This position leads worldwide innovation research and development within Mars Pet Nutrition business and is a member of the Global R&D business leadership team. This person oversees a team of 130 associates around the globe located in our global innovation centers. This person will lead transformation change across multiple countries and departments within R&D. They will transform, champion and guarantee the short-term and long-term competitiveness of the R&D organization structure, performance and culture.

What are we looking for?

Education & Professional Qualifications:

• 4 Year Undergraduate Degree focused on Food Science and/or Chemistry
• Masters and/or PhD Degree in the Food Science or Chemistry field
• 18+ years of work experience across the Research and Development function including Innovation, Quality, Science & Technology, and/or Value Leadership.

Knowledge / Experience:

• 15+ years leading an R&D organization via strategic and operational capability with demonstrated results in shaping, developing and aligning functions to drive growth. Strong background in building R&D capabilities and innovation management. Understands business strategies and translation into R&D programs.
• Experience and delivery of significant business transformation where R&D partnership was critical for sustained future success of the organization.
• Proven Project management skills with experience in leading large scale, complex projects as the key technical member on a cross-functional team. Hands on experience in the development and successful launch of new products, packages and processes.
• Hands on experience in the development and successful launch of new products, packs and processes.
• High degree of ownership for his/her work, a big sense of urgency and an action-biased, positive attitude.
• Excellent business, organization and communication skills.
• Uses experience base and intellectual knowledge with intuition to chart the future in an ambiguous environment.
• Visible leadership: Make the tough calls on quality, associates, budget, etc.
• Influence key leaders within to support the regional and global growth agenda.
• Experience creating meaningful business growth strategies.
• Creative and critical thinking, able to operate independently.
• The ability to inspire and influence senior stakeholder groups, and experience managing and leading teams.
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills, people development and learning agility.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Leads and accountable for end to end global innovation including front end design framing to innovation commercialization guided by $12B Pet Nutrition strategy and direction.
• Develops and executes initiatives to translate Pet Science into value propositions and drive portfolio transformation in Pet Nutrition and Wellness to ensure our freedom to operate.
• Ensures the execution and measurement of product portfolio transformation by working to commercialize science and technologies and nutrition product offerings.
• Inspires through transformational change by engaging and actively develops global R&D multi level management team located in multiple countries
• Represents R&D as a member of the Pet Nutrition and Corporate Innovation Council to govern and sponsor the focus and activities within the global innovation pipeline
• Partners with the Chief Growth Officer, Marketing Innovation VP, and Global Supply VP to define the long term strategy for the innovation portfolio, using deep technical knowledge to develop, deliver and fuel the 5-year pipeline with a harmonized approach across markets to drive speed and scale
• Develops and implements functional metrics and goals to monitor and report on opportunity progress and success, resource investment, and expenditures as an indicator of efficiencies and effectiveness.
• Act as custodian of Product Performance, ensuring targets are agreed for each brand and results are monitored across the globe. This role is also responsible to ensure long term technologies programs are in place to enable continuous improvements and secure performance in the future.
• Influence the Science & Technology program across Petcare based on market trends and opportunities for PN.