Sr. Manager, Continuous Improvement – Sales Operations

Mars; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 134,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental benefits

401k plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Mars Accelerator is seeking a Senior Manager, Continuous Improvement for Sales Operations to lead process excellence across sales planning, execution, and governance. You will partner with Sales, Commercial Strategy, Finance, and Technology to simplify processes, automate manual tasks, and embed continuous improvement into planning and performance reviews.

This role offers cross-functional impact in a fast-moving consumer goods environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Analytics, Operations, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in Sales Operations, Commercial Operations, Supply Chain, Customer Planning, Revenue Growth Management, Analytics, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional projects and change initiatives.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Experience developing process documentation, governance, and standard operating procedures.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, or similar analytics platforms.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across sales planning, execution, customer support, commercialization, and operational processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve effectiveness, efficiency, speed, quality, and user experience across Sales Operations.
• Facilitate root cause analysis and implement sustainable solutions to business challenges.
• Establish governance, documentation standards, and best practices to improve process consistency.
• Own process mapping, standardization, and simplification efforts across cross functional workflows.
• Drive improvements to processes, annual planning cycles, execution readiness activities, and sales enablement processes.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives focused on reducing complexity and eliminating non-value-added work.
• Partner with technology teams to automate manual processes and improve data accessibility.
• Drive enhancements to governance, reporting, performance reviews, and decision-making tools.
• Partner with Sales, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to improve speed-to-market and execution quality.
• Develop tools, templates, training materials, and operating procedures that improve sales execution.
• Facilitate process and system training for sales teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Lead adoption efforts for new tools, technologies, and standardized ways of working.
• Establish routines for measurement, accountability, and continuous optimization.
• Collect and incorporate feedback from customers, retailers, sales teams, and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure improvements address real business needs and drive measurable value.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and partner to Sales leadership.

Skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Excel / Power BI

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Analytics, Operations, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Job description

Job Description:

Who are we?
Accelerator, a global Division of Mars Snacking, is on the front line of unlocking growth across high-potential categories and brands to fuel what’s next for Snacking. It’s home to both emerging and enduring brands, including KIND, TRÜ FRÜ, NATURE’S BAKERY, RXBAR,
EGGO, POP-TARTS and RICE KRISPIE TREATS. Combining the scale of Mars with the agility of a start-up, our Division has the ambition to accelerate the future of snacking by delivering products consumers love today, discovering category-shaping innovations for tomorrow and developing entrepreneurial teams whose impact will last for generations.

We’re looking for passionate talent who dare to dream big, agile collaborators who talk straight and decide fast, and driven performers with a growth mindset. We’re proudly part of Mars, while also building something boldly different. If this inspires and energizes you, you’ve
found the right place where you can do cool things with fun people for one of the biggest snacking companies in the world!

What you’ll do
Reporting to the Sale Operations Sr Director, the Continuous Improvement Sr Mgr supports the Accelerator business—the division supporting KIND, Tru Fru, Nature's Bakery, and the newly acquired Kellanova brands. The Manager, Continuous Improvement Sales Operations is responsible for driving process excellence, simplification, and capability development across the Sales organization. This role leads the identification, design, and implementation of improvements that enhance sales effectiveness, execution consistency, customer readiness, and operational efficiency. Working cross-functionally with Sales, Commercial Strategy / Strategic Demand, Finance, Supply Chain, Customer Service, Technology, and external partners, the role will develop scalable processes, governance, tools, and performance management disciplines that enable profitable growth while reducing complexity and manual effort. The position serves as a change agent, ensuring continuous improvement is embedded into how the organization plans, executes, and measures performance.

Job Responsibilities

Continuous Improvement Leadership

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across sales planning, execution, customer support, commercialization, and operational processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve effectiveness, efficiency, speed, quality, and user experience across Sales Operations.
• Facilitate root cause analysis and implement sustainable solutions to business challenges.
• Establish governance, documentation standards, and best practices to improve process consistency.

Process Excellence & Transformation

• Own process mapping, standardization, and simplification efforts across cross functional workflows.
• Drive improvements to processes, annual planning cycles, execution readiness activities, and sales enablement processes.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives focused on reducing complexity and eliminating non‑ value-added work.
• Partner with technology teams to automate manual processes and improve data accessibility.
• Drive enhancements to governance, reporting, performance reviews, and decision‑making tools.
• Partner with Sales, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to improve speed-to-market and execution quality.

Sales Capability & Enablement

• Develop tools, templates, training materials, and operating procedures that improve sales execution.
• Facilitate process and system training for sales teams and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Lead adoption efforts for new tools, technologies, and standardized ways of working.
• Establish routines for measurement, accountability, and continuous optimization.

Voice of Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Collect and incorporate feedback from customers, retailers, sales teams, and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure improvements address real business needs and drive measurable value.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and partner to Sales leadership.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Analytics, Operations, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in Sales Operations, Commercial Operations, Supply Chain, Customer Planning, Revenue Growth Management, Analytics, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross‑functional projects and change initiatives.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and project management skills.
• Experience developing process documentation, governance, and standard operating procedures.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, or similar analytics platforms.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management capabilities.

Preferred

• Experience within Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Retail, Food, Beverage, or Consumer Products industries.
• Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or Continuous Improvement certification.
• Experience implementing process automation and digital transformation initiatives.
• Familiarity with Customer Business Planning (CBP), Integrated Business Planning (IBP), sales planning, trade management, or display commercialization processes.
• Experience working with sales enablement and reporting tools.

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 134,400.00 - USD 184,800.00