direction to a team of 20+ associates.  Use effective leadership skills to develop a High Performing Commercial Operations Team, attract and retain talent and drive associate engagement. Deliver succession plans that enable consistent delivery of operating and financial plans, plus build a pipeline of talent for the future.
• Lead the Operational management of the entire supplier base to ensure the efficient and effective execution of all Global and Regional sourcing strategies.
• Assure supply to all MW manufacturing sites of Direct Materials and deliver consistent, reliable quality at the lowest possible total business cost.  Assure that the Packaging and Raw Material supply chains are efficient and responsive to the needs of the business.  Manage related supply, price, quality, legal and intellectual property risks
• Develop and ensure execution of strategies that improve the agility and reliability of the supply base in support of new product launches and line extensions.  Proactively work with strategic suppliers to ensure the delivery of continuous improvement ideas and technology which ultimately leads to competitive advantage and revenue generating opportunities.  
• Develop and execute “Best in Class” materials management strategies and collaborate closely with Supply to lower Net Working Capital in support of MWC long term cash goals. Deliver the strategic direction, oversight, and execution of key divisional pipeline initiatives including the successful roll-out of consignment, EDI and other significant pipeline enablers.
• Develop & execute inbound supply chain strategies including hub-n-spoke, min/max inventory management, and supplier owned inventory to reduce costs and reduce lead times. 
• Drive materials costs down and deliver cost savings back to the business.  Lead cross-functional COGS (cost of goods sold) teams with specific accountability for driving the “What”.  Identify novel and creative means for reducing costs.  Deliver against Best in Class Prime Material savings targets each year.
• Drive material quality up (in terms of consistent achievement of specifications) and lead efforts to leverage supplier’s R&D resources to bring forth leverageable innovations to the business.
• Specifically support all Strategic Sourcing and Buying Operations teams to ensure supplier master maintenance, spend analysis, transaction support and buying tool development in order to build and maintain a competitive advantage in buying management. Ensures data integrity and continuous improvement of the functional aspects of processes & systems.
• Collaborate with U.S Customs and Mars, Inc, McLean and across segments to ensure that all goods are delivered on time and in full to support all planned manufacturing activities.   
• Establish and maintain leadership positions within industry associations and councils.  Focus their goals and resources to the benefit of Mars Incorporated
• Manage suppliers from Ops perspective.

 

Requirements

Education & Professional Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree: MBA in business, economics, supply chain or related discipline a plus, but not required. 
• 10+ years of experience in large scale strategic procurement and/or directly relevant supply chain discipline
• 5+ years’ experience in managing multiple, exempt level reports and cross functional teams

 

Knowledge & Experience

• Constructs risk management strategies and implement buying strategies for Prime materials.
• Understands complexities of the materials pipeline and influence changes in Mars’ specifications of quality, physical receipt, and financial transactions to reduce costs and inventories.
• Works across and influence an extensive network of cross functional, cross segment and global clients / stakeholders to ensure initiatives are executed in MWC.
• Demonstrated strong crisis management and conflict resolution skill
• Quickly analyze, define root cause and problem solve issues
• Leverages supplier expertise and resources in order to bring innovative ideas, products and processes back to MWC.
• Rigorously implements the Mars Strategic Sourcing Process.
• Is an effective leader to local, regional and global commercial teams as well as lead unit cross functional Value Creation teams.

 

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.