Portfolio Manager, Science & Technology Team

*** This is a hybrid role requiring at least 3 days onsite weekly in our Chicago, IL office.

This role is a key partner to the Science and Technology Leadership Team (S&TLT) and exists to drive effectiveness of the holistic S&T program and portfolio management, in order to unleash the power of science for business impact. It acts as a multiplier for the impact and value creation from S&T.

What are we looking for?

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in food science, engineering, or related science/technology field

• At least 8 years’ professional experience and 2 years' project management in a technical environment with a strong preference for this to be in science/technology development or another field with discovery focus

• PMP project management certification (or equivalent) preferred

• Business acumen with ability to comprehend complex Science and Technology initiatives and translate into manageable program scopes with clear deliverables and metrics of success.

• Strong coaching, collaboration and influencing skills and experience collaborating with cross-functional and globally dispersed teams

• Advanced in risk assessment and contingency planning

• Effective communication and organizational skills including ability to customize message to suit the audience from technical peers through senior business leaders

What will be your key responsibilities?

• This role reports to the VP of Science & Technology and works closely with the S&T Leadership Team, co-creating strategy to enhance visibility and governance of S&T priority initiatives, leveraging existing business processes (e.g. Technical Readiness Level – TRL) and optimizing work processes as applicable to bridge gaps.

  Expected core deliverables from the role include:

• S&T Portfolio Management: Drive and continuously improve Portfolio Management governance and business impact by partnering with relevant teams to assess/improve data quality and reporting metric accuracy, leading overall program/project reporting through visualization tools, system capabilities, and creating appropriate content for stakeholder communication and reporting. Lead the initiative impact analysis through the assessment of multiple metrics to ensure the portfolio maximizes value for both current and future business needs. Identify and recommend course corrections and escalations as needed to achieve overall S&T strategic deliverables. Coach S&T Associates in value maximization and project management.

• Establish and continuously improve S&T Mission Control: Lead the initiative to establish one source of truth for S&T, including linking existing processes to output clear understanding of budget and resource management across portfolio of S&T initiatives and enable strategic resource allocation. The Program Manager will partner with relevant resources as needed, including Finance, Mars Digital Technology, customer functions and R&D subject matter experts to curate the right suite of existing and new tools fit for purpose.

• Facilitate S&T Leadership Team Forum: Serve as facilitator to S&TLT to co-create and refresh S&T strategy, implement portfolio governance, and shape functional communications for reporting and Senior Leadership sessions, such as S&T quarterly reviews and Technology Committee. Communications support includes working with S&T teams as appropriate to curate content for strategic stakeholder management.

This role will also be called upon to program manage and/or contribute to other global S&T initiatives to ensure the success of the global R&D organization, including change initiatives.

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.

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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.