Program Manager Strategic Initiatives

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

Job summary

Mars is seeking a Project Manager, Strategic Initiatives & Performance to plan and deliver cross-functional initiatives, turning priorities into concrete plans and providing leaders with insight into progress, risks, decisions, and value.

Under the Associate Director, you will define scope, build governance materials, and maintain RAID logs while delivering executive dashboards and performance views. This role emphasizes data quality and process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, Engineering, Business, Information Systems, Analytics, Project Management, or related field.
• 3 years experience in project management or business experience, PMO, program coordination.
• Experience supporting complex, cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated experience developing project plans, governance materials, status reports, RAID logs, and executive presentations.
• Experience with Microsoft Office tools, Ppt, Excel, Word, Power BI, Power Sheets, etc.

Responsibilities

• Project delivery: Define scope, outcomes, workplans, timelines, governance, and ways of working for assigned initiatives; coordinate execution from initiation through closure.
• Governance and controls: Prepare agendas and materials, facilitate reviews, document decisions, maintain action logs, and ensure agreed actions are completed.
• Risk and dependency management: Maintain RAID logs, identify critical-path impacts, coordinate mitigations, and escalat[??].
• Performance analytics and dashboarding: Actively build and maintain project and portfolio dashboards, executive scorecards, risk heat maps, and performance views.
• Reporting and insight: Translate complex delivery and performance data into concise narratives, trends, implications, and management actions.
• Data quality: Partner with data owners to define measures, validate inputs, resolve inconsistencies, and maintain confidence in reported information.
• Process improvement: Standardize and automate recurring reporting, status collection, governance, and workflow activities.
• Stakeholder partnership: Build effective relationships across a matrixed organization, clarify ownership, surface trade-offs, and promote timely decisions.

Skills

Cross-functional coordination

Governance

Executive reporting

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Power BI

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Job Description:

**This role does not support visa sponsorship** The Project Manager, Strategic Initiatives & Performance is responsible for planning and delivering assigned initiatives while enabling transparent, fact-based performance management. Working under the direction of the Associate Director, the role turns strategic priorities into clear plans, coordinates cross-functional execution, and provides leaders with accurate insight into progress, risks, decisions, and value.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, Engineering, Business, Information Systems, Analytics, Project Management, or related field.
• 3 years experience in project management or business experience, PMO, program coordination.
• Experience supporting complex, cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated experience developing project plans, governance materials, status reports, RAID logs, and executive presentations.
• Experience with Microsoft Office tools, Ppt, Excel, Word, Power BI, Power Sheets, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP, Agile, Lean, Power BI or related certifications.
• 5+ years' experience in project management, PMO business analytics, program coordination, or a related role.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Project delivery: Define scope, outcomes, workplans, timelines, governance, and ways of working for assigned initiatives; coordinate execution from initiation through closure.
• Governance and controls: Prepare agendas and materials, facilitate reviews, document decisions, maintain action logs, and ensure agreed actions are completed.
• Risk and dependency management: Maintain RAID logs, identify critical-path impacts, coordinate mitigations, and escalat[??].
• Performance analytics and dashboarding: Actively build and maintain project and portfolio dashboards, executive scorecards, risk heat maps, and performance views.
• Reporting and insight: Translate complex delivery and performance data into concise narratives, trends, implications, and management actions.
• Data quality: Partner with data owners to define measures, validate inputs, resolve inconsistencies, and maintain confidence in reported information.
• Process improvement: Standardize and automate recurring reporting, status collection, governance, and workflow activities.
• Stakeholder partnership: Build effective relationships across a matrixed organization, clarify ownership, surface trade-offs, and promote timely decisions.

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. A strong focus on 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. 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 108,160.00 - USD 148,720.00

Mars is a family-owned business with more than $35 billion in global sales. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, BEN’S ORIGINAL®, and COCOAVIA®. Alongside our consumer brands, we proudly take care of half of the world’s pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses such as Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, AniCura, VCA™ and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our 140,000 Associates into taking action every day towards creating the world we want tomorrow.