CTI Scientific Excellence Manager

Mars; Batley; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Mars in the United Kingdom seeks a senior technical leader to shape the future of product experience for our Pet Nutrition consumers. The role demands provocative thinking, strategic influence and hands-on capability development within consumer sciences, including sensory disciplines and quantitative methods.

You will build and govern standards, coach talent, and drive external engagement to strengthen our capability roadmap.

Qualifications

• University degree (Masters Degree preferred) in sensory or consumer sciences or related equivalent.
• Proven experience in Consumer Science including 5+ years of experience in technical capability development within an FMCG/Agency environment.
• Strong foundational excellence in quantitative research methodologies and ideally in qualitative research too.
• Extensive, hands-on experience in sensory science.
• Strong statistical knowledge.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific approaches with clarity and to various audiences, including non-experts. ability to speak with authority and inspire change.
• Experience in developing and implementing global standards and frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional and cross-regional teams, coupled with strong stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent in English, knowledge of a 2nd language would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Capability Building: Design and implement a short to mid-term capability-building roadmap in consumer sciences, including sensory sciences, both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and other relevant user-centric design sciences; define data quality standards and governance.
• Talent Empowerment & Up-skilling: Support learning and development of technical talent within CTI with coaching to build capability growth.
• Directional Leadership: Set the direction for our consumer capability agenda; identify, prioritize and pioneer new tools and methods for holistic product experiences.
• External Leadership: Maintain external network, represent the company at forums, and review vendor management approaches in related sciences.
• Digital Integration: Champion the evolution of consumer science capabilities in a digitized R&D environment, integrating new technologies and data sources.

Skills

Sensory science

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Statistical knowledge

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

English fluency

Leadership / coaching

Capability development

Education

Master's degree in sensory or consumer sciences

Job description

Job Description

This senior technical leadership role is pivotal in shaping the future of product experience for our Pet Nutrition consumers. We are seeking a provocative and inspiring technical leader to challenge the status quo and bring our consumer science capabilities up to speed with the latest methods.

Key Responsibilities

• Capability Building: Design and implement a short to medi -term capability-building roadmap in consumer sciences, including sensory sciences, both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, as well as other relevant user-centric design sciences if appropriate. Define and enforce standards for data quality, method validation, and governance including auditing of current methods
• Talent Empowerment & Upskilling: Support the continuous learning and development of technical talent within the CTI organization, with a strong focus on auditing the current skills and building training for the relevant CTI associates. As a key technical leader, this role acts as a collaborative coach, helping to guide capability growth and advance our collective skills.
• Directional Leadership: Set the direction for our consumer capability agenda, acting as a thought leader to provoke new ways of thinking. You will identify, prioritize, and pioneer the development of new tools, methods, and approaches to understand and design for holistic product experiences. Partnering with the CTI Excellence Snr Manager to develop the wider CTI capability strategy
• External Leadership: Bring and maintain a strong external network, bringing in outside perspectives to challenge our thinking and enhance our capabilities. Represent the company with authority at external forums, sharing research and building our reputation as an employer of choice for CTI professionals. Review and improve our vendor management approaches in the related sciences establish monitoring and kpi plans with key vendors.
• Digital Integration: Supported by our digital partners, you will champion the evolution of our consumer science capabilities in the context of a digitized R&D environment, integrating new technologies and data sources to generate deeper insights

Context And Scope

This role is highly collaborative and requires strong influencing and relationship-building skills. The job holder will interact with a wide range of stakeholders to understand their needs and challenges, ensuring the capabilities developed will enable CTI associates to deliver impactful results. Key interactions include:

• CTI Associates: Your stakeholders will be primarily the CTI associates across Central and Regional teams as well as their stakeholders (Product Development for ex) for influencing purposes. you will provide coaching, and leadership, fostering a culture of excellence and ensuring the successful adoption and application of the various excellences under your responsibility.
• CTI Leadership: To understand the strategic direction and innovation priorities, ensuring the capability roadmap is designed to support these future business needs.
• Marketing & CMI: You will interact with your counterparts in CMI capabilities, specifically in the consumer research methodologies (alignment of protocols,….) and potentially in the vendor management area

Qualifications

• University degree (Masters Degree preferred) in sensory or consumer sciences or related equivalent
• Proven experience in Consumer Science including 5+ years of experience in technical capability development within an FMCG/Agency environment,
• Strong foundational excellence in quantitative research methodologies and ideally in qualitative research too
• Extensive, hands‑on experience in sensory science
• Strong statistical knowledge
• Ability to communicate complex scientific approaches with clarity and to various audiences, including non-experts. ability to speak with authority and inspire change.
• Experience in developing and implementing global standards and frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional and cross-regional teams, coupled with strong stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent in English, knowledge of a 2nd language would be advantageous