Sr. Quality & Food Safety Technologist
Food Safety / Quality / Regulatory
Job Description:
Sr. Quality & Food Safety (Q&FS) Technologist
Level of Role
Individual Contributor
Number of Reports
No reports
Travel Requirements
Up to 10%
Purpose of this Role
The Sr. Q&FS Technologist is a business-critical R&D resource responsible for developing, implementing, and optimizing site-based Quality & Food Safety systems at our Pilot Plant innovation site. This role serves as a key bridge between cutting-edge product innovation and absolute operational compliance.
Operating in an agile, fast-paced pilot environment, you will partner cross-functionally with Product Development (Innovation), Engineering, Maintenance, Logistics, and Global Q&FS teams. The role's mission is to proactively identify food safety risks, champion continuous improvement, and ensure that every prototype, trial, and/or innovation run complies with Mars Quality Standards, regulatory frameworks, and consumer/customer expectations.
What are we looking for?
Minimum Qualifications
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• Experience: A minimum of one (1) year of experience in a Quality, Food Safety, Regulatory, or Engineering role within a manufacturing or laboratory environment.
• Industry Experience: Prior experience in Food manufacturing industries.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong foundational understanding of HACCP, GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices), GLPs (Good Laboratory Practices), and general microbiology/wet chemistry methodologies.
• Technical Aptitude: Proven capability to work effectively in a physical R&D, Pilot Plant, or manufacturing factory setting.
Preferred Qualifications
• Industry Experience: Prior experience in the Petcare manufacturing industries.
• Process Knowledge: Familiarity with pet food processing technology (e.g., extrusion, retorting, packaging) and statistical process control tools.
• System Experience: Working knowledge of digital quality tracking systems (Nexus, PRIMP, or equivalent PLM systems).
Physical & Work Environment Demands
• Ability to work in a dynamic pilot plant environment (including exposure to automated machinery, raw meats, and industrial noise).
• Sufficient mobility, strength, and visual/hearing acuity to navigate a high-forklift-traffic environment safely.
• Ability to perform routine physical activities such as bending, stooping, and lifting up to 50 lbs.
• Flexibility to adjust working hours/schedules occasionally to accommodate specific trial testing requirements.
What will be your key responsibilities?
Microbiological & Food Safety Leadership
• Microbiology Program Owner: Owns, coordinates, and executes the pilot plant's microbiological testing and environmental monitoring programs. Analyzes, trends, and reports results to cross-functional stakeholders with clear actionable recommendations.
• HACCP & Risk Assessments: Serve as the secondary Food Safety Representative on the site's food safety team. Facilitates and documents robust risk assessments for all new raw materials (commodities), innovative processes, and trial equipment prior to introduction.
• Site Designee: Acts as the primary technical backup/designee for the Site Q&FS Manager for the food safety and food defense teams.
Incident & Hold Management (Non-Conformance)
• Leads Non-Conformance Systems: Facilitate and document site-based hold management systems, utilizing Mars standard systems (Nexus, NCMGT, PRIMP, and SWORD) to manage product dispositions, root-cause investigations, and destructions in compliance with Mars Global Q&FS Standards.
• Preventative Action (CAPA): Lead Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) investigations to prevent recurrence of operational deviations or quality system failures during innovation trials.
Operational Audits & Compliance
• Site Auditing: Conduct and document internal site audits covering Quality Management Systems (QMS), sanitation, pest control, product/material traceability, and food defense / food fraud to maintain compliance with FDA regulations and Mars Global Standards.
• Specification & Recipe Control: Coordinates final formulation and recipe approvals with the business unit formulation team and ensures strict adherence to shift conformance release criteria prior to executing feeding trials. Collaborates closely with site process engineers, who retain ownership of maintaining the technical integrity of the site's systems.
Technical Training & Continuous Improvement
• Q&FS Education: Design, develop, and deliver site-wide training programs to cultivate a strong "Quality First" culture among pilot plant associates and trial stakeholders.
• Statistical Process Control (SPC): Maintain and interpret site SPC systems, tracking operational data to report deviations, handle consumer feedback, and make continuous improvement recommendations.
What can you expect from Mars?
