Job Description:
The Global SQA Audit of the Future lead (2-year assignment) is responsible for leading the digital transformation, process optimization, and technology-enablement of Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA) audit programs across the Global Pet Nutrition segment.
This role serves as the strategic architect and execution lead for modernizing audit workflows. By standardizing processes, integrating audit technologies into a single unified platform, and preparing SQA data for advanced AI analytics, this position ensures a high-performing, digitally enabled SQA function. The goal is to drive unprecedented operational efficiency, eliminate overlapping efforts, and safeguard supply chain quality, ensuring we deliver on our commitment of uncompromising quality for the pets and consumers we serve.
Context and Scope:
Operating within the highly matrixed environment of Global Pet Nutrition, this role has global accountability with a scope that extends cross-regionally and cross-segmentally.
- Global Accountability: The job holder is responsible for setting the digital governance standards and system capabilities for SQA audit teams globally, ensuring regional execution is fully aligned.
- Cross-Segment & Corporate Alignment: A primary driver of success in this role is establishing seamless alignment across different Mars segments (e.g., Pet Nutrition, Snacking, Food & Nutrition) and corporate-level Digital/IT and Quality & Food Safety (Q&FS) teams. The role ensures that audit processes & technologies, shared supplier management are unified as per QMS requirements.
- Stakeholder Influence: This leader will act as a key liaison between SQA directors, corporate IT partners, external software vendors, and third-party auditors, influencing without authority to achieve harmonized digital solutions.
What would be your key responsibilities?
Governance, Synergy & Standardization:
- Align Audit Programs: Align global and regional supplier audit planning with the established Mars SQA governance model to improve operational efficiency, reduce audit overlaps and drive cross-segment synergy
- Harmonize Shared Supplier Management: Lead cross-functional alignment and execute digitalization of shared supplier management processes
- Establish Unified Digital Governance: Establish and champion a unified digital governance framework through the SQA Audit Team, defining data quality standards, access levels, and standardized output requirements for all audit activities.
Audit KPI Alignment & Centralized Reporting:
- Enhance and Align KPIs: Review, enhance, and align audit program performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure they reflect modern digital capability, compliance, and risk metrics.
- Support the further development of Q&FS Governance Dashboards: feed into the teams building and maintain centralized reporting dashboards to strengthen governance, provide real-time risk visibility, and supply senior leadership with actionable data-driven insights.
Technology Integration & Workflow Automation:
- Single Platform Integration: Lead the complex integration of disparate SQA audit tools, spreadsheets, and legacy databases into a single, unified digital platform.
- Automate Audit end to end process: Re-engineer and automate the end-to-end audit execution and annual planning processes, minimizing administrative overhead and allowing auditors to focus on high-risk technical assessments. Working closely with SQA MGS team and other segment digital leads to leverage existing digital solutions.
- Template Solution Development: Collaborate with corporate IT & MGS to develop and deploy technology solutions that enable automatic populating/writing of data to audit templates and facilitate seamless document uploads to centralized repositories.
AI Readiness & Digital Innovation:
- AI Data Integration: Prepare and clean historical and current audit data to make it compatible with advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions, ensuring strict alignment with Mars Information Classification and Responsible AI policies.
- AI-Enabled SQA Tooling: Champion the deployment and daily use of AI-enabled tools to support SQA associates during the audit lifecycle, leveraging predictive analytics to flag supplier anomalies, emerging material risks, and audit trends.
What are we looking for?
- Bachelor degree in science, engineering discipline would be a benefit
- Consistent experience in technical function, ideally across SQA/R&D/Q&F required
- SExperience implementing projects with senior x-functional stakeholders
- Proven Track Record: Demonstrated experience in leading digital transformation projects, software implementation, or re-engineering business processes within a corporate quality or supply chain function.
- Data & Technology Acumen: Strong experience working with digital databases, dashboarding tools (e.g., \"Power BI\"), and ERP/PLM platforms. Familiarity with AI applications, data cleansing methodologies, or system integration is a distinct advantage.
- Matrix Management: Proven capability to work effectively in a matrixed organization, driving cross-segment alignment and managing diverse stakeholder expectations.
- Understanding of Pet Nutrition Sourcing & Supplier Management practices
- Excellent communication skills, fluent in Englis
- Experience of Program management & delivery across multiple BU
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 a company bonus.
Mars is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable adjustments for individuals with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or who are neurodiverse during the application and recruitment process. To request reasonable adjustments, complete our Reasonable Adjustment Request Form here
#J-18808-Ljbffr
SQA Audits of Future Lead (2-year Assignment) in London employer: Mars, Incorporated
At Mars, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. As a Finance Business Partner in our European Food & Nutrition division, you'll benefit from robust learning and development opportunities through Mars University, alongside a competitive salary and bonus structure. Join us in Paddington, Paris, or Copenhagen, where you can make a meaningful impact while working with a diverse team dedicated to building a better tomorrow.
