< Back to search

top 3 scores:
94%

Location flexibility

91%

Hours flexibility

90%

Autonomy

Job Description

Job Description:

Senior Commercial Project Expert

Job Purpose/Overview

The Senior Project Expert is the Commercial (procurement) lead for all Product innovation, brand renovation, sustainability and network transformation projects that impact our supply base and for select complex Value leadership projects that impact multiple buying categories. This requires collaboration with diverse functional teams and the provision of end to end commercial input, to ensure positive project outcomes in line with the company's strategic objectives. This role provides leadership for Commercial in business planning sessions, and is accountable for commercial excellence in execution across the Pet Nutrition Europe network.

What are we looking for?

  • Bachelors degree or Equivalent

  • Preferred - University Degree Level (e.g.: Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Engineering, Economics BSc) or equivalent.

  • Proven experience in Business Management, Supply Chain or Procurement roles, including 1-2 years in a Project Management capacity.

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English

  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills

  • Excellent planning and organizational skills

  • Project Management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Kanban…)

  • SAP or similar ERP knowledge and understanding

  • Advanced skills in MS Office, especially in Excel, as well as knowledge about intelligence tools like PowerBI or similar

What will be your key responsibilities?

Transformation and Strategy Execution:

  • Lead end to end commercial implementation of growth, sustainability, innovation & value leadership initiatives, executing cross-functional projects of medium & high complexity, including projects of a sensitive or confidential nature.

  • Implement highly complex value leadership projects in line with all relevant sourcing category strategies, liaising across Commercial job families, as well as with the wider cross functional community.

Project and Process Management:

  • Oversee project processes, tool management, and knowledge retention, with special attention to project gate particularities and project management system input.

  • Proactively engage with key departments at a regional level, including R&D, Industrial Engineering, Marketing and Supply, along with other commercial pillars. Supporting project requests relevant to Commercial, in the context of the total project pipeline for smoother approval in relevant business forums, ensuring cross-departmental alignment and efficient stakeholder communication.

  • Communicate & collaborate with Suppliers regarding project timelines, requirements, prices and deployment to ensure smooth & effective project implementation, within the sourcing strategy framework defined by the sourcing managers. Escalate supplier concerns or issues for resolution or decision via the Commercial Operations Category Expert and Sourcing Manager.

  • Communicate any changes in project volumes promptly to the Material Supply Planning team to facilitate accurate Demand Consolidation, ensuring efficient and responsive planning processes.

  • Actively seek out & propose opportunities for process optimization and continuous improvement of project related cross functional communication, the full commercial approach to project input & management and the business planning process. Align, lead, deploy and train new processes & projects accordingly.

Knowledge Management & Operational Efficiency:

  • Manage and optimize cost structures through the RFQ process, aligning with financial targets and tracking progress for accountability.

  • Contribute to a culture of role standardization & best practice sharing in the Project Expert team and across all COPs job families to drive effectiveness & efficiency.

  • Provide clear communication of knowledge regarding in scope projects & initiatives across appropriate teams, ensuring the Site Expert team are well informed on key projects impacting their scope & their sites.

  • Support the Commercial Project Implementation Manager in on-boarding, upskilling and coaching the Commercial Project Experts, to ensure process harmonization and efficiency.

Strategic Sourcing and Commercial Excellence:

  • Partner with the Commercial Project Implementation Manager to represent commercial interests in Regional supply/demand and Value Leadership forums, including attending periodic segment team meetings on a project basis or deputizing for the Commercial Project Implementation Manager, contributing to project roadmaps and the advancement of commercial initiatives.

  • Fully responsible for commercial inputs in RFQ process, including price negotiation with suppliers of new formats, specs, or designs, in collaboration with other Commercial pillars.

  • Lead cross-functional project teams to support continuous improvement and transformation of the Commercial aspects of project execution and relevant processes

Context and Scope

This role will attend all project Activity Task Group meetings (ATGs) within role scope and Value Leadership project teams where relevant, as well as managing critical stakeholder groups, including European Project Managers and Activity Managers, Regional IEs and Marketing Managers. By representing Commercial through all project stage gates this role will ensure excellence in execution across the network, reducing waste and non quality costs and ensuring activities are delivered on time, thus enabling Sourcing Managers to focus on external relationships and long term strategic priorities vs the PNE internal project pipeline.

What can you expect from Mars?

  • Work with over 140,000 diverse 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.

Find out more about what Mars can offer you by visiting our Global Careers site.

#LI-DT1

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.

Company benefits

Open to part-time employees
Open to job sharing
Open to compressed hours
Sabbaticals
Enhanced maternity leave – 26 weeks at 90% pay
Enhanced paternity leave – 26 weeks at 90% pay
24 days annual leave + bank holidays
“Pawternity” leave
Pregnancy loss leave
Bank holiday swaps

We asked employees of Mars UK what it's like to work there, and this is what they told us.

Location flexibility
94%
Employees are very happy with their working location freedom
Hours flexibility
91%
Employees are very happy with the flexibility in the hours they work
Benefits
84%
Employees are very happy with the benefits their company offers
Work-life balance
80%
Employees feel that they can switch off quite easily from work
Role modelling
81%
Employees feel that flexible working is part of the culture
Autonomy
90%
Employees feel they have complete autonomy over getting their work done

Additional employee ratings
(these do not contribute to the FlexScore®)

Diversity
75%
Employees feel that the diversity is good and there are continued efforts to improve it
Inclusion
78%
Employees feel that the culture supports equity and inclusivity well
Culture
86%
Employees feel like it is a really great environment to work in
Mission
84%
Employees feel very excited about and aligned with the company mission
Salary
70%
Employees feel that their salary is good and matches the value they bring

Working at Mars UK

Company employees

4,000 In the UK

Gender diversity (male:female)

57:43

Currently Hiring Countries

Brazil

France

Spain

United Kingdom

United States

Office Locations

Awards & Achievements

1st – Large companies

1st – Large companies

Flexa100 2024
Consumer Goods

Consumer Goods

Industry awards 2023
3rd – Large companies

3rd – Large companies

Flexa100 2023
Retail & Ecommerce

Retail & Ecommerce

Industry awards 2022