EU Micro Consultancy&Audit Sr Scientist

Job description

A mutually rewarding experience.

Work. Realize your ambitions. And realize there's more to being in business than just making a profit. That's the Mars philosophy. And the opportunity we offer every one of our Associates. An opportunity to take what you do and make it mean more for you, for those around you and for the planet. What you get here is challenging, interesting work. You get the tools you need to do a great job and you get to have the best possible people on your side to help you do it. And at the same time as getting to find ways to do business better today than we did it yesterday and driving a great career, you also get to build a more enlightened business and drive sustainability.

Because it's never just about a single person, a single project or a single brand. It's about how you can grab everything that's within your reach here and use it to pursue mutual, long-term gain. It's about having ideas. And ideals. Being prepared to risk failure because the promise of success means we'll all be a little better off. It's that mix of integrity and ambition that makes Mars such a special place to work. And why working here is always about more than just a job.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world's best-loved brands: M&M's®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN'S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

Job Title: Europe Micro Consultancy & Audit Senior Scientist
Function: R&D
Location/Site: VEG (Netherlands)

Every day Mars Incorporated takes thousands of decisions that are informed by laboratory data. It is essential that Mars Associates have access to laboratory data that is accurate, reliable and timely to ensure consumer and brand protection, provide competitive advantage and enable operational excellence.

Reporting to the Europe MGS Microbiology Laboratory Manager, the role is responsible to:
• Execute client centric laboratory consultancy and technical governance services to address customer needs and drive value into the business.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to regional development centers and factories on experimental design and data interpretation.
• Contribute to lab governance activities through site laboratory and external laboratory technical audits.

Key responsibilities
• Provide consultancy support to regional stakeholders with experimental design and data interpretation.
• Identify external laboratories with capability to perform specific analysis not available in the current test portfolio, including method selection.
• Manage consultancy services in the laboratory network by providing professional services in Microbiology.
• Act as Regional Approver for requests for new Tests/Methods.
• Maintain and provide knowledge of regionally required/preferred analysis methods.
• Provide technical advice on test methods for Material Risk Assessment (MRA).
• Provide technical mentorship and knowledge transfer in Microbiology.
• Contribute to lab governance activities in the regional laboratory network’s technical audits, execution and CAPA follow-up in Microbiology.
• May execute modelling studies, including regulatory studies (Region-specific).
• Provides expertise with serology analysis and interpretation.

Context/Scope
In a highly demanding environment, strong customer focus and a high drive for results are essential to transform our client facing services, at the required speed of execution. The role will be responsible for providing client centric laboratory consultancy and technical governance services to address customer needs and drive value into the business.

The jobholder will need to have strong collaborative and listening skills to engage regional clients and stakeholders in understanding their needs. The jobholder will need strong communication and action-orientation skills to provide consultancy and technical support.

The role requires up to 40% global travel with occasional weekends away from home due to the participation to the external and site laboratories audit (in Microbiology) and support troubleshooting.

Job Specifications/Qualifications
• Essential: Education & Professional Qualification
• Proven technical laboratory background in food microbiology test methods, ideally across pet and human food matrices.
• Background knowledge to perform ISO/BAM standard microbiology methods.
• Extensive knowledge of cultural and serological techniques for bacterial identification and strain typing.
• Knowledge of Design of Experiment.
• Working experience in technical audits.
• Essential: Extensive knowledge of ISO 17025.
• Outstanding stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Good communication skills, both written and spoken English.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a good combination of the following R&D functional competencies:
• Product quality custodian
• Capturing and leveraging knowledge
• Performance evaluation and continuous improvement
• Insight discovery and interpretation
• Risk and opportunity management

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.

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