Purpose of Role: 

Assures “fit for purpose” for raw materials that meet/exceed the needs of the regional manufacturing sites and end-users. Ongoing responsibilities of the role include ensuring continuous supplier process improvement, identifying, and executing cost improvement initiatives, assuring food/human/product safety, continuous quality improvement, and performing supplier site visits and audits.  The role requires functional expertise in food, organics and/or snack materials along with inorganic material science knowledge in support of packaging. The Supplier Quality Assurance Technologist interacts extensively with the Commercial buying team, manufacturing, product, packaging and commodity development functions with a special emphasis and deep functional knowledge within a unique commercial buying category (i.e., cocoa, paper, gum, colors, etc.). 

Principal Accountabilities 

• Assures quality and consistency of raw and/or packaging material supply within the region.  

• Creates material risk assessments and supplier improvement plans 

• Works in partnership with Commercial Buying Team and Site-based Quality Services to identify and execute inbound material cost, quality, food safety and efficiency improvement projects   

• Manages all inbound supply risks including material security, quality, food/product safety and regulatory compliance. 

• Performs supplier site audits and ensures completion of identified corrective actions  

• Communicates effectively with multiple internal customers in Commercial, R&D and Supply 

• Performs supplier performance reviews and manages supplier performance metrics  

Mission Critical Competencies  

•  Managing and Measuring Work 

•  Science and Technology 

•  Managing through Systems 

• Planning/Project Management 

• Informing  

Key Functional Skills/Knowledge 

• Quality management systems 

• Food safety management 

• Packaging technology 

• Process Improvement methodologies  

• Statistical Process Control 

• Demonstrated troubleshooting ability  

• Knowledge of food processing equipment and controls 

• Familiarity with food law, consumer product safety and regulatory guidelines 

• Effective communication skills  

• Ability to drive positive change at supplier locations 

Minimum Qualifications: 

• BS degree in Chemistry, Food Science, Engineering or related technical field 

• 3 years of experience in a technical area such as R&D product development, quality systems, laboratory management, manufacturing, or engineering 

• Ability to travel 50 to 75% of the time 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• 2+ years of experience with direct supply chain quality management 

• 5+ years of experience in a technical area such as R&D product development, quality systems, auditing, food safety, laboratory management, manufacturing, or engineering 

• Experience with dairy or similar materials 

• Proficient foreign language (Spanish/Portuguese preferred) 

Decision Making Authority and Impact 

• Proper supplier risk assessment and food safety controls under the Supplier Quality Assurance function directly prevents manufacture of adulterated product.   

• Product conformance to specifications and requirements 

• Placing non-conforming product on “hold” 

• Notification of raw material quality and safety issues.  Identifying risks and expedient communication of issues 

• Approval of suppliers as extensions of Mars Wrigley North American sites 

• Risk categorization of suppliers 

Recommendations   

• Supplier-based quality system improvements 

• Prioritization of continuous improvement activity and resource allocation to achieve improvements 

• Inputs into global and regional Supplier Quality Assurance Strategy 

• Disposition of non-conforming product and fitness for use of materials not meeting specification 

• Modifications to raw material or packaging risk assessments and specifications 

People Management Responsibility 

List the number of direct and indirect roles reporting to this position. 

• Direct (management associates) 

•  0 

Direct (non-management associates) 

• 0 

• Indirect (management associates) 

•  0 

• Indirect (non-management associates) 

• 0 

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