Full-Time
Management Trainee
Field Sales, Pet Nutrition
Updated on 8/24/2026
Mars
10,001+ employees
Global confectionery, food, and petcare company
No salary listed
Cologne, Germany + 1 more
More locations: Berlin, Germany
In Person
The initial 24-month field-sales phase covers the Berlin area to the tri-border region; relocation to Cologne is required afterward.
Bachelor's, Master's
 Sales & Account Management (1) |
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- A completed degree, preferably in Business Administration, Veterinary Medicine, or another suitable field; a master's degree is desirable.
- A long-term career aspiration in sales, marketing, or related areas.
- Strong negotiation skills, persuasiveness, problem-solving ability, and results orientation.
- Strong communication skills in German and English, flexibility, and strong analytical abilities.
- Initiative and the ability to implement the sales strategy independently in an assigned sales territory.
- A valid driver's license and willingness to travel throughout the assigned territory.
- Willingness to relocate to Cologne after approximately 24 months in field sales.
- Take full responsibility for an assigned sales territory from the first day, independently plan routes based on visit priorities, and continuously analyze market and competitor data in the field.
- Act as the primary contact for specialist-trade partners, implement central key-account agreements, and independently conduct local negotiations.
- Ensure strong brand presence at the point of sale by presenting new products, executing sell-in, promotions, and secondary placements, and training store personnel.
- Close product and data gaps, install merchandising materials, and carry out shelf restructuring.
- Collaborate closely with internal departments such as Marketing and Key Account Management, participate in regional meetings, and contribute to projects, trade fairs, and events.
- A master's degree.
Mars, Incorporated makes and sells a wide range of food, confectionery, and petcare products worldwide, with brands like M&M’s, Snickers, Milky Way, Dove, Orbit, Skittles, Pedigree, and Royal Canin, and it also operates pet health services through networks such as AniCura, Banfield, BluePearl, and VCA. Its products come from integrated manufacturing and distribution systems, delivering everyday treats and meals as well as veterinary care through a global network of partners. Mars differentiates itself through its diversified portfolio, long family ownership, and the Mars Five Principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom—that guide decisions and actions. The company aims to help communities prosper and improve social and environmental outcomes while growing its business and scale.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
Debt Financing
Total Funding
$27B
Headquarters
McLean, Virginia
Founded
1911
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Mars Snacking is adding 600 Chicago jobs and investing $100 million through 2027.
- Christina Ruggiero’s July 2026 appointment accelerates North American pet nutrition innovation.
- Google Cloud rollout through 2026 should compress research, sales, and factory-diagnostics cycles.
What critics are saying
- Nature’s Bakery’s Hazelwood plant closes in September 2027, eliminating 345 jobs.
- Mars Wrigley cuts 307 Newark roles and exits New Jersey by mid-October.
- A botched Kellanova integration by 2027 destroys $36 billion of acquired brand value.
What makes Mars unique
- Mars’s family ownership enables decade-long bets, not quarterly earnings theater.
- Kellanova added Pringles, Cheez-It, and Pop-Tarts, deepening Mars Snacking’s shelf power.
- Gemini Enterprise gives Mars a companywide AI operating system across 170,000 associates.
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Benefits
Professional Development Budget
Conference Attendance Budget
Performance Bonus
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 21%1 year growth
↑ 21%2 year growth
↑ 21%Mars has appointed Christina Ruggiero as Regional President of its Pet Nutrition Division for North America, effective 1 July. She will oversee brands including Pedigree, Iams, Sheba, Cesar, Greenies, Temptations and Nutro across the United States and Canada. Ruggiero joins from Coca-Cola, where she served as President of the Global Nutrition Category, leading a $9 billion portfolio that included Minute Maid, Simply and Fairlife. She previously spent nearly four years in India as CEO of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, where she doubled the company's net worth. In her new role, Ruggiero will focus on science-backed innovation, omnichannel growth and digital acceleration. Mars operates a $65 billion business with approximately 170,000 associates worldwide.
Mars Wrigley will lay off 307 workers and relocate its US headquarters from Newark, New Jersey, to Chicago by mid-October. The candymaker, which produces M&M's, Snickers, Twix and Skittles, filed a WARN notice with New Jersey signalling the job cuts will end the company's presence in Newark. The move follows a $100 million investment to expand Mars Wrigley's Chicago facilities, where its global headquarters is now based. The company will continue operating its manufacturing facility in Hackettstown, New Jersey. The New Jersey Business & Industry Association warned the departure signals the state needs to improve its business climate. New Jersey has lost over 9,700 jobs through WARN notices this year, with Samsung and ExxonMobil also announcing recent departures.
Mars-owned snacks brand Nature's Bakery is permanently closing its manufacturing plant in Hazelwood, Missouri. Production will shift to other facilities, with the site expected to remain operational until a full shutdown in September 2027. According to a local government filing, 130 employees will leave on 11 September, followed by 215 more in February 2027. All affected staff have been notified and can seek alternative positions within Nature's Bakery or Mars. In January 2024, Mars announced a $237m investment in a new Nature's Bakery factory in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mars acquired Nature's Bakery in 2020 through its Kind snacking business and recently completed a $35.9bn acquisition of Kellanova in December.
Mars, Incorporated is renewing its partnership with the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings through a three-year, €1.5 million grant from the Mars Impact Fund. The funding will support fellowships for 30 young scientists annually to attend the meetings, which bring together Nobel Laureates and emerging researchers. Mars has partnered with the Meetings since 2007, but this marks the first collaboration through its Impact Fund, launched in early 2026. The grant aims to strengthen access for scientists who otherwise couldn't participate and support programming that fosters dialogue and learning. The partnership was celebrated at the 75th annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in Germany, where Mars hosted events focused on interdisciplinary science. Michelle Grogg, Executive Director of the Mars Impact Fund, said the collaboration reflects the Fund's commitment to diversifying the global scientific pipeline.
Mars, Incorporated has appointed Kemal Cetin as Global Chief Digital & Information Officer for its $36 billion Snacking business, effective 3 August 2026. Cetin will report to Andrew Clarke, Global President of Mars Snacking, and lead the company's digital, data and technology strategy. Cetin joins from FrieslandCampina, where he served as Global Business and Digital Solutions Officer. He brings nearly 30 years of experience from global consumer goods companies including Diageo, Coca Cola Enterprises and Whirlpool. Mars Snacking houses brands including Snickers, M&M's, Pringles, Cheez-It and Pop-Tarts. Cetin will focus on advancing digital capabilities and integration following Mars's acquisition of Kellanova brands, aiming to enhance customer experiences and drive business growth through digital technologies and AI.