Sr Specialist Food Safety & Quality Labs

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

Job summary

Mars Incorporated is seeking a Sr. Specialist in Chicago to serve as the central technical authority on allergens, chemical hazards, and foreign materials. You will define risk frameworks, guide sites and co-manufacturers, and ensure product safety across the Accelerator portfolio.

The role requires deep technical expertise, strategic standard-setting, and ability to collaborate across a network without direct authority, plus travel up to 30% to manufacturing sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in a food manufacturing environment focused on quality and food safety.
• HACCP and FSSC 22000 (or similar GFSI) certification required; certified auditor experience preferred.
• Based in the Chicago, IL area; willingness to travel up to 30%.

Responsibilities

• Govern Accelerator Food Safety Standards and related hazard controls; support compliance with FMMS.
• Act as SME for site-level risk assessments and contamination investigations (PRIMPs) and CAPA development.
• Drive continuous improvement in allergen, chemical, and foreign material risk reduction and testing efficiency.
• Lead Division Quality Risk Management activities within Archer; partner on lab test trending and study execution.
• Deploy handheld XRF program across internal sites and develop training to build network-wide expertise.
• Represent the Division in Mars Global Communities of Practice to influence strategy and growth.

Skills

Food safety expertise

Allergen risk assessment

Root-cause analysis

CAPA development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, or related field

Tools

XRF handheld analyzer

Job description

Job Description:

About Mars Snacking Accelerator: 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 KRISPIES 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!

The Opportunity: Why This Role Matters

This isn't a factory-floor quality role; this is a strategic, division-level opportunity to be the central nervous system for food safety. As our Sr. Specialist, you are the designated Subject Matter Expert for the most critical risks to our products and consumers: allergens, chemical hazards, and foreign materials. You won't be responsible for a single lab or plant; instead, you'll be the expert who provides the guidance, sets the standards, and builds the risk frameworks that our internal and external manufacturing partners across the entire Accelerator portfolio execute against. You are the technical authority who ensures our sites are compliant, our testing is robust, and our products are safe, no matter where they're made.

What You'll Do (Key Responsibilities)

• Govern Food Safety Standards: Own the Accelerator Allergen Substantiation procedure, govern division-level chemical and mycotoxin hazard controls, and support compliance with the Mars Foreign Material Management Standard (FMMS).


• Act as the SME: Provide expert technical guidance for site-level risk assessments, support sites in achieving compliance, and act as the division SME for any contamination incidents (PRIMPs), guiding investigations and CAPA development.


• Drive Continuous Improvement: Identify and lead initiatives within the allergen, chemical, and foreign material domains to drive risk reduction, improve testing efficiency, and optimize costs.


• Manage Risk & Verification: Lead and maintain Division Quality Risk Management activities within the Archer platform. Partner on lab test trending and study execution to refine verification requirements for finished products.


• Deploy Technology & Training: Lead the deployment and governance of the handheld XRF analyzer program across internal sites and develop specialized training programs to build expertise across the network.


• Represent the Division: Serve as the Accelerator representative in relevant Mars Global Communities of Practice, influencing global strategy to support our division's needs and future growth.

What We're Looking For

• A Deep Technical Expert: Advanced, practical knowledge of food safety hazards, specifically allergens (risk assessments, testing, changeovers), chemical contaminants, and foreign material control (metal detection, X-ray).


• A Strategic Standard-Setter: Experience developing and implementing guidance, specifications, and risk frameworks for manufacturing sites to execute against, rather than just following established procedures.


• An Influential Collaborator: The ability to provide expert guidance and drive compliance across a network of internal sites and co-manufacturers without direct authority.


• A Proven Problem-Solver: Demonstrable experience in root-cause analysis, incident management (PRIMP), and developing corrective/preventive action plans (CAPA).

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, or a closely related field.


• Experience: 7+ years of experience in a food manufacturing environment with a focus on quality and food safety.


• Certifications: HACCP, FSSC 22000 (or similar GFSI scheme) certification required. Certified auditor experience is also required.


• Location: Must be based in the Chicago, IL area.


• Travel: Ability to travel up to 30% to manufacturing sites.

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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