Sr Specialist Food Safety & Quality Labs

Mars•Chicago, IL

6d•$108,160 - $148,720•Hybrid

About The Position

Accelerator, a global Division of Mars Snacking, is on the front line of unlocking growth across high-potential categories and brands to fuel what’s next for Snacking. It’s home to both emerging and enduring brands, including KIND, TRÜ FRÜ, NATURE’S BAKERY, RXBAR, EGGO, POP-TARTS, and RICE KRISPIES TREATS. Combining the scale of Mars with the agility of a start-up, our Division has the ambition to accelerate the future of snacking by delivering products consumers love today, discovering category-shaping innovations for tomorrow, and developing entrepreneurial teams whose impact will last for generations. We’re looking for passionate talent who dare to dream big, agile collaborators who talk straight and decide fast, and driven performers with a growth mindset. We’re proudly part of Mars, while also building something boldly different. If this inspires and energizes you, you’ve found the right place where you can do cool things with fun people for one of the biggest snacking companies in the world! This isn't a factory-floor quality role; this is a strategic, division-level opportunity to be the central nervous system for food safety. As our Sr. Specialist, you are the designated Subject Matter Expert for the most critical risks to our products and consumers: allergens, chemical hazards, and foreign materials. You won't be responsible for a single lab or plant; instead, you'll be the expert who provides the guidance, sets the standards, and builds the risk frameworks that our internal and external manufacturing partners across the entire Accelerator portfolio execute against. You are the technical authority who ensures our sites are compliant, our testing is robust, and our products are safe, no matter where they're made.

Requirements

Advanced, practical knowledge of food safety hazards, specifically allergens (risk assessments, testing, changeovers), chemical contaminants, and foreign material control (metal detection, X-ray).
Experience developing and implementing guidance, specifications, and risk frameworks for manufacturing sites to execute against, rather than just following established procedures.
The ability to provide expert guidance and drive compliance across a network of internal sites and co-manufacturers without direct authority.
Demonstrable experience in root-cause analysis, incident management (PRIMP), and developing corrective/preventive action plans (CAPA).
Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, or a closely related field.
7+ years of experience in a food manufacturing environment with a focus on quality and food safety.
HACCP, FSSC 22000 (or similar GFSI scheme) certification required.
Certified auditor experience is also required.
Must be based in the Chicago, IL area.
Ability to travel up to 30% to manufacturing sites.

Responsibilities

Govern Food Safety Standards: Own the Accelerator Allergen Substantiation procedure, govern division-level chemical and mycotoxin hazard controls, and support compliance with the Mars Foreign Material Management Standard (FMMS).
Act as the SME: Provide expert technical guidance for site-level risk assessments, support sites in achieving compliance, and act as the division SME for any contamination incidents (PRIMPs), guiding investigations and CAPA development.
Drive Continuous Improvement: Identify and lead initiatives within the allergen, chemical, and foreign material domains to drive risk reduction, improve testing efficiency, and optimize costs.
Manage Risk & Verification: Lead and maintain Division Quality Risk Management activities within the Archer platform. Partner on lab test trending and study execution to refine verification requirements for finished products.
Deploy Technology & Training: Lead the deployment and governance of the handheld XRF analyzer program across internal sites and develop specialized training programs to build expertise across the network.
Represent the Division: Serve as the Accelerator representative in relevant Mars Global Communities of Practice, influencing global strategy to support our division's needs and future growth.