VP Science & Technology

Job Description

Job Description:

This new position of Global VP Science & Technology leads worldwide science research and development within Mars Pet Nutrition business and is a member of the Global R&D business leadership team for $12B business. This person oversees a team of ~30 associates around the globe located in our global innovation centers. This person will be the bridge between the Global VP Innovation and MARS Research Centers of Excellence to translate our science and technology agenda into solving pets’ critical health needs. This person will partner with the VP of Waltham Science Institute, Mars Chief Science Officer, and Global VP Innovation to create science-based interventions to the most critical pet health needs. They will transform, champion, and guarantee the short-term and long-term competitiveness of the R&D organization structure, performance and culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensures the execution and measurement of product portfolio transformation by working to commercialize science and technologies and Health & Nutrition product offerings
• Leads a broad multi-disciplinary scientific technical organization that ensures development and deployment of scientific and engineering principles in research in coordination with development, production technology, Quality & Food Safety, packaging and processing.
• Represents R&D as a member of the MARS Science & Research Teams and at the Science and Diagnostics Councils to govern and sponsor the focus and activities within the global science and technology pipeline.
• Voice of Pet Nutrition with the VP of Waltham Science, Science and Diagnostics Leader to define the long term strategy for the science and technology portfolio, using deep technical knowledge to develop, deliver and fuel the 5-year innovation pipeline.
• Provides management, scientific leadership and creativity in initiating, designing and executing the research strategy while leveraging the MARI and MARS Petcare Science & Diagnostic team as appropriate.
• Develops and executes initiatives to elevate Pet Science and drive portfolio transformation in Health & wellness and to ensure our freedom to operate.
• Role models the Mars Five Principles and Mars/Segment Purpose through action and fosters truly purpose driven team through High Performance Collaboration (HPC) behaviors.
• Responsible for developing a strong, positive culture, driving for excellence and promoting cross-functional collaboration.
• Support the development and delivery of intellectual property and contributes to patent applications and patent strategy development.
• Develops and implements science and technology functional metrics and goals to monitor and report on opportunity progress and success, resource investment, and expenditures as an indicator of efficiencies and effectiveness.

Context and Scope

Explain how the job gets done and the way it operates within the team and with stakeholders

This person reports into the Global R&D VP and is peers with the Global VP Innovation, Global VP Quality & Food Safety, and Global R&D Operations Director. This role will interact with the VP of Waltham Science Institute, Mars Chief Science Officer, and Global VP Innovation to create science-based interventions to the most critical pet health needs. This role will also have interaction with the Global President for Pet Nutrition as a critical role to deliver our overall business strategy. It is also expected that this role is externally facing to engage beyond MARS in the cutting-edge science and technology thinking and delivery. This role is also expected to have cross segment interaction with Royal Canin and other segments within the MARS Inc. organization.

Education & Professional Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Science Based Field
• Required: PhD in Human and/or Animal Science Based Field

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 science 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 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.

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.