Human Intelligence Manager

Mars; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 119,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates seeks an experienced Manager of Consumer Insights – Fruity Candy, North America to lead the consumer and human intelligence agenda for the Fruity Confections portfolio. This role will be a critical thought partner to NA and Global Fruity Candy teams, shaping business strategy and growth opportunities with consumer-centric insights.

The ideal candidate translates data into compelling business recommendations, partners across Marketing, Sales, R&D, Innovation,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Consumer Insights, Psychology, Statistics, or Economics is required.
• Advanced degree is a plus.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in Consumer Insights, Market Research, Marketing or Strategy.

Responsibilities

• Drive the Consumer Insights agenda to support NA Fruity Candy priorities.
• Develop deep understanding of consumers, shoppers, occasions and trends.
• Translate insights into business recommendations and measurable actions.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Sales, R&D, Innovation and Strategy across teams.
• Identify growth opportunities and influence strategic decisions.
• Manage external research agencies and budgets.

Skills

Consumer insights

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Market research

Data synthesis

Storytelling & insights

Agency management

Education

Bachelor's in Marketing/Business/Insights

Advanced degree a plus

Job description

Job Description

Job Description:

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Manager of Consumer Insights – Fruity Candy, North America to lead the consumer and human intelligence agenda for the Fruity Confections portion of our portfolio. This role will be a critical thought partner to the North America and Global Fruity Candy teams, helping shape business strategy, identify growth opportunities and ensure the consumer remains at the center of key business decisions.

The Manager will bring a deep understanding of consumers, categories, brands and the broader cultural and marketplace landscape to translate human insights into meaningful business action. This individual will work cross-functionally across Marketing, Sales, R&D, Innovation, Strategy and other cross-functional teams to identify opportunities, solve complex business challenges, and influence decisions that drive sustainable growth.

The ideal candidate is a strategic insights leader and business partner—not simply a research expert. They are naturally curious, enterprise minded, comfortable navigating ambiguity and able to seamlessly synthesize data and research to form a compelling point of view and clear business recommendation.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Drive the Consumer Insights Agenda: Deliver a focused Consumer Insights agenda that addresses the most critical business priorities and strengthens decision-making across the North America Fruity Candy portfolio.
• Build Deep Consumer & Category Understanding: Establish a differentiated point of view on Fruity Candy consumers, shoppers, occasions, behaviors, cultural trends and the competitive landscape to identify opportunities that fuel brand and portfolio growth.
• Bring the Consumer Point of View: Ensure the consumer perspective meaningfully influences business decisions by connecting Global and North America learning to relevant opportunities and challenges in the market.
• Identify Growth Opportunities: Uncover and size consumer-led growth opportunities by identifying unmet needs, emerging behaviors, evolving occasions and whitespace across the category and portfolio.
• Shape Brand & Business Strategy: Influence brand, innovation, portfolio, communications, and business strategies with consumer-led recommendations that strengthen relevance, differentiation and growth.
• Drive Proactive, Consumer-Led Decisions: Provide a clear point of view on what is happening in the consumer and marketplace, why it matters and what the business should do next—helping teams anticipate and respond to changing consumer needs and market dynamics.
• Lead Integrated Learning & Research: Deliver high-impact learning that answers critical business questions and provides the evidence and insights needed to make confident, consumer-led decisions.
• Synthesize Data into Business Impact: Connect consumer, shopper, category, behavioral, cultural, and marketplace data to generate actionable insights that diagnose business performance and reveal opportunities for growth.
• Build Strong Cross-Functional Partnerships: Establish trusted partnerships across Marketing, Sales, Innovation, R&D, Strategy, Finance and Global teams that enable stronger collaboration and more consumer-led business decisions.
• Communicate Insights with Impact: Transform complex information into clear, compelling points of view and recommendations that influence stakeholders and drive action.
• Drive Insight Activation: Ensure consumer insights translate into tangible business impact by embedding learning into brand strategies, business plans, innovation and key decisions.

Skills and Experience

Education & Professional Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Consumer Insights, Psychology, Statistics, Economics, or a related field required.
• Advanced degree in a related field is a plus.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in Consumer Insights, Market Research, Marketing, Strategy, or a related discipline, preferably within CPG/FMCG.

Knowledge/Experience

• Demonstrated experience owning Insights for a brand, category, portfolio or significant business area and serving as a strategic business partner.
• Strong experience with both custom qualitative and quantitative research, including the ability to develop research approaches based on business objectives.
• Proven ability to analyze and synthesize syndicated data, consumer research, shopper insights, secondary research and marketplace information.
• Experience translating data and research into clear business implications, strategic recommendations and measurable actions.
• Experience partnering with cross-functional teams and influencing stakeholders at multiple levels of an organization.
• Experience managing external research agencies and budgets.

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is between the range listed below, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position will include variable pay, medical and dental benefits, participation in 401k plan, and paid time off benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an applicant receives an offer of employment.

The pay range shown is applicable to all US locations listed within the job posting:USD 119,040.00 - USD 163,680.00