About the role
Job Description:
Mars: Where your Tomorrow Starts Today!
Mars is a family-owned business that has been making products for people and their pets for more than 100 years. We’re behind some of the best loved brands in the world including MARS®, SNICKERS®, EXTRA®, ECLIPSE®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, DOLMIO®, BEN’S ORIGINAL ® MASTERFOODS ® and ROYAL CANIN® ORIJEN® ACANA® we are dedicated to making a positive impact on people and the planet.
Join us in building a sustainable future where people, communities, and the planet can truly thrive.
- Segment: Pet Nutrition
- Location: Melbourne, Hybrid
- Reporting to: ANZ Marketing Director
At Mars, we are driven by a shared purpose: A Better World for Pets. We believe that pets make our world better, and we are committed to making a better world for them. As a global, family-owned business, we operate under our Five Principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom—to guide our decisions, support our Associates, and drive sustainable growth.
Joining Mars Pet Nutrition means joining a passionate, collaborative, and future-focused team dedicated to some of the world’s most loved brands.
About the role:
We are seeking a Marketing Operations & Transformation Director to join our ANZ Leadership team. In this critical, senior role, you will be the driving force behind the end-to-end consumer communications ecosystem across Australia and New Zealand. Operating at the heart of our marketing function, you will connect brand strategy, consumer experience, media investment, shopper activation, and digital capability into a high-performing, cohesive operating model.
If you are an agile, data-informed leader passionate about building future-fit marketing capabilities and championing team growth, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.
What will you do?
In this role, you will lead a diverse, multi-disciplinary team spanning content experience, shopper marketing, digital transformation, and media. Your core areas of focus will include:
- Integrated Content & Media Strategy: Orchestrate and drive a high-performing media and content ecosystem that strengthens brand equity, accelerates conversion, and improves overall media effectiveness across the entire customer journey.
- Digital Transformation & Acceleration: Champion marketing innovation and capability development across the organization. You will encourage experimentation, simplification, and agile ways of working to ensure Mars remains competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
- Shopper Marketing & Retail Activation: Oversee customer-centric and commercially effective shopper marketing programs that align brand priorities with key retailer goals.
- High-Performing Team Leadership: Lead, coach, and inspire a talented cross-functional team (including our Content Experience Lead, Shopper Marketing Manager, Digital Acceleration Lead, Digital Media Managers, and NZ Media Head). Foster a culture of continuous learning, strategic development, and strong succession.
- Stakeholder & Agency Management: Partner closely with Portfolio, Sales, eCommerce, Insights, and Global Marketing teams. Act as the primary champion of key agency partnerships and maximize our media and content investments.
What will you bring?
We are seeking a strategic, commercially astute leader who can navigate ambiguity and build exceptional, collaborative relationships across a matrixed environment.
- Proven leadership experience across media, digital marketing, content operations, or large-scale integrated marketing ecosystems.
- Strong background in FMCG, consumer-facing brands, or fast-paced retail environments is highly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience leading and coaching diverse, multi-disciplinary teams, with the ability to inspire, develop talent, and build high-performing units.
- Comprehensive understanding of modern media strategy, digital channels, data-driven shopper marketing, and agile content operations.
- A track record of turning complex, high-level business goals into practical, measurable, and highly successful commercial execution plans.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience in Marketing, with a deep focus on Digital Marketing and modern commerce
Why you’ll love working for Mars:
- Purpose: Help craft beloved brands with a legacy of over 100 years of local manufacturing making products that people and pets will love all while helping to build a more sustainable future.
- People: A culture that values your contributions, fosters leadership, and recognises the impact you make. Your work truly matters here.
- Development: Shape your career with personalised development and real opportunities to grow from day one.
- Enjoy a team and business environment that is invested in helping you manage and grow your energy for work and life.
Skills & Tags
Aplyr's read
Mars is a diverse global powerhouse in confectionery, pet care, and food, attracting talent in manufacturing, sales, and technical roles.
What's promising
- •Mars offers a wide range of career paths across multiple sectors, including food, pet care, and confectionery.
- •The company invests in employee development through programs like the Mars Young Professionals Program.
- •Mars provides opportunities for global mobility and cross-functional career growth.
What to watch
- •The company's large size may lead to bureaucratic decision-making processes.
- •Limited public information about Mars' work-life balance policies.
- •Mars' global operations may require frequent travel or relocation for some roles.
Why Mars
- •Mars is family-owned, allowing for long-term strategic planning without shareholder pressure.
- •The company is known for its iconic brands like M&M's and Snickers, offering strong brand recognition.
- •Mars emphasizes sustainability and responsible sourcing in its operations.
Aplyr’s read is generated by AI from public sources. Was it useful?
About Mars
Mars, Incorporated is a global manufacturer of confectionery, pet care, and food products, known for brands like M&M's, Snickers, Pedigree, and Whiskas.
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