R&D Product Manager

at  Mars

JOB DESCRIPTION

Leading the R&D Product Management team within Mars Digital Technologies, this role is responsible for overseeing the lifecycle management of global applications in the R&D space. The R&D Product Manager plays a critical role in driving innovation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across Recipe and Innovation functional areas. By leveraging deep technical expertise, business insight, and strong leadership, the role ensures seamless collaboration across internal teams, business stakeholders, and external vendors to deliver high-quality digital solutions. As a people leader, the role fosters a high-performance environment, developing talent and shaping the future of R&D technology at Mars.

• End-to-End R&D Product Management – Own the lifecycle management of R&D services and products, with a focus on Recipe and Innovation functional areas.
• Strategic Influence & Leadership – Support and contribute to the definition of IT solutions strategy, ensuring alignment with operational excellence, transformational programs, and business capability strategies.
• Industry & Innovation Awareness – Stay ahead of industry trends to identify and implement cost-effective, innovative solutions for R&D products and services.
• Service Management with Third-Party Vendors – Oversee vendor performance and ensure service excellence through accountability on key metrics such as SLAs, availability, and performance.
• Stakeholder Communication & Reporting – Provide regular status updates to key business stakeholders on demand progress and strategic initiatives.
• Development Management with Third-Party Vendors – Ensure high-quality development processes, maintaining accountability for efficiency and performance metrics.
• Escalation & Demand Management – Serve as the primary escalation point for business demands, coordinating across teams and resources to resolve issues effectively.
• User Community Development – Sustain and develop a network of key users, functional experts, and product owners to enhance product adoption and efficiency.
• Cross-Team Collaboration – Work closely with teams across Platform, Database, Security, Processing, Deployment, and Development to address business needs.
• Project & Program Collaboration – Align with Mars Digital Technologies (DT) signature processes, supporting Product BDS Co-Pilots in projects and programs.
• Budget & Financial Management – Oversee and manage the budget for all product areas and functions, ensuring cost-effectiveness and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Team Leadership & Development – Provide coaching and development to the team, ensuring associates build strong expertise in Mars business processes, project methodologies, and IT development techniques.
• Agile & Customer-Centric Approach – Act as a role model for agile behaviors, fostering collaboration and responsiveness in product delivery.
• Customer Satisfaction & Continuous Improvement – Maintain high levels of customer satisfaction, driving continuous improvement initiatives.
• Talent Development & Succession Planning – Contribute to the HUB Talent Pipeline strategy and ensure succession planning within the team.