Job Description:
Start-Up Manager
Location: Birstall, Leeds
Salary: Competitive + Bonus + Benefits
Type: Full-time, Permanent
The Role
We’re looking for a Start up manager to play a pivotal role in delivering new production assets and driving performance across a fast-paced pet food manufacturing environment.
You’ll lead commissioning, validation, and start-up of equipment while owning the site’s loss analysis agenda—identifying where we lose efficiency, speed, and quality, and turning those insights into high-impact improvement projects.
This role is critical to ensuring our lines start strong, run efficiently, and continuously improve in a high-volume, high-demand setting—helping us deliver the quality pet nutrition that millions of pets rely on every day.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Lead commissioning, validation, and start-up (CVS) of lines/ equipment and new product development
- Drive safe, right-first-time start-ups with a strong focus on quality, food safety, and compliance
- Own and lead site-wide loss analysis across key metrics (OEE, waste, downtime, speed loss)
- Identify and prioritise the biggest losses impacting throughput, cost, and service
- Build and manage a pipeline of focused improvement projects aligned to business priorities
- Lead delivery of loss reduction initiatives—from data analysis through to shopfloor implementation and sustainment
- Apply structured problem-solving tools (RCA, 5 Whys, DMAIC) to eliminate root causes of chronic losses
- Champion TPM principles, embedding a culture of continuous improvement and operator ownership
- Work closely with production, engineering, and maintenance teams to improve line reliability and efficiency
- Support rapid ramp-up of new lines to target speeds, waste, and quality standards
- Support the delivery of site innovation projects (NPD/NPI) by identifying, monitoring, and escalating risks during relevant innovation stage‑gate milestones across issues pertaining to People, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, H&S
What We’re Looking For
- Engineering or technical degree (or equivalent experience)
- Strong experience in FMCG or high-volume manufacturing environments (food/pet food preferred)
- Proven track record in commissioning/start-up and driving line performance improvements
- Deep understanding of OEE, loss trees, and waste reduction in a production setting
- Experience delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, waste, and downtime
- Knowledge of TPM, Lean, or Six Sigma methodologies
- Strong presence on the shopfloor with the ability to engage and influence operators and leaders
- Data-driven, results-focused, and comfortable working at pace
Why Join Mars Petcare?
- Be part of a purpose-driven business: A Better World for Pets
- Work on products that make a real difference to the health and happiness of pets globally
- Join a company guided by the Five Principles: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom
- Be empowered to own both start-up success and ongoing operational performance
- Access strong development opportunities within a global organisation that invests in its people
- Contribute to industry-leading standards in food safety, quality, and sustainability
Mars is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable adjustments for individuals with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or who are neurodiverse during the application and recruitment process. To request reasonable adjustments, complete our Reasonable Adjustment Request Form here.
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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.
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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.
