Discover Agile Innovation Associate Director of Insights

Chicago, IL - USA

Monthly Salary: Not Disclosed

Posted on: 30+ days ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Job Description:

The Discover team is a new construct at Mars Snacking designed to unite human intelligence consumer-centric design research and Science & Tech capabilities to transform long-horizon innovation. This teams mandate is twofold: first to identify and interpret early signals of emerging human behaviors and tensions that will shape innovation priorities; and second to drive front-end innovation focused on the most critical consumer tensions developing high-potential propositions across categories and brands.

The Discover Agile Innovation Insights - Associate Director reports into Global Agile Innovation Insights Director at Mars Snacking. Key internal partners include R&D Marketing and Design to co-create solutions based on identified jobs and pain points.

This role operates within a culture that champions a test learn adapt mindsetembedding agile iterative discovery into the front end of innovation. It requires a human behavior-obsessed leader with a keen intuition for subtle but significant signals an innovator who can translate deep needs and tensions into platform-able concepts and a collaborator who can influence innovation leaders and entrepreneurs through compelling insight-driven ideas. The role emphasizes speed continuous learning and organizational capability-building in qualitative discovery and agile insights.

What are we looking for

Proven expertise in qualitative research methodologies such as ethnographies interviews and co-creation to uncover deep consumer insights and tensions.
Strong experience in translating emerging consumer trends and behaviors into actionable innovation opportunities and white spaces.
Demonstrated ability to lead agile experimentation cycles including hypothesis development rapid prototyping and iterative learning.
Excellent collaboration and influencing skills with a track record of partnering effectively across R&D Marketing and Design teams to drive innovation.
Experience with jobs-to-be-done frameworks pain point mapping and prioritization and familiarity with agile innovation processes
Nice to have: background in consumer goods or snacking industry.

What will be your key responsibilities

Human-Centric Discovery

Lead early exploration to identify unmet needs pain points and whitespace opportunities.
Conduct in-depth qualitative research (ethnographies immersions interviews co-creation observations).
Translate findings into jobs-to-be-done frameworks that capture functional emotional and social needs.
Synthesize insights into innovation territories and opportunity platforms that inspire new ideas.
Build consumer empathy across teams by sharing stories and artifacts that bring needs and tensions to life.
Leverage trends foresight and weak signals to inspire innovation platforms and idea generation.
Prioritize critical opportunities by surfacing underlying tensions and providing clear decision frameworks.

Agile Experimentation

Design and execute lean tests (concepts prototypes pilots digital experiments) to validate hypotheses.
Create rapid learning loops to refine opportunities and shape ideas iteratively.
Define success KPIs focused on consumer resonance desirability and feasibility.
Collaboration & Influence
Partner with R&D Marketing and Design to co-create solutions based on identified jobs and pain points.
Facilitate workshops sprints and ideation sessions connecting insights to bold ideas.
Influence senior stakeholders by translating discovery insights into compelling narratives.

Ways of Working

Embed agile iterative learning into the front end of innovation.
Promote a test learn adapt culture prioritizing speed and continuous improvement.
Contribute to building organizational capability in qualitative discovery jobs-to-be-done and agile insights

What can you expect from Mars

Work with diverse and talented Associates all guided by the Five Principles.
Join a purpose-driven company where were 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.

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 total compensation package for this position will include variable pay medical and dental benefits participation in 401k plan and paid time off 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 locations listed within the job posting:USD 168217.00 - USD 231293.00

Required Experience:

Director

Job Description:The Discover team is a new construct at Mars Snacking designed to unite human intelligence consumer-centric design research and Science & Tech capabilities to transform long-horizon innovation. This teams mandate is twofold: first to identify and interpret early signals of emerging h...