Job Description:
Location: Warsaw, Prague or Bucharest 🐱🐶🐕🐈⬛🐾
The Portfolio Manager is responsible for leading the deployment of Cat Brand portfolio strategies (50% of Business) across the Central Europe Cluster (10markets) to deliver sustainable growth above the Category and competition.
The role acts as the key orchestrator between Regional, Cluster, and Local teams, translating growth ambitions into actionable portfolio road maps and ensuring excellence in deployment and execution across markets.
Portfolio Manager drives portfolio performance, identifies growth opportunities, manages risks and trade-offs, and ensures alignment of portfolio decisions across teams with business objectives.
Key Responsibilities 🐾
Portfolio Strategy & Growth Leadership
Lead the alignment and deployment of Cat portfolio strategies across 10 Cluster markets, driving growth through innovation, renovation, and simplification initiatives aligned with the PNE Growth Strategy and European strategy.
Translate regional growth ambitions into actionable Cluster portfolio plans and priorities.
Drive simplification for growth agenda and support strategic portfolio choices across markets.
Portfolio Governance & Strategic Planning
Own Cluster portfolio planning and governance processes across key business forums including S2W, Innovation and Portfolio Stage Gates, S&OP+, and Annual Planning.
As a critical member in S&OP+ forums and beyond establish governance routines that ensure portfolio visibility, alignment, accountability, and delivery.
Drive decision-making and trade-off discussions with Regional and Local stakeholders.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Execution Excellence
Lead cross-functional collaboration across Local and Regional teams to ensure flawless portfolio deployment.
Represent Central Europe Cat portfolio in Regional portfolio forums, Cluster Connects, and portfolio meetings.
Lead the development of compelling trade stories and deployment plans leveraging category insights, brand strategies, and commercial priorities.
Performance Management & Value Delivery
Lead portfolio performance management through KPI scorecards, growth bridges, financial analysis, and business reviews.
Identify risks, opportunities, and performance gaps, recommending and driving actions to accelerate growth and improve delivery.
Capability Building & Continuous Improvement
Champion portfolio management best practices across the Cluster and beyond.
Provide functional leadership to Portfolio Specialists and cross-functional teams, driving alignment, capability building, and excellence in portfolio planning and deployment.
Drive continuous improvement of portfolio deployment, reporting, and planning frameworks.
Foster a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, accountability, and execution excellence.
What are we looking for? ⚞ • ⚟
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or a related field.
4–5+ years of experience in FMCG e.g. marketing, portfolio management, category management, or business strategy.
Proven experience leading complex cross-functional projects and influencing senior stakeholders.
Strong strategic thinking combined with hands-on execution capability.
Strong analytical mindset with experience in financial analysis, business performance management, and growth diagnostics.
Experience working across multiple markets or within a regional/cluster organization.
Strong stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.
Ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and drive decisions through complexity.
Fluent English required.
What can you expect from us? 🐈
Unique opportunity to deploy portfolio strategy across 10+ Central European markets.
Direct exposure to Regional and Cluster leadership teams.
Opportunity to influence strategic business decisions and future growth priorities.
High visibility role with significant cross-functional exposure.
Opportunity to coach and develop junior talent while building leadership capabilities.
Excellent stepping stone into broader Marketing, Strategy, Portfolio Leadership roles.
Attractive compensation and benefits package tailored to your location.
Career development support through a personalized growth plan.
Opportunity to participate in volunteering initiatives during working hours.
A pet-friendly office environment.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or a related field
- Strong proven experience in FMCG marketing, category management, or business strategy
- Proven ability to manage complex projects and drive strategic initiatives
- Strong analytical mindset with experience in category insights and financial analysis
- Experience working across multiple markets, preferably in Central Europe
Mars Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Mars and has not been reviewed or approved by Mars.
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Healthcare Strength — The benefits package is positioned as comprehensive, with broad medical coverage and additional protections like life insurance and short- and long-term disability. Mental health support is emphasized, including free mental health services and wellbeing programming under initiatives such as Mars Be Well.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is highlighted as market-leading in the U.S., with an example of 18 weeks fully paid for both parents. Additional family-related leave types such as sick time for caregiving and bereavement leave are also described as part of the overall package.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings are described as strong, including 401(k) matching (with a 6% match cited) and pension plans in some cases. The broader package also references retirement savings options and contributions aligned to local market practice, supporting long-term financial security.
Mars Insights
What We Do
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us. Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and petcare products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, ORBIT®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, SKITTLES®, WHISKAS®, COCOAVIA®, and 5™; and take care of half of the world’s pets through our pet health services AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, Pet Partners™, and VCA™. We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive.