#LI-Onsite
#LI-GK24
Sr. Quality & Food Safety (Q&FS) Technologist
Level of Role
Individual Contributor
Number of Reports
No reports
Travel Requirements
Up to 10%
Purpose of this Role
The Sr. Q&FS Technologist is a business-critical R&D resource responsible for developing, implementing, and optimizing site-based Quality & Food Safety systems at our Pilot Plant innovation site. This role serves as a key bridge between cutting-edge product innovation and absolute operational compliance.
Operating in an agile, fast-paced pilot environment, you will partner cross-functionally with Product Development (Innovation), Engineering, Maintenance, Logistics, and Global Q&FS teams. The role's mission is to proactively identify food safety risks, champion continuous improvement, and ensure that every prototype, trial, and/or innovation run complies with Mars Quality Standards, regulatory frameworks, and consumer/customer expectations.
What are we looking for?
Minimum Qualifications
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• Experience: A minimum of one (1) year of experience in a Quality, Food Safety, Regulatory, or Engineering role within a manufacturing or laboratory environment.
• Industry Experience: Prior experience in Food manufacturing industries.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong foundational understanding of HACCP, GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices), GLPs (Good Laboratory Practices), and general microbiology/wet chemistry methodologies.
• Technical Aptitude: Proven capability to work effectively in a physical R&D, Pilot Plant, or manufacturing factory setting.
Preferred Qualifications
• Industry Experience: Prior experience in the Petcare manufacturing industries.
• Process Knowledge: Familiarity with pet food processing technology (e.g., extrusion, retorting, packaging) and statistical process control tools.
• System Experience: Working knowledge of digital quality tracking systems (Nexus, PRIMP, or equivalent PLM systems).
Physical & Work Environment Demands
• Ability to work in a dynamic pilot plant environment (including exposure to automated machinery, raw meats, and industrial noise).
• Sufficient mobility, strength, and visual/hearing acuity to navigate a high-forklift-traffic environment safely.
• Ability to perform routine physical activities such as bending, stooping, and lifting up to 50 lbs.
• Flexibility to adjust working hours/schedules occasionally to accommodate specific trial testing requirements.
What will be your key responsibilities?
Microbiological & Food Safety Leadership
• Microbiology Program Owner: Owns, coordinates, and executes the pilot plant's microbiological testing and environmental monitoring programs. Analyzes, trends, and reports results to cross-functional stakeholders with clear actionable recommendations.
• HACCP & Risk Assessments: Serve as the secondary Food Safety Representative on the site's food safety team. Facilitates and documents robust risk assessments for all new raw materials (commodities), innovative processes, and trial equipment prior to introduction.
• Site Designee: Acts as the primary technical backup/designee for the Site Q&FS Manager for the food safety and food defense teams.
Incident & Hold Management (Non-Conformance)
• Leads Non-Conformance Systems: Facilitate and document site-based hold management systems, utilizing Mars standard systems (Nexus, NCMGT, PRIMP, and SWORD) to manage product dispositions, root-cause investigations, and destructions in compliance with Mars Global Q&FS Standards.
• Preventative Action (CAPA): Lead Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) investigations to prevent recurrence of operational deviations or quality system failures during innovation trials.
Operational Audits & Compliance
• Site Auditing: Conduct and document internal site audits covering Quality Management Systems (QMS), sanitation, pest control, product/material traceability, and food defense / food fraud to maintain compliance with FDA regulations and Mars Global Standards.
• Specification & Recipe Control: Coordinates final formulation and recipe approvals with the business unit formulation team and ensures strict adherence to shift conformance release criteria prior to executing feeding trials. Collaborates closely with site process engineers, who retain ownership of maintaining the technical integrity of the site's systems.
Technical Training & Continuous Improvement
• Q&FS Education: Design, develop, and deliver site-wide training programs to cultivate a strong "Quality First" culture among pilot plant associates and trial stakeholders.
• Statistical Process Control (SPC): Maintain and interpret site SPC systems, tracking operational data to report deviations, handle consumer feedback, and make continuous improvement recommendations.
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.
- A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
- An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.
#LI-Onsite
#LI-GK24