Job Description:

Global Vet Ecosystem Lead:

Segment : Royal Canin

Location : Aimargues, France (near Montpellier)

Type of contract : Permanent

Pet health depends on many interconnected players, veterinarians, pet owners, companies, associations, and institutions, all forming a dynamic ecosystem. Sometimes these forces work together; other times, they pull in different directions. As a result, pets’ access to health and wellbeing can be limited by social, economic, or cultural barriers.

At Royal Canin, our purpose is to make a better world for pets. To truly deliver on that ambition, we must address these barriers and create lasting, system-wide impact. Our vision is to activate and connect the wider pet ecosystem through strategic partnerships, alliances, and networks, both within Mars Petcare and beyond. Many organizations around the world share our values and goals; by joining forces, we can make pet health progress faster and at scale.

The Global Veterinary Health & Partnerships Director will lead this transformation, building and implementing our global ecosystem activation strategy to strengthen collaboration, innovation, and impact on pet health worldwide. This role is all about building strong partnerships across the veterinary and petcare ecosystem, meeting with key stakeholders, creating mutual value, and driving impact at scale.

What are we looking for?

• You have a deep understanding of the veterinary industry, preferably as a veterinarian or in the healthcare industry, and know how to manage complex stakeholder networks with purpose and empathy.

• You bring strong sales and marketing expertise, with proven P&L ownership and line management experience.

• You excel at navigating complexity and ambiguity, connecting dots across functions, markets, and external partners to drive transformation.

• You influence and inspire senior leaders, both within and outside Mars Petcare, to align on shared ambitions and outcomes.

• You have at least 5 years of international experience and a global mindset, enabling you to work effectively across diverse markets and cultures.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Map and analyze the global veterinary ecosystem to identify the most relevant stakeholders, partnerships, and opportunities for collaboration.

• Identify the key barriers and enablers to pet health and determine the critical capabilities we can leverage to make a measurable difference.

• Develop and implement a clear partnership strategy, combining build, buy, and borrow approaches in collaboration with senior Mars and Royal Canin leaders.

• Design partnership models and frameworks that foster innovation and mutual value creation.

• Lead the execution of these initiatives globally, ensuring consistent alignment, tracking progress, and integrating learnings along the way.

• Measure the impact of ecosystem initiatives through clear outcomes and performance indicators.

• Enable a deep understanding of the global pet ecosystem by connecting diverse sources of data and insights for Royal Canin and Mars Petcare leadership teams.

• Monitor emerging business models and trends within the veterinary and petcare industries to inform strategic decisions.

• Engage in top-to-top discussions with key partners and industry leaders to exchange perspectives and spark new ideas.

• Collaborate closely with regional and local teams to capture on-the-ground insights and scale high-impact opportunities.

• Partner with legal counsel to assess collaboration opportunities and ensure compliance in all initiatives.

• Work hand in hand with Mars Petcare and Royal Canin leadership teams to build a truly connected ecosystem for pet health.

What can you expect from Mars?

• At Mars, we believe in a relationship of mutual trust, dignity and respect between our company and Associates that is more meaningful than the standard employer/employee relationship.

• As Associates, we can expect to be respected, supported and valued as individuals, to be treated fairly and equitably.

• You will work in a multicultural environment (more than 40 nationalities) and where your dog will be welcomed by more than 100 other Associates’ dogs at the office!

• You will work in a unique campus, which gathers more than 800 Associates working for: the international HQ, the French subsidiary, two laboratories, a kennel and a cattery with more than 200 cats & dogs, and finally the most important factory of the Royal Canin group

• Since 2017, Royal Canin has supported the K-DOG program of the Curie Institute, which trains dogs to detect breast cancer via olfaction

• A unique and ideal work environment to become the leader in health through nutrition for cats and dogs!