North America Manufacturing Director (Finance)

Job Level:
People Leadership-P3

Job Description:
What are we looking for?

• To excel in this role, the job holder must role model Mars 5 Principles and be able to provide exceptional leadership and strategic thinking skills to inspire and motivate a diverse workforce.
• They will be expected to engage and cultivate strong and influential relationships with internal stakeholders at all levels within RC, as well as with senior stakeholders across the broader Mars organization.
• The successful candidate will also need to demonstrate strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Additionally, this role is crucial in integrating external insights to guide business decisions. The job holder must demonstrate an understanding of global manufacturing dynamics, supply chain risks, and manufacturing best practices to identify and interpret potential business risks.
• The role needs to be based in New York and requires frequent travel to various manufacturing sites within North America. Flexibility in working hours will be necessary to accommodate operational needs and time zone differences.

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the manufacturing supply strategy for the North America region in alignment with the Royal Canin Global VCO Strategic Priorities.
• Collaborate with the RC North America Leadership Team to define long-term goals and supply transformation initiatives that drive growth and operational efficiency.
• Set long-term priorities to improve productivity, asset utilization, and competitive advantage.
• Lead the development and implementation of best practices across all manufacturing sites to enhance safety, quality, productivity and service.

Operational Execution

• Lead and support Plant Directors of all manufacturing sites in North America to ensure they operate at peak efficiency and effectiveness with acustomer-centric mindset.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) in line with Mars Supply Excellence (MSE) to assess operational performance, drive accountability, and champion data-driven decision-making.

VCO Capability Development

• Build and lead a high-performing manufacturing leadership team demonstrating the Leading the Mars Way Principles - promoting a5 Principles centricculture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Mentor and develop site leaders, providing guidance and support to enhance their leadership capabilities and operational effectiveness.
• Foster a results-oriented, high-performing, and dynamic culture within the team, and focus on attracting, retaining, and developing supply talent.
• Identify capability gaps to ensure that the NA VCO Team has the necessary skills to meet Mars Petcare OGSM ambition and RC VCO Strategic Priorities, both now and in the future.
• Evolve the VCO manufacturing function and organization to ensure that the team evolves to meet the business needs of the future.
• Participate in North America cross-segment talent reviews and succession planning forums and create a strong cross-segment talent pipeline including succession for your own role over time
• Promote a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Health, Safety, Environment Compliance (Safety @ Mars)

• Champion zero-harm safety culture across all north America manufacturing operations and provide Visible Leadership that enable VCO leaders to drive the Safety Culture.
• Ensure HSE systems programs and standards are consistently applied across all manufacturing sites to comply with local regulations, Mars Global HSE Standards and local HSE regulations and standards across all sites.

Quality/ Food Safety Compliance (Quality @ Mars)

• Champion Quality / Food Safety assurance initiatives to ensure that all products meet and exceed customer expectations and Mars Global Quality and Food Safety Standards.
• Collaborate with Q&FS and R&D teams to identify and resolve quality risk, implementing corrective actions as necessary.
• Drive initiatives aimed at reducing defects, reducing consumer complaints, improving yield, and enhancing overall product quality.

Mars Supply Excellence (MSE), Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Accelerate the deployment of MSEand digital transformation initiativesthrough the NA Supply network to significantly improve productivity, quality, and profitability.
• Foster operational innovation, automation, and technology adoption.

Financial & Capital Planning

• Own and deliver the North America VCO regional annual manufacturing operating budget and CAPEX planning process.
• Ensure cost optimization and delivery of multiyear DIB commitments.
• Ensure effective asset management and utilization, and ROI-driven CAB investments.
• Evaluate operational performance through internal and external benchmarking, analyze significant trends, challenges, and opportunities for enhancement, and implement strategies to maintain the competitiveness of North American manufacturing.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Stakeholder Influence

• Partner with R&D, Supply Chain, Engineering, P&O, S&F and Commercial teams to deliver end-to-end operational excellence.
• Actively engage with RC NA Leadership Team to influence strategic decisions and business priorities.
• Actively engage with RC Global VCO Leadership Team to influence strategic decisions and guide the RC Global VCO Leadership Teams.
• Represent RC in North America Mars Inc Supply forums, advocating for RC's priorities and fostering collaboration within Mars segments.
• Participate and lead in Mars cross-segment supply projects.
• Partner with NA Commercial Team to build strong relationships with suppliers to ensure the availability of high-quality materials and services.

Industry Engagement and Technology Integration

• Participate in digital, innovation, and technology forums related to manufacturing to remain informed about industry trends and advancements in manufacturing technology.
• Raise awareness within RC about the latest alternatives and solutions in manufacturing by evaluating their potential impact and the associated benefits.
• Cultivate a culture of continuous improvement by motivating teams to discover and implement innovative solutions and new technologies to address operational challenges.

Financial / Budget Impact

• Includes ownership of MCC's, and impact to overall NSV, LCC's, and Primes.

Team Size

• 7 direct reports - NA Plant Managers, Industrial Engineering, and Transformation Teams
• Regional Team of 18-20 associates
• ~1000 VCO associates across all RC manufacturing sites

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.
• Best-in-class 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.

Skills:

Action Planning, Adaptive Mindset, Building High Performance Team, Business Acumen, Complexity Management, Financial Acumen, Leadership, Managing Ambiguity, Manufacturing, Planning and Organizing, Policy and Procedures, Review and Reporting, Strategic Agility, Strategic Influence, Supply Chain, Verbal Communication

Competencies:
Balances Stakeholders, Business Insight, Communicates Effectively, Develops Talent, English, Ensures Accountability, Manages Complexity, Master, Higher Diploma, Graduate Degree, State Examination - Purchasing & Supply, Optimizes Work Processes, Organizational Savvy

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between the range listed below, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including but not limited to, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.The total compensation package for this position mayalso include other elements, if eligible, including variable pay, medical and dental benefits, participation in 401k plan, and paid time off benefits. Eligibility for these additional elements depend on the position offeredand the employee's work schedule (i.e., part-time schedule, store associate). Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an applicant receives an offer of employment.
USD 296,080.00 - USD 407,110.00