Job Description: Job Purpose/Overview

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.

The MGS Regional Lab Client Value Lead is accountable for building the regional MGS Laboratory brand through the development and deployment of processes and tools that enable value-added client centric laboratory services. Specifically, the role will be accountable for leading a team that delivers the provision of specialized consultancy and data services to local business units. This team also owns the regional deployment and maintenance of client facing laboratory IT systems, ensuring business integration and leveraging insights generation from lab data.

Key Responsibilities

The MGS Regional Lab Client Value Manager is responsible for building strong partnership with Mars segments to deliver:

Excellence in Customer Experience

• Deploy and continuously improve the client relationship, including processes for:
• Service Level Agreements and Statements of Work with Mars segments
• Client interface for sample submission
• Escalation of inefficient lab services
• Improve customers satisfaction by building on the regional laboratory customer survey results
• Facilitate business partnership review program within the region
• Participate in a global community of regional laboratory client value managers to drive the standardization & alignment through creating a strong global community.

Laboratory Consultancy Services

• Deploy a regional service catalogue of client centric laboratory consultancy services for chemistry and microbiology to address customer needs and drive value into the business
• Deploy the key processes, procedures and tools to support these services
• Provide expert advice and guidance to regional development centres and factories on experimental design and data interpretation
• Manage metrics follow-up, performance review and continuous improvement of laboratories network
• Manage business review of external laboratories and Segments
• Supports technical review of external laboratories and Segments
• Support the strategy and propose the changes in the Regional Lab network
• Support Lab Governance program including chemistry, microbiology and site labs audits
• Support NIR program

MGS Laboratories Brand and Regional Communications

• Own the MGS Laboratories brand in Region and ensure the consistency of the representation in all client facing materials in Region
• Manage regional stakeholders by establishing and executing the regular connection, communications on services, metrics and other reporting needs, through leading regular business reviews

Job Specifications/Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Food Industry or equivalent level of experience.
• More than 5 years of work experience in Quality and Food Safety within food industry or customer service
• Good understanding of business dynamics in food sector
• Experience in people management
• Preferred experience in an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory (ideally) or in a science-based industry

Knowledge / Experience

• Essential: customer focus and understanding quality and food safety aspects
• Desired: Experience in laboratory client services management for all aspects of service provision
• Desired: Experience in ethnographic interviewing, design thinking and prototyping of new client centric solutions
• Desired: Experience in line management
• Desired: Good communication skills, both written and spoken English