Manager, Global Integrated Intelligence

mars; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Mars is seeking a Manager, Global Integrated Intelligence for Chocolate, Salty, or Gum to translate emerging trends and consumer needs into breakthrough opportunities. You will own the insights agenda for assigned Pods—from problem framing and agile experiments to in-market learning—serving as the bridge between human truth and Pod decisions.

You’ll collaborate with Innovation, R&D, and Brand Marketing, champion best practices, and balance rapid learning with rigorous research to guide strategic

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, psychology, sociology, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years in consumer insights, market research, or strategy in a CPG company.
• Strong consumer focus; ability to translate consumer tension into briefs and opportunities.
• Proven track record in designing fit-for-purpose qualitative/quantitative research.
• Experience with agile research tools and rapid test-and-learn cycles.
• Synthesis of multiple data streams into clear narratives for decisions.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and pivot with new signals.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end insights and learning agenda for assigned Pods.
• Design qualitative, quantitative, and behavioral learning plans across the innovation funnel.
• Frame problems, size opportunities, and anchor briefs in consumer tension.
• Establish decision criteria to validate propositions early.
• Connect Pod learnings to macro category strategy and portfolio decisions.
• Promote and embed best practices across the organization.

Skills

Consumer-centricity

Mixed‑Method Research

Synthesis & storytelling

cross-functional collaboration

Agile research tools

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder alignment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Psychology, Sociology, or related field

Tools

Qualitative & quantitative research platforms

Digital communities for research

Job description

The Manager, Global Integrated Intelligence - Chocolate, Salty, or Gum Innovation plays a pivotal role in unlocking the next wave of growth and innovation by translating emerging trends, consumer needs, behaviors, and cultural shifts into breakthrough opportunities for Mars' iconic chocolate, salty or gum brands.

Acting as a strategic co-pilot to the Pod Intrapreneur and an advocate for the consumer, this role owns the end-to-end insights and learning agenda for assigned Pods - from problem framing and agile experimentation through to in-market learning, serving as the connective tissue that wires human truth into Pod decisions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Consumer at the Core
• End-to-End Experimentation: Design and lead qualitative, quantitative, and behavioral learning plans across the full innovation funnel-including need-state exploration, pain point discovery, concept screening, product/packaging optimization, and in-market learning.
• Agile Problem Framing & Sizing: Partner with Pod Intrapreneurs and cross-functional teams to identify, frame, and size pain‑point‑led innovation opportunities, anchoring early briefs in real consumer tension.
• Evidence-Based Decision Gates: Establish clear action standards and decision criteria to objectively validate winning propositions and confidently challenge or deprioritize non‑viable ideas early.
• Portfolio Learning Agenda: Support the broader Chocolate, Salty or Gum Portfolio Strategy by connecting Pod learnings to macro category 'where to play / how to win' choices.

Agile Mindset

• Fit‑for‑Purpose Agile Tools : Source, evaluate, and deploy state‑of‑the‑art agile research platforms, automated tools and digital communities to accelerate sprint cycles without compromising rigor.
• Actionable Synthesis : Distill complex multi‑source data into compelling 'what → so what → now what' strategic narratives that drive decision‑making and cross‑functional alignment.
• Champion Best Practices : Champion research best practices, emerging methodologies, and new tools within the Pod and across the broader Integrated Intelligence community to future‑prove innovation insights capabilities.
• Continuous Knowledge Codification : Capture, codify, and scale rapid sprint learnings to ensure shared visibility and cross‑team capability building.

A curious mindset is a must. Operating as an individual contributor in a fast‑paced, matrixed global organization, this role combines passion and research expertise to deliver optimal results, serving as a trusted advisor to cross‑functional partners in Innovation, R&D, and Brand Marketing.

The Manager bridges agile Pod sprint teams with central Integrated Intelligence, Portfolio Strategy, and brand ways of working. They balance rapid learning with rigorous research standards, guiding cross-functional teams from early ideation and exploration to concept validation and commercial handoff. Additionally, they partner closely with the Director Global Integrated Intelligence to promote and embed strategic learnings across the chocolate, salty or gum category.

Qualifications & Experience Required:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, Business, Psychology, Sociology, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience in consumer insights, innovation insights, market research or strategy, preferably within a CPG company.
• Consumer Centricity: Strong passion for championing the voice of the consumer, anchoring innovation briefs, creative exploration, and trade-offs in real human friction and unmet needs.
• Mixed‑Method Research Design : Proven track record in designing and steering fit‑for‑purpose qualitative, quantitative, and behavioral insights across the entire front end of innovation (early discovery, Jobs to be Done, pack design testing, concept validation, etc...).
• Rapid Experimentation: Hands on experience with agile research tools/platforms and running test‑and‑learn cycles to validate hypotheses, test concepts, and quickly de‑risk early‑stage ideas.
• Synthesis & Storytelling : Synthesizes disparate data streams (syndicated POS, panel metrics, custom research, cultural and consumer trends/signals) into a cohesive, structured 'what → so what → now what' narrative that cuts through complexity.
• Comfort with Ambiguity: High adaptability in fast‑evolving, loosely defined spaces-skilled at turning broad challenges into structured plans and pivoting as new signals emerge.
• Nimble Learning: Continuous learner who actively extracts insights from both wins and fast failures, applying learnings to inform next steps without losing momentum.
• Collaborative Influence: Proven ability to collaborate with cross‑functional partners in fast‑moving environment. Strong stakeholder alignment skills, leveraging objective consumer data and clear evidence to build consensus and guide go/no‑go decisions.

What to 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 wa