SQA Supplier Development Manager

A mutually rewarding experience.

Work. Realize your ambitions. And realize there’s more to being in business than just making a profit. That’s the Mars philosophy. And the opportunity we offer every one of our Associates. An opportunity to take what you do and make it mean more for you, for those around you and for the planet. What you get here is challenging, interesting work. You get the tools you need to do a great job and you get to have the best possible people on your side to help you do it. And at the same time as getting to find ways to do business better today than we did it yesterday and driving a great career, you also get to build a more enlightened business and drive sustainability.

Because it’s never just about a single person, a single project or a single brand. It’s about how you can grab everything that’s within your reach here and use it to pursue mutual, long-term gain. It’s about having ideas. And ideals. Being prepared to risk failure because the promise of success means we’ll all be a little better off. It’s that mix of integrity and ambition that makes Mars such a special place to work. And why working here is always about more than just a job.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

OPEN TO OTHER LOCATIONS IN US

Purpose:

This position acts as the strategic technical resource and partner to Commercial Sourcing for developing suppliers by identifying cost savings and innovation opportunities. This role will work with multiple cross functional teams to expedite supplier approvals against Mars standards. This position is responsible for unlocking a new supplier pipeline in partnership with Sourcing and R&D along with developing existing suppliers to drive cost savings and innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive supplier selection through a robust qualification process
• The role serves as the functional expert for Mars quality standards as it relates to the supplier quality qualification process.
• Identify supplier gaps to Mars Quality standards and create a plan for closing gaps in a timely manner.
• Functional expert of Mars standards and knowledge of food safety programs for suppliers.
• Provide quality inputs to the New Supplier Qualification cross functional team.
• Interface with cross functional teams to prioritize supplier development needs by materials to improve cost competitiveness or supply constraints
• Support Sourcing Team initiatives by identifying opportunities for consistent and/or improved quality, improved nutritional profile, and improved cost.
• Recommend potential new suppliers and provide pre-qualification metrics for them.

Context and Scope:

This role will provide Mars Petcare North America the SQA support for identifying and developing new suppliers for the business pipeline. This role will work cross functionally with key business stakeholders and will provide quality support to industry suppliers. This role will engage with multiple functions such as Commercial, Research & Development, and Manufacturing to assure all new suppliers are capable of meeting Mars Standards and providing high quality materials to the business. This role will travel to supplier manufacturing sites to perform supplier audits and assist with creating continuous improvement plans.

Education and Professional Qualifications:

• BS degree in a technical field (preferred)
• 5+ year experience in a technical area such as R&D, quality systems, manufacturing, engineering or supply chain management
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time

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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.