Senior Manager R&D Processes & Work Systems

Mars • Battle Creek, MI

9d • $134,400 - $184,800

About The Position

The Senior Manager R&D Processes & Work Systems owns global work systems strategy and selected cross-process capability elements that strengthen how R&D runs its business. The role ensures approved process standards are translated into a coherent operating rhythm with clear maturity expectations, governance, capability building, and continuous improvement across the function.

The position sets the direction for deploying work systems across R&D and maintains an operating model that connects process ownership, deployment, data, and performance management. It owns governance and review mechanisms that track maturity, adherence, and systemic barriers across process areas, and uses insights to prioritize improvement work and leadership attention.

The role also leads global capability building through playbooks, tools, communities of practice, training approaches, and coaching expectations. It partners with BPOs, deployment, analytics, and data stewardship leaders to embed standards, controls, evidence requirements, adoption, performance, and data quality in the operating cadence. It drives cross-functional continuous improvement and supports transformation efforts so new solutions become part of a sustainable operating rhythm.

Requirements

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in engineering, Operations, Food Science, Business, or equivalent.
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in work systems, operational excellence, capability building, or structured business improvement in a complex organization.
• Proven ability to connect governance, performance, change, and behavioral adoption into a practical operating model.
• Experience leading cross-process continuous improvement and influencing senior stakeholders globally.

Nice To Haves

• Strong knowledge of R&D processes, systems, and data expectations in quality-sensitive environments.
• Experience building playbooks, maturity models, or communities of practice.

Responsibilities

• Set direction for how work systems are deployed across R&D, including core routines, maturity models, standard methods, and governance expectations.
• Maintain an operating model connecting process ownership, deployment, data, and performance management.
• Own governance and review mechanisms that track maturity progression, adherence, and systemic barriers across multiple process areas.
• Use insights to prioritize improvement work and focus leadership attention on the biggest execution gaps.
• Lead global work systems capability building, including playbooks, tools, communities of practice, training approaches, and coaching expectations.
• Strengthen the organization’s ability to adopt and sustain standards consistently across regions and teams.
• Partner with BPOs to ensure work systems reinforce approved standards, controls, and evidence requirements without duplicating process ownership.
• Partner with deployment, analytics, and data stewardship leaders so adoption, performance, and data quality are built into the operating cadence.
• Drive cross-functional continuous improvement priorities that simplify work, improve adherence, and strengthen business performance.
• Support major transformation efforts by ensuring new solutions land into a sustainable operating rhythm.

Benefits

• Industry-competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.
• Learning and development support from day one, including access to Mars University.
• Variable pay.
• Medical and dental benefits.
• Participation in a 401k plan.
• Paid time off benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior