Regional Principal Industrial Engineer - Multiple Roles

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

Job summary

Mars in the United States is seeking a Regional Principal Industrial Engineer to lead long-term segment supply strategies across the manufacturing network, ensuring robust capacity and cost optimization aligned with demand projections. You will drive end-to-end supply solutions for product innovations and collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet launch milestones.

You will own capital planning, master planning, and 5-year supply strategy, while mentoring site engineers and guiding changes

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering is required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of related work experience in operations/industrial roles.
• Skilled in Chocolate Salty, Gum, Fruity or relevant area.
• Strong analytical and change-management capabilities.
• Experience in multifunctional project work for supply chain and innovation management.

Responsibilities

• Innovation Management: act as primary supply representative for designated brand platforms.
• Supply Solutions and Stage-Gate Governance for new market activities; lead cross-functional alignment.
• Capital Management: authorize and secure approval for CapEx targeting capacity and brand initiatives.
• Master Planning: contribute to long-term site Master Planning to align plant capabilities with future strategies.
• Supply Strategy: lead 5-year capacity planning and create resilient sourcing strategies.
• Tactical Supply Execution: maintain site communication loops and identify capacity bottlenecks.
• Supply & Technical Leadership: provide mentorship to site IE professionals.

Skills

Industrial Engineering

Analytical skills

Change management

Project management

Supply chain

Education

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Regional Principal Industrial Engineer - Multiple Roles

(Chocolate Salty, Gum, Fruity)

The Regional Principal Industrial Engineer develops and executes long-term segment supply strategies for key brands/segments across the manufacturing network, ensuring robust capacity, optimal cost structures, and technical capabilities aligned with medium- and long-term demand projections. The role will evaluate, define, and secure optimal sourcing and supply solutions for the brand's product innovation pipeline, ensuring seamless operation and readiness.

This role will orchestrate and accelerate the timely execution of key brand initiatives across production lines and manufacturing plants, aligning stakeholders to meet critical launch milestones as well as identify and capture network performance improvements, cost optimization levers, and supply resiliency opportunities; collaborate closely with cross-functional technical teams to drive end-to-end operational efficiency.

What are we looking for?

• Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. Advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of related work experience (Operations Line Manager, Site Industrial Engineer, Project Engineer, Logistics Manager, Industrial Engineer, Supply Chain Management)
• Skilled in areas of Chocolate Salty, Gum, Fruity or other relevant area.
• Proven strong analytical and change management capability
• Demonstrated success in Efficiency and Project management skills. Must be able to prioritize projects within heavy workload periods.
• Experience in multifunctional project work for supply chain and innovation management.
• Knowledge of manufacturing technologies

What would your key responsibilities be?

Innovation Management

• Serve as the primary Supply representative for designated brand platforms, ensuring operational requirements and network capabilities are integrated early in the product lifecycle.
• Supply Solutions and Stage-Gate Governance: Design and recommend optimal supply solutions (feasibility and viability) for new market activities. Lead Supply representation in the Quest stage-gate process, securing cross-functional alignment and ensuring smooth handovers to manufacturing.

Capital Management

• CapEx Authorization: Author, justify, and secure approval for capital investment proposals (CapEx) targeting network capacity, brand innovations, and major asset health initiatives across process and packaging lines.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Orchestrate stakeholder alignment across site, regional, and global leadership teams to drive consensus, secure buy-in, and expedite the capital approval process.
• Capital Project Process (CPP): Champion the CPP by: leading the process in the feasibility through scoping phases and partnering actively throughout the project lifecycle with the Project Manager and manufacturing sites to ensure any business changes affecting the MPAR business objectives are communicated and change managed
• Master Planning: Collaborate on long-term site Master Planning initiatives, actively contributing to the 'Create' and 'Mobilize' phases to align physical plant capabilities with future brand and segment strategies.

Supply Strategy

• Long-Term Segment Strategy: Lead long-term (5-year) capacity planning and modeling to secure product supply, balance network utilization, and resolve constraints. Develop and align cross-functional stakeholders on the 5+ year segment supply strategy to deliver long-term business growth and efficiency targets.
• Sourcing & Resiliency Strategy: Design and execute sourcing strategies for the segment, establishing risk-mitigation frameworks (including Freedom to Operate), ensuring supply resiliency, and conducting make-or-buy financial evaluations.
• Financial & Cost Competitiveness: model and evaluate the financial impact of key initiatives, including Innovations, Value Leadership (cost-saving) programs, asset refurbishments, and inventory optimization.
• Collaboration & Standards: Partner with Global and site Industrial Engineering (IE) and engineering teams to optimize Americas regional sourcing strategy. Influence and drive the adoption of global operational and engineering standards.

Tactical Supply Execution

• Site Communication Loops: Establish and maintain collaborative communication channels with End to End planning and manufacturing sites to ensure rapid feedback, operational alignment, and issue resolution.
• Capability: Manage a centralized registry of manufacturing capabilities (process, product, and packaging), leveraging existing asset platforms to enable rapid commercialization and growth.
• Constraint Alleviation: Identify operational constraints on equipment and throughput, proactively proposing capacity optimization and debottlenecking.
• Value Creation (COGS): Partner with Finance and Commercial to identify and execute Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) reduction opportunities, driving value creation and margin improvement.

Supply & Technical Leadership

Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and systematic knowledge transfer to segment and site Industrial Engineers (IEs), elevating the technical capability of the broader supply community

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 119,040.00 - USD 163,680.00