Job Description:
- Partner closely with Sourcing and R&D to develop raw materials aligned with our regional and global business strategies
- Mars Pet Nutrition Australia, home to loved brands such as Pedigree, Whiskas, Advance
- Permanent full-time based onsite – Wodonga (Vic), Bathurst (NSW) or from our Melbourne office.
As part of Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA), the technical arm of Commercial, you’ll partner closely with suppliers, R&D, Sourcing, Q&FS, and Supply to ensure raw materials meet our quality and food safety standards and specifications.
As our Senior Supplier Quality Assurance Specialist you’ll work closely with Sourcing and R&D to validate, verify and manage the supply of raw materials across all Mars Pet Nutrition facilities.
This is a highly collaborative, hands-on role involving supplier audits and site visits across Australia and New Zealand.
What You’ll Be Doing
In this role, you’ll:
- Assess supplier capability to meet Mars Quality Standards. Validate and verify new and existing suppliers through the Material Quality Management (MQM) process
- Audit upstream manufacturers in line with the Mars Audit Standard and confirm supplier mitigation data into material risk assessments
- Own quality compliance and food safety management for a portfolio of raw materials - use data analysis to drive ambitious quality targets and continuous improvement initiatives with suppliers
- Resolve raw material technical/quality non-conformances through thorough root cause analysis and defining corrective and preventive actions with suppliers
- Partner with global and local sourcing teams on cost saving initiatives and sourcing strategies
- Leverage digital tools and data to provide insights into how to continuously improve raw material quality and optimise SQA related processes
- Be an active contributor and mentor to the SQA team, sharing best practice and supporting team growth
What You Bring
You’ll thrive in this role if you bring:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- 5+ years experience in Quality & Food Safety or related Technical function, ideally within the petfood or food industry
- Strong understanding of HACCP / Quality Management Systems and preferable certified Lead auditor FSC 22000
- Well developed knowledge of quality systems, risk management tools, and auditing principles
- A strong problem-solving mindset and collaborative working style
- Lead Auditor certification (or willingness to obtain)
- Willingness to travel as required to support suppliers and sites
Why Join Us
- A role with real technical influence and commercial impact
- Exposure to local and global suppliers and cross-functional teams
- Opportunities to grow your expertise in quality, sourcing, and supplier development
- A supportive, values-led environment where continuous improvement is encouraged
Ready to work at the intersection of quality, suppliers, and innovation?
If you’re passionate about quality, enjoy working with suppliers, and want to help raise standards across the supply chain, we’d love to hear from you.
Internal applicants: This role has been graded as a T2 opportunity, please discuss your interest with your line manager prior to applying including obtaining their endorsement.
Applications close: Thursday 30/4/26
Please note: That there is a possibility for this role to be based from either Melbourne or Bathurst – further discussion required.
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
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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.
