Project Manager - Planning, RAID, & Interdependency Manager

Job Description:

Mars is undergoing a transformation journey to modernize its business processes and enterprise resource planning systems (ERPs). This involves replacing the previous generation ERPs with an enterprise-wide Digital Core and a modernized cloud-based ERP (SAP S/4 HANA), tailored for Mars' manufacturing businesses. Our Digital Core (DC) program will unlock segment and corporate strategic priorities, drive efficiency, and create enterprise-wide value.

This role supports the DC program by leading proactive risk and issue management alongside project planning and interdependencies oversight. It ensures risks and issues are identified, assessed, and mitigated while maintaining accurate, integrated program schedules and facilitating cross-functional collaboration to drive seamless delivery and alignment with strategic objectives.

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent.
• Risk management and project management certification (e.g., PMI-RMP, CRISC, Project/Program Management) preferred.
• Experience with enterprise risk management and project planning frameworks and tools.
• 5+ years of experience in program or project risk, issue, and planning management.
• Proven ability to lead risk reviews and develop risk management frameworks.
• Strong experience in generating risk and issue reports for senior leadership.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to influence and drive risk awareness across diverse teams.
• Strong "storytelling" acumen to enable relationship and influence.
• Familiarity with SAP S/4 Hana or similar enterprise transformation programs
• Source to Pay acumen/understanding is a plus.

Risk & Issue Management

• Define, refine, and drive adoption of proactive risk and issue management across the program and workstreams.
• Ensure consistent risk assessments using agreed frameworks for likelihood and impact, with appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Identify, resolve, and escalate risks and issues as needed, generating periodic and ad hoc reports for leadership and stakeholders.
• Facilitate risk and issue escalation and coordinate resolution actions.
• Support performance management of third parties regarding risks and issues, aligning with commercial and supplier relationship managers.
• Lead Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) reviews, maintaining the program’s ERM framework, policies, and guidelines.
• Ensure risk management practices align with Mars corporate standards and Responsible AI principles.

Planning & Interdependencies

• Develop, maintain, and ensure accuracy and integrity of Level 0 (L0) and Level 1 (L1) program plans.
• Contribute to playbook development and adoption for planning processes.
• Support resource capacity management and change control submissions related to milestones, scope, budgets, and risks.
• Prepare and gain endorsement for plan revisions and control the overall program schedule, including technology patches and upgrades.
• Manage and run all interdependencies across PMO and workstreams to ensure alignment and timely execution.
• Facilitate planning workshops and collaboration across global teams to update and refine plans.
• Act as escalation point for missing, incomplete, or misaligned plans and interdependencies.
• Gather and integrate external dependencies and conduct planning of NDA and sensitive topics with appropriate confidentiality.

Governance & Continuous Improvement

• Promote a risk-aware and planning-focused culture by providing training, guidance, and support.
• Continuously improve risk, issue, and planning management processes, tools, and reporting.
• Collaborate with PMO, workstreams, and global stakeholders to embed risk and planning governance into program operations.
• Support risk management by identifying potential schedule impacts and coordinating mitigation actions.

Stakeholder Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with Global Process Owners (GPOs), Digital Operations Teams (DOTs), program managers, and other PMOs to ensure visibility, understanding, and mitigation of risks, issues, and planning conflicts.
• Communicate status, risks, and issues to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops and meetings to resolve planning conflicts and dependencies.

#TBDDT

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is between the range listed below, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position will include variable pay, medical and dental benefits, participation in 401k plan, and paid time off benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an applicant receives an offer of employment.