Sr Scientist Chem Consult & Audit

Mars•Thompson's Station, TN

About The Position

The MGS Consultancy & Audit Senior Scientist provides client-centered laboratory consultancy and technical governance services for regional Mars stakeholders, addressing customer needs and creating business value. The role supports development centers, factories, product development, global innovation centers, and supplier quality assurance with experimental design, data interpretation, method selection, and laboratory expertise. It also provides professional services for escalation testing and crisis incidents, and contributes to laboratory governance through technical audits and corrective and preventive action follow-up at site and external laboratories in the relevant field of Chemistry or Microbiology. The position manages regional relationships with external laboratories and connects with the MGS Global Laboratories team on serious incidents, new method requests, large regional programs, and external laboratory feedback. The role is part of a regional laboratory function that delivers microbiology and/or chemistry testing, governance, and consultancy services to Mars business segments. It calls for strong customer focus, collaboration, communication, listening skills, and action orientation in a demanding environment. Up to 30% global travel is required, with occasional weekends away from home for audits.

Requirements

At least 5 years of technical laboratory experience in food testing methods, ideally across pet and human food matrices.
Working experience in technical audits.
Working knowledge of ISO 17025 laboratory requirements.
Outstanding stakeholder management and communication skills.
Fluent written and spoken English.
Strong collaboration, listening, communication, and action-orientation skills.
A degree in Chemistry, Microbiology, or a related discipline.

Nice To Haves

A Master's degree in a relevant field.
For Chemistry-focused candidates, extensive knowledge of quality and food safety analyses, including contaminants, nutritional composition, oxidation, and physical parameters.
Experience across both pet and human food matrices.

Responsibilities

Provide consultancy support to regional stakeholders, including factories, product development, global innovation centers, and supplier quality assurance, on experimental design and data interpretation.
Identify external laboratories capable of performing analyses that are not available in the current test portfolio, including selecting appropriate methods.
Manage escalation testing for crisis incidents by providing professional services in the relevant field of Chemistry or Microbiology.
Maintain and provide knowledge of regionally required or preferred analysis methods.
Coordinate with the MGS Global Laboratories team on serious incidents, new method requests, large regional programs, external laboratory feedback, and external laboratory relationships.
Contribute to laboratory governance through technical audits of site and external laboratories, audit execution, and corrective and preventive action follow-up in the relevant field.
Support quality and food safety achievement as a Mars associate.