Program Manager (T3) - Cocoa Science & Technology (S&T) 

The Cocoa S&T PMO performs the job with a high standing-alone autonomy, receives the business direction from the line manager and S&T leadership team, and is expected to propose workplans proactively.  The role seeks out new ways to solve a business problem by tapping into his/her internal networks, and motivating others.

The PMO is able to detect risks & opportunities with early signals, and escalate timely to manage any issue with minimum noise.  The job is to leverage his/her technical education background and job experiences to direct scientists and engineers on their project management, while using his/her business acumen to negotiate with cross-functional leaders in Commercial, Sustainability and Finance.  The PMO is technically-inclined as well as business-savvy to do the job well.

What are we looking for?

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, engineering, life sciences or equivalent.

• Master’s degree or certified courses in business administration, project management, or product development preferred.

• In-depth functional knowledge in portfolio management of complex R&D projects and programs. 

• Technical project management and risk management skills

• Global Experience

• Proficient use in Microsoft PowerPoint, Visio and Forms applications.  

What will be your key responsibilities?

Portfolio & Program Management Leadership

• Manage the global portfolio of Cocoa S&T programs by defining the ‘products & services’ that each program generates as value for the Mars Cocoa Enterprise (MCE).  ‘Products & Services’ are defined using a business model blueprint that captures the jobs to be done (JTBD) with an end-user centric approach.  This is a critical responsibility of the PMO. 

• Be the strategic thought leader in the pipeline development of a Cocoa S&T products & services spanning a 15+ year time horizon.

• Facilitate business-facing alignment with the MCE leadership team and cross-functional stakeholders on the Cocoa S&T program objectives, deliverables and timeline using program charters as the ‘one source of truth.’

• Initiate the intellectual property (IP) strategy alignment process with the Mars legal counsels to ensure that value capture is consistently practiced across the portfolio.

• Apply technical background on the Cocoa S&T program deliverables to translate the “so what” for the business stakeholders.

• Identify any gaps in the Cocoa S&T program workstreams and products & services against the program objectives that are designed to deliver towards the MCE goals.

• Facilitate and curate the agendas for Cocoa S&T Directors period meetings and program execution meetings.

Signature Process Leadership

• Lead the technical readiness level (TRL) gate governance process for each project that complies with the Mars Science Operating System (MSOS) and Quality Management Process (QMP).

• For each project gate governance meeting, steer the principal investigators, project managers and program owners to articulate the scientific outputs in a clear format ready for buy-in and decision-making by key stakeholders.

• Review the outputs of the critical success factors (CSFs) with principal investigators and project managers as a compliance check, and document the gate meeting decisions clearly for record retention.

• Track the TRL gate governance cadence across the portfolio of Cocoa S&T programs, and escalate to line manager on any risk or opportunity.

• Contribute to the Mars Corporate R&D’s initiative on MSOS compliance and continuous improvement.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with over 130,000 like-minded and talented Associates, all guided by The Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

#LI-BM1

About Mars:
Mars is a family-owned business with more than $35 billion in global sales. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5â„¢, SKITTLES®, BEN’S ORIGINAL® and COCOAVIA®. Alongside our consumer brands, we proudly take care of half of the world’s pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses such as Banfield Pet Hospitalsâ„¢, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, AniCura, VCAâ„¢ and Pet Partnersâ„¢. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our 130,000 Associates into taking action every day towards creating the world we want tomorrow.

Disclaimer:
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.​​​​​​​

Note to Search Firms/Agencies:
Mars, Incorporated and its subsidiaries and affiliates (Mars) do not compensate search firms for unsolicited assistance unless they have a written search agreement with Mars and the requisition is position-specific.  Any resumes, curriculum vitae, and other unsolicited assistance from search firms that do not have a written search agreement or position-specific requisition submitted to any Associate of Mars will be deemed the sole property of Mars and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Mars.