Sr Manager, Regulatory Intelligence & Business Resilience

Mars; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 193,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

Job summary

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates seeks a Packaging Regulatory Lead to own global EPR strategy, regulatory intelligence, and market access enablement for Mars Snacking packaging. You will translate evolving regulations into actionable guidance, collaborate with regional teams, and drive risk-aware decision making across markets.

Travel is expected, and you’ll influence leadership with scenario planning, tools, and disciplined compliance programs that protect margins and accelerate

Qualifications

• 10-15 years’ experience in relevant field
• 5 years leading and managing complex global programs is preferred
• Technical background with specific area of packaging expertise preferred
• Strong regulatory intelligence combined with commercial acumen
• Ability to translate complex regulations into clear business actions
• Structured thinking with ability to translate complex topics into clear, concise and compelling messages with the right level of detail
• Effective communication skills including: synthesizing updates, audience tailoring, clarity, stakeholder management, organization, risk assessment and contingency planning
• Proven experience influencing through data, scenarios, and policy engagement
• Sufficient expertise and seniority to act as a credible partner to leadership, innovation, sustainability, and corporate affairs teams
• Dealing with ambiguity & Managing complexity
• This role will require occasional travel including international travel to collaborate with local teams and stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Identify upcoming legislation and EPR schemes before enactment and translate regulation into business implications.
• Lead regulatory intelligence and EPR impact as the business owner.
• Partner with local and global SRA teams to align regulatory intelligence with priorities and timelines.
• Monitor regulatory evolution and risk, serving as the central EPR expert.
• Convert laws into actionable guidance, tools, and decision frameworks.
• Anticipate market trends to prepare the business for evolving challenges.
• Coordinate data requirements, methodologies, and reporting for EPR and market access.
• Develop and deploy tools that enable compliance without slowing speed-to-market.
• Translate regulations into cost, portfolio, and risk impacts, and build FTO/non-FTO strategies.
• Embed regulatory risk in strategic plans, innovation pipelines, and operations.

Skills

Regulatory intelligence

Stakeholder management

Communication

Scenario planning

Risk assessment

Education

Bachelor’s degree in public affairs, policy advocacy, sustainability, packaging

Relevant degree

Job description

Job Purpose/Overview

Packaging Sustainability has rapidly emerged as a significant threat to our business with concerns from government regulators, customers and consumers as to the impact of packaging waste on the natural environment. While facing this challenge we also have opportunity to win with customers and consumers with differentiated offerings to support our growth goals.

Key Responsibilities

1. Regulatory Intelligence & Horizon Scanning (Business Anticipation)

• Work alongside CA/PA in proactive horizon scanning to identify upcoming legislation and EPR schemes before enactment. Following enactment, lead translation of regulation into business implications and opportunities.
• Act as the business owner of regulatory intelligence and EPR impact, using SRA as an enabling channel for technical advocacy and engagement with regulators.
• Partner with local and global SRA teams to align regulatory intelligence with business priorities and execution timelines.
• Monitor global regulatory evolution and compliance risks, acting as the central EPR expert for the business.
• Build awareness across teams by converting laws and policies into actionable guidance, tools, and decision frameworks.
• Anticipate market trends and future regulatory directions to prepare the business for evolving commercial and sustainability challenges.

2. Operational, Due Diligence & Market Access Enablement

• Ensure conformity and reporting readiness through robust design of operationally scalable compliance models that enable speed‑to‑market while protecting margin and business continuity.
• Define and coordinate data requirements, methodologies, and reporting mechanisms to meet EPR and market access legislation.
• Develop and deploy practical tools and processes that enable teams to comply without slowing speed‑to‑market.
• Serve as the business reference point for EPR implementation and compliance execution, ensuring consistency across regions.

3. Risk Management & Scenario Planning (Decision Protection)

• Translate upcoming and emerging regulations into clear impacts on cost, portfolio design, innovation choices, and market access, ahead of formal adoption in partnership with commercial and local teams. Build scenario planning models.
• Develop and prepare long‑term Freedom‑to‑Operate (FTO) and non‑FTO strategies to safeguard business continuity and growth.
• Establish regulatory risk tracking and ensure regulatory risk is embedded into all strategic, innovation, and investment decisions.
• Connect packaging regulations to broader climate and GHG impacts, providing a holistic sustainability and risk perspective for leadership decision‑making.

4. Influencing and Advocacy

• Use knowledge of Mars Snacking portfolio, strategic commercial and R&D programs to support global public affairs and corporate sustainability teams in defining Mars Snacking priorities within EPR and packaging policy.
• Lead advocacy with non‑governmental packaging stakeholders and industry partners to drive improvements in infrastructure, innovation, and consumer behavior.
• Guide regional and market sustainability teams/technical experts in relevant EPR intervention programs and in engagement with Producer Responsibility Organizations.

Context and Scope

• This role reports to the Senior Director Global Sustainable Packaging.
• This role will lead the Regulation, EPR, compliance landscape for Mars Snacking Packaging globally.
• This role is a member of the Global Packaging Sustainability Team and serves as recognized Packaging EPR & regulations subject‑matter expert across the Snacking division for each region.
• This role is highly grounded in the segment with strong business application in the regions.
• The role will create and animate:
• A global regulatory heatmap with clear prioritization and business impact assessment.
• Structured methodologies and tools to support compliance and decision‑making.
• Scenario planning outputs linking regulation to cost, risk, innovation, and growth.
• Embedded regulatory risk in strategic plans, innovation pipelines, and operational decisions.
• The role will require strong, actionable influence and advocacy positions, coordinated with Corporate Affairs and local teams.
• Accountable for ensuring no strategic or innovation decision is taken without regulatory foresight and impact assessment.

Job Specifications/Qualifications

Education & Professional Qualification

Relevant degree

Bachelor’s Degree in public affairs, policy advocacy, sustainability, packaging, or other closely related field

Knowledge/Experience

10-15 years’ experience in relevant field,

5 years leading and managing complex global programs is preferred

Technical background with specific area of packaging expertise preferred

Strong regulatory intelligence combined with commercial acumen

Ability to translate complex regulations into clear business actions

Structured thinking with ability to translate complex topics into clear, concise and compelling messages with the right level of detail

Effective communication skills including:

• Synthesizing qualitative updates across various teams into clear and concise communication
• Ability to customize message to suit the audience from peers through senior management
• Clarity in communication
• Effective stakeholder management
• Strong organization skills, thoughtful decision making
• Understanding of risk assessment and contingency planning
• Proven experience influencing through data, scenarios, and policy engagement
• Sufficient expertise and seniority to act as a credible partner to leadership, innovation, sustainability, and corporate affairs teams
• Dealing with ambiguity & Managing complexity
• This role will require occasional travel including international travel to collaborate with local teams and stakeholders

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.

#LI-JH1

#LI-Onsite

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 192,560.00 - USD 264,770.00