Sr. Scientist, Consumer Technical Insights

Mars•Franklin, TN

About The Position

The Sr. Scientist, Consumer Technical Insights provides expertise in product performance—including palatability, digestibility, and stability—across dry, wet, care, and treats products. The role ensures internal and external scientific research is delivered to the quality and technical standards required by the Global Petcare business. It delivers palatability and flavor application technology for Mars Petcare North America, addressing the needs of pets and pet owners, and supports regional performance monitoring and management. The scientist works with platform leaders to select and test products and follow through on related actions, and provides solutions to product developers to support competitive portfolio performance. The role leads and initiates pet food palatability research aligned with key stakeholders, identifies knowledge and technology gaps, and develops collaborative research opportunities with internal and external teams. It also supervises projects and workstreams led by other research scientists, contributes to global knowledge transfer, works with stakeholders, and owns regional product performance system planning, execution, and reporting through business forums.

Requirements

Master’s degree minimum in food science, chemistry sciences, or a similar discipline.
Thorough understanding of analytical methods and palatant/flavor delivery solutions.
Thorough understanding of food/flavor chemistry in the food matrix.
Thorough understanding of project management.
Broad understanding of the pet food industry, consumer trends, and scientific innovations.
Intellectual curiosity and ability to find and develop solutions.
Strong communication skills to clearly articulate study objectives and outputs.
Research design and execution skills.
Ability to build internal and external networks, influence, collaborate externally, and communicate research outcomes.
Business acumen.
Drive for results, functional/technical skills, priority setting, peer relationship skills, customer focus, and listening skills.

Nice To Haves

More than 5 years of experience developing palatability/flavor applications for human or pet foods.
Ph.D. in food science, chemistry sciences, or a similar discipline.

Responsibilities

Live the Mars culture by leading with the Five Principles.
Initiate and lead pet food palatability research projects and programs aligned with key stakeholders.
Provide input and feedback on product stability and critical success factors to ensure products meet Mars internal guidelines.
Identify gaps in knowledge and technologies in pet food palatability and related scientific areas.
Identify collaborative research opportunities with internal and external teams and initiate and execute projects supporting palatability goals.
Supervise projects and workstreams led by other research scientists in pet food palatability.
Participate in global knowledge-transfer activities with global functional teams and communities.
Work with internal and external stakeholders.
Own regional Mars product performance system planning, execution, and reporting through business forums.
Provide expertise in product performance, including palatability, digestibility, and stability across dry, wet, care, and treats products.
Deliver palatability and flavor application technology for Mars Petcare North America.
Support regional performance monitoring and management, including product selection, testing, and follow-through on actions with platform leaders.
Provide product developers with solutions to ensure competitive portfolio performance.
Ensure internal and external scientific research projects meet the quality and technical standards required by the Global Petcare business.