Location: From June 2025 we will be based in the SLO office

Salary Range: annual bonus benefits

Job Purpose/Overview

Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats is an entrepreneurial armslength business focused on extending the Mars brands into new categories beyond confectionery through external partners (suppliers and distributors). The business currently operates in a number of categories: Milk Drinks Hot Chocolate Cakes & Bakes Desserts Chocolate Spreads Cake Mixes Free From and Quick Serve Restaurants across the UK and Europe.

We have a unique and exciting opportunity to lead the technical delivery of a category within the business covering all aspects of supplier/customer relationship management across Q&FS technical legal compliance and NPD in the role of Technical Head. The expectation of this individual will be 2 days per week in the office (as a minimum) with the potential opportunity to work from home 3 days per week. From June 2025 this role will be based out of the SLO office.

For this category we are looking for technical expertise and experience to oversee a wide portfolio of projects. Our ideal candidate will also have broad experience within food manufacturing from product innovation through to Quality and Food Safety management.

A successful candidate will thrive in working in a dynamic fastpaced and complex environment in a crossfunctional team. They will be connected to the delivery of business results gaining business acumen and an external perspective and experiencing an agile environment.

What are we looking for

Knowledge/Experience

• Science Degree with a background/experience in food manufacturing/quality

• Preferably audit experience

• Allergen management knowledge and risk assessment

• Great project management skills

Key Functional Competencies & Technical Skills

• Food manufacturing knowledge/experience

• Food Safety Management Programme and Standards (including GMP GHP HACCP allergens)

• Reactive and proactive risk management

• Lead auditor experience (ideally with qualification)

• Stakeholder management

What will be your key responsibilities

• Responsible for all Technical and Quality aspects of this category in the MCDT business

• Lead the category to create & deliver creative solutions for new products & packs working with our comanufacturing partners

• Implement & maintain Mars Quality standards and other Mars Quality initiatives into the category

• Lead technical factory audits take place for our contract manufacturers ensuring the expertise & capability exists to manage & produce Mars products

• Own all technical documentation for existing products and ensure these are agreed upon updated as necessary and communicated to suppliers using negotiation skills if necessary

• Keep abreast of industry consumer and technology trends as well as the activity of competitors while ensuring that these insights are incorporated into the development of a superior product offering

• On nonconformance & issues resolution act as the technical point of contact between Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats and the factories

• Promptly deal with the factories to solve any technical issues which impact on quality cost or our ability to supply

• Collaborating with external manufacturing partners and internal teams to execute the new product development agenda leading all aspects of new product development including sample review trial coordination and artwork

What can you expect from Mars

• Work with diverse and talented Associates all guided by the Five Principles.

• Join a purposedriven company where were striving to build the world we want tomorrow today.

• Bestinclass learning and development support from day one including access to our inhouse Mars University.

• An industrycompetitive salary and benefits package including a company bonus.

Mars is committed to providing access equal opportunity and reasonable adjustments for individuals with disabilities longterm health conditions or are neurodiverse during the application and recruitment process. To request reasonable adjustments complete our Reasonable Adjustment Request Form here

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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.