Director - Global Sensory - Mars Wrigley (US Relocation Considered)

Job Description:

Director - Global Sensory - Mars Wrigley

Location - Chicago (US Relocation Considered)

The Mars Wrigley Director, Global Sensory, is a critical role in building a world class consumer centric sensory organization! This role translates the consumer sensory/experience insights into business opportunities, translating consumer behavior insights into Behavioral and Cognitive Science for enabling growth transformation agenda for the Mars Wrigley (MW) segment.

This leader will lead the sensory team who is instrumental in identifying, nurturing, evaluating, and delivering consumer inspired, brand focused, holistic (product/pack/experience) propositions that enable key business priorities and core business' change management. Partnering with the Design and Human Intelligence Lead this role will develop and implement a strategy to imbed the principles of design thinking across the broader Mar Wrigley organization and further unlock growth opportunities

The Global Sensory Director is directly responsible for creating and implementing a shared consumer centric vision for the global sensory team, directly responsible for building and leading a diverse, engaged, highly creative, cross functional global sensory team, and is functionally responsible for regional sensory change management across North America, Europe, GEM (the other developed/developing/emerging markets) and China. This leader will work closely with the R&D Leadership team, specifically with the global R&D innovation leadership team and regional R&D Heads to deliver the aligned business priorities.

What are we looking for?

• BA/BS degree in marketing, Business Administration, Innovation management, Food Science/Engineering Social Science, Economics or Human behavioral Sciences. Preferred Masters degree.
• Minimum of 15 years experience in consumer/sensory insights and consumer experience design fields.
• Proven record influencing across cultures and demonstrated success in building consensus across teams and collaborative relationships.
• Demonstrated strong organizational agility, dealing with ambiguity, innovation management, strong collaboration and excellent communication skills, and experience working and influencing -- Cross-regionally and across multiple geographies/cultures
• Strong Digital experiences

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Build a highly engaged, high performance cross disciplinary (user experience/design research, consumer behavioral insights/science, sensory science, communication strategy, digitalization) global sensory team. The team will partner seamlessly with cross functional teams in developing innovation transformation agenda and pipeline across all three delivery systems.
• Partner with fellow MARS cross segment to share the learning and the consumer centric best practice including strategy, associated signature tools, and consumer centric philosophical approach to problem solving.
• Champion/facilitate a culture of consumer centric across the organization (not just R&D).
• As the leader for Mars Wrigley global sensory team. This role is responsible for identifying and developing strong technical experts and future capability leaders in the consumer centric community, developing and implementing programs to increase knowledge/best practices sharing across sensory, design/Human Intelligence community as well as the broader R&D community and key cross functional partners globally, as well as developing and deploying global testing standards.
• Provide strategic direction and recommendations on cross-regional/global initiatives, such as benchmarking, Key Quality Attributes / Distinctive Assets assessment, and Design to Value. Set the cadence and scope of global benchmarking/foundational studies to raise our consumer/technical understanding and to identify global and/or regional growth or harmonization opportunities.
• Engage with MARS cross segment counterparts in Sensory Community of Practice and Mars Global partners for best practice / learning sharing and capability building. S/he will also work with cross functional partners in conjunction with Mars U in the development of tools in support of the R&D competency framework and champion the training/tolls throughout Wrigley (not just R&D, as appropriate).

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.