Job Description:
The Regional Wet Technology Manager provides regional technical and people leadership for WET technology across North America and virtual support to Rapid Growth Markets. The role connects global technology leadership with local execution, owns the regional deployment and conformance of WET product and process specifications, and builds sustainable regional capability. It works through influence across functions and sites, sets technical direction and priorities, and leads decisions where product, process, quality, engineering, innovation, and operational requirements intersect.
What are we looking for?
- B.S. in Science, Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Food) or related technology program. M.S. degree preferred
- 5 + years of relevant experiences in food technology development, process & product scale-up and/or implementation
- 2 + years of experience as a people leader developing and engaging a successful team.
- Demonstrated Factory experience
- Working in a company with multicultural and international features
- Demonstrated industry experience as R&D engineer or Quality & Food Safety Engineer
- Green belt or Black belt for Lean 6-Sigma is a plus
What would be your key responsibilities?
Set Regional WET Technology Direction and Governance
- Own and translate global and regional R&D strategies into a prioritized, time-bound WET technology roadmap for North America and Rapid Growth Markets.
- Provide regional decision leadership for WET technology deployment, balancing innovation, quality, supply continuity, sustainability, cost, and operational risk.
- Establish governance, priorities, performance indicators, and escalation pathways; proactively resolve gaps that threaten delivery or specification conformance.
- Represent the region in global WET technology forums and ensure regional needs, lessons learned, and risks shape global standards and investment decisions.
Lead and Develop Regional Capability
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing technical team; set clear accountabilities and build succession and capability plans.
- Build WET technical depth across regional and site PPI communities through coaching, standards, training, and structured knowledge transfer.
- Create an inclusive, accountable culture that encourages sound technical challenge, disciplined experimentation, and continuous learning.
Lead Cross-Functional Industrialization
- Provide R&D leadership for complex regional industrialization, portfolio transfer, business continuity, quality improvement, sustainability, and innovation initiatives.
- Align Manufacturing, Engineering, Q&FS, Innovation, Project teams, Regulatory, Planning, and site leadership on scope, risk, resources, decisions, and readiness.
- Own the regional Industrial Risk Assessment for implementation of new raw materials, products, processes, and technologies; ensure mitigations and decision points are explicit.
- Direct industrial trials and Standard Running Condition definition, ensuring robust plans, data-based conclusions, and clear recommendations.
Own WET Product and Process Conformance
- Lead deployment, validation, and lifecycle governance of regional WET product and process specifications.
- Ensure conformance to Royal Canin WET manufacturing standards; identify systemic gaps, authorize regional changes within governance, and escalate global standard issues.
- Drive process capability and continuous improvement with Q&FS and Operations, including reduction of non-quality cost and recurring technical losses.
Lead Complex Technical Problem Solving
- Act as the senior regional escalation point for complex raw material, product, and process issues.
- Frame technical problems, assemble cross-functional expert teams, select robust methods, and lead investigations using DMAIC and Lean Six Sigma principles.
- Convert findings into sustainable standards, specifications, capability building, and network-wide learning.
Lead Validation and Commissioning
- Serve as the regional R&D CVS lead for WET technology and define the validation strategy, protocols, resources, and acceptance criteria for new equipment and lines.
- Validate detailed design inputs that affect product and process performance, including raw material handling, line allocation, production sequence, and equipment parameters.
- Own regional R&D readiness for process and product validation, commissioning, ramp-up, portfolio implementation, and handover in line with project governance.
- Partner with the Global WET Technology Specialist on major or global projects while independently leading regional and lower-complexity implementations.
Shape Future WET Technology and Specifications
- Provide regional input during development, scale-up, validation, and deployment phases of QES and TRL projects.
- Influence test strategy, trial allocation, final risk assessment, and final R&D specifications using regional operating knowledge and industrial data.
- Capture and share validation and start-up lessons to strengthen global standards and future project execution.
What can you expect from Mars?
- Work with 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 and 401K matching program.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Engineering, including Mechanical, Chemical, or Food Engineering, or a related technology program
- Master of Science degree
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in food technology development, process and product scale-up, and/or implementation
- At least 2 years of experience as a people leader developing and engaging a successful team
- Demonstrated factory experience
- Experience working in a multicultural and international company environment
- Industry experience as an R&D Engineer or Quality and Food Safety Engineer
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification
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.
