Flexa
Discover companiesFind a jobResourcesSign in/up
For employers
Flex spring

Join the mailing list

Get the latest insights and expert guidance on job hunting, career progression, and creating thriving workplaces.

Enter your email
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Info for employers
  • Join Flexa
  • Legal
  • Live feed
  • Resources
  • Sign in/up
  • The Flexa awards
Flexa
< Back to search
Mars

Value Creation Business Partner (Spend Better)

Salary:  $153,600 – $211,200 per annum
Location:  USA-Illinois-Chicago | United States of America
Location flexibility:  1 office day / week, 2 office days / week, 3 office days / week, 4 office days / week
View company profile
Apply

Job Description

Job Description:

The Business Partner, Value Creation is a key member of the Integration Management Office (IMO) Value Creation team, reporting to the Value Creation Lead. The role serves as the primary value creation partner to assigned functions, regions, and integration workstreams, helping teams identify, quantify, track, and realize synergy commitments.

The Spend Better program is a critical pillar of the global Synergy program, focused on unlocking sustainable cost savings and productivity across the end-to-end value chain. Spend Better encompasses a broad range of value-creation opportunities, with an elevated emphasis on Directs (Direct Materials, Packaging, Recipe & Formulation, and Design-to-Value) alongside manufacturing productivity, network optimization, logistics efficiency, travel and overhead optimization, and other structural cost-reduction initiatives.

We are looking for a highly commercially oriented Finance Business Partner to partner the global Spend Better program and drive greater rigor, pace and intensity in delivering value. This role will operate at the intersection of Finance, Procurement, R&D, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Marketing and other functional teams. The successful candidate will work with senior stakeholders globally while partnering closely with Finance Business Partners across regions and functions.

The role requires someone who can identify opportunities, challenge assumptions, translate operational opportunities into financial value, and ensure that savings are both delivered and sustained.

What are we looking for?

  • 10+ years of progressive Finance experience, ideally with significant experience in cost transformation, productivity, value creation or performance improvement.
  • Demonstrated experience across the Directs ecosystem— encompassing direct materials procurement finance, raw & packaging materials, R&D/formulation optimization, Design-to-Value (DtV), and Bill of Materials (BOM) cost architecture.
  • Substantial background in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Food & Beverage, or FMCG manufacturing environments where recipe, packaging, and factory conversion are central to cost structures.
  • Demonstrated experience translating operational productivity opportunities into validated, sustainable financial savings, with a strong understanding of manufacturing cost drivers and the ability to distinguish structural savings from volume, mix, inflation, FX and other financial effects.
  • Experience operating in large, complex, multinational organizations is strongly preferred.

Technical / Commercial Capability:

  • End-to-End Directs & Manufacturing Economics: Strong grasp of recipe costing, ingredient functionality trade-offs, packaging specifications, yield/scrap dynamics, and conversion economics.
  • Cost Engineering & DtV Acumen: Familiarity with teardowns, Design-to-Value principles, clean-sheet pricing, and supplier margin analysis.
  • Financial Modeling & Valuation: High proficiency in complex business cases, discounted cash flows, switchover investment paybacks, and synergy stage-gate tracking.
  • Financial Control & Accounting: Deep understanding of COGS, standard costing variance (purchase price variance, usage variance), P&L flow-through, and inventory valuation.
  • Analytical Precision: Ability to distill massive datasets across ERP systems and bill of materials into clear financial drivers and actionable business decisions.

Leadership & Behavioral Capabilities:

  • Commercial & Technical Co-Pilot: Operates with a growth and value-creation mindset; understands the operational levers behind the numbers.
  • Constructive Challenger: Confident in probing assumptions made by both procurement buyers and technical developers to ensure targets are robust.
  • Navigating Ambiguity: Thrives in dynamic, fast-paced integration environments, balancing strategic vision with granular operational execution.
  • Influencing Without Authority: Exceptional interpersonal skills to mobilize cross-functional global partners who do not report directly to this position.
  • Clarity of Communication: Exceptional storytelling and synthesis skills, simplifying technical and financial complexities for senior executive audiences.

What will be your key responsibilities?


1. Drive the Global Spend Better Agenda:

    • Act as the primary Finance Business Partner to the global Spend Better program.
    • Partner with the Spend Better team to translate overall synergy ambition into actionable, prioritized portfolio of initiatives across both commercial directs (e.g., strategic sourcing, supplier terms, clean-sheet costing) and technical/operational directs (e.g., recipe reformulations, ingredient harmonization, specification optimization, lightweighting, and scrap/yield improvement).
    • Drive urgency, accountability and transparency across the global program.
    • Challenge the organization to identify additional opportunities and accelerate delivery.
    • Establish a consistent global approach to identifying, quantifying and tracking value creation.

2. Identify, Evaluate and Quantify Value Creation Opportunities:

    • Partner with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, R&D, Procurement, Marketing and other functions to identify cost-reduction and productivity opportunities.
    • Assess opportunities through a rigorous financial and operational lens, including cost drivers, baseline economics, implementation requirements and risks.
    • Translate operational initiatives such as formulation changes, packaging redesign, manufacturing productivity, logistics optimization and Design-to-Value into measurable financial outcomes.
    • Champion Design-to-Value (DtV) and total cost of ownership (TCO) frameworks, converting technical and operational proposals into verified financial value.
    • Rigorously stress test business cases to ensure that reported savings represent true economic value rather than timing, volume, mix or accounting effects.
    • Help teams prioritize initiatives based on value, feasibility, speed and sustainability.

