Portfolio Strategy Lead: Growth & GTM Innovation

Mars (New); Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 108,000 - 149,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mars University education

401k plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Mars (New) in Chicago seeks a Manager, Portfolio Strategy to identify, design, and launch growth initiatives across a multi-category portfolio. You will lead agile projects, define challenger brand strategies, and optimize portfolio architecture to drive volume and household penetration.

This role requires 4+ years in CPG, MBA preferred, and strong Excel/PowerPoint skills. Office-based with Mars Five Principles guiding daily work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Strategy, Business Administration, or related field; MBA preferred.
• 4+ years of experience in CPG with Brand Strategy, Strategic Planning, Category Management, or Go-To-Market/Trade Strategy.
• Hands-on experience leveraging syndicated data, consumer insights, and shopper insights to identify growth opportunities.
• Strong stakeholder management and pipeline management experience.
• End-to-end project management capabilities with handling ambiguity and tight timelines.
• Strong communication, networking, and presentation skills.
• Strong knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Initiative Execution to unlock step-change volume, market share, and household penetration across the portfolio.
• Innovation Performance Excellence: analyze historical performance and translate learnings into scalable practices.
• Go-To-Market & Investment Optimization: evaluate GTM execution, distribution playbooks, and promotional ROI.
• Challenger Brand & Portfolio Role Definition: identify strategies and define brand roles in the portfolio.
• Cross-Functional Orchestration: lead agile teams across R&D, Sales, Finance, and Agencies.
• Ad-Hoc Strategic Projects: support Line Manager on briefs and executive presentations.

Skills

Brand Strategy

Strategic Planning

Category Management

Go-To-Market

Trade Strategy

Excel

PowerPoint

Stakeholder Management

Project Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Strategy/Business Administration or related field

MBA preferred

Job description

Mars (New) in Chicago seeks a Manager, Portfolio Strategy to identify, design, and launch growth initiatives across a multi-category portfolio. You will lead agile projects, define challenger brand strategies, and optimize portfolio architecture to drive volume and household penetration.

This role requires 4+ years in CPG, MBA preferred, and strong Excel/PowerPoint skills. Office-based with Mars Five Principles guiding daily work.