3. Establish Savings Rigor and Governance:

    • Define and embed robust methodologies for establishing baselines, calculating savings and measuring financial impact.
    • Create clear distinction between identified, validated, implemented and realized savings.
    • Ensure initiatives are appropriately reflected in financial forecasts and actual results.
    • Partner with regional and functional Finance teams to reconcile initiative-level savings to P&L and other financial measures.
    • Identify gaps between operational savings claims and financial outcomes and drive resolution.
    • Establish mechanisms to prevent double counting and ensure clear ownership of benefits.

4. Performance Management and Executive Visibility:

    • Develop a fact-based view of Spend Better performance across regions, functions and initiatives.
    • Build dashboards and management routines that highlight delivery versus ambition, risks, opportunities and required interventions.
    • Provide insightful analysis to senior leadership and governance forums.
    • Surface emerging risks early and work with initiative owners to develop recovery plans.
    • Prepare high-quality financial and business insights for SteerCo and other senior leadership discussions.

5. Partner Across a Complex Global Organization:

    • Work closely with Finance Business Partners across regions and functions, ensuring alignment between global program governance and local execution.
    • Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across Supply Chain, Procurement, R&D, Manufacturing, Marketing and Finance.
    • Influence without direct authority and drive consistency across a highly matrixed organization.
    • Share best practices and replicate successful value-creation initiatives across markets and categories.

What can you expect from Mars?

  • Work with over 130,000 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.

#LI-KR2

#LI-Onsite

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is between the range listed below, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position will include variable pay, medical and dental benefits, participation in 401k plan, and paid time off benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an applicant receives an offer of employment.

The pay range shown is applicable to all US locations listed within the job posting:USD 153,600.00 - USD 211,200.00

Apply

Other jobs you might like

Mars

Sr. Finance Manager, Digital Technologies

$134,400 – $184,800 per annum

Chicago, US

#1 MOST FAMILY FRIENDLY COMPANY

Working at Mars

Hybrid

Core hours 11–3

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
Shared parental leave
Adoption leave
Family health insurance
Pregnancy support
Neonatal leave
Faith rooms
Meditation space
Dog friendly office
Dog friendly co-working space
Annual bonus
Employee discounts
Cinema discounts
Referral bonus
Joining bonus
Cycle to work scheme
Electric Car Salary Sacrifice
Enhanced pension match/contribution
Theme park discounts
Lunch and learns
In house training
Learning license
Studying sabbaticals
Open to part time work for some roles
Menopause support
On-site gym
On-site barista
Secure on-site parking
On-site catering
Private booths
On-site wellness room
Collaboration spaces

Awards & Accreditations

1st - Most Family Friendly Company

1st - Most Family Friendly Company

Flexa awards 2026
3rd - Best Workplace Benefits

3rd - Best Workplace Benefits

Flexa awards 2026
Most loved - Large companies

Top 5 - Most loved - Large companies

Flexa awards 2026
Best Work-Life Balance

Top 10 - Best Work-Life Balance

Flexa awards 2026
1st - Most Family Friendly Company

1st - Most Family Friendly Company

Flexa awards 2025
2nd – Pet Friendly

2nd – Pet Friendly

Flexa awards 2025
Most Flexible Company

Top 5 - Most Flexible Company

Flexa awards 2025
Most Inclusive Company

Top 5 - Most Inclusive Company

Flexa awards 2025
Best Work-Life Balance

Top 10 - Best Work-Life Balance

Flexa awards 2025
Best Career Progression

Top 10 - Best Career Progression

Flexa awards 2025
Best Workplace Culture

Best Workplace Culture

Flexa awards 2025
Best Workplace Benefits

Best Workplace Benefits

Flexa awards 2025
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
Apply

Mars

Senior Manager, Innovation Finance

$153,600 – $211,200 per annum

Chicago, US

#1 MOST FAMILY FRIENDLY COMPANY

Mars

Senior Manager, Finance - R&D

$134,400 – $184,800 per annum

Chicago, US

#1 MOST FAMILY FRIENDLY COMPANY

Mars

Manager, Cost Modeling

$79,280 – $109,010 per annum

Chicago, US

#1 MOST FAMILY FRIENDLY COMPANY

Mars

Demand Finance Business Partner, North America

$105,000 – $144,000 per annum

Louisville | Franklin | New York

#1 MOST FAMILY FRIENDLY COMPANY

Company employees:

4,000 In the UK

Gender diversity (m:f):

57:43

Hiring in countries

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

Chile

China

Czechia

Denmark

Egypt

Estonia

France

Germany

Greece

Guatemala

Hungary

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Japan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Latvia

Lithuania

Malaysia

Mexico

Netherlands

New Zealand

Poland

Romania

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Slovakia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Switzerland

Thailand

Türkiye

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

Office Locations