IT Project Manager - Labs

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Enterprise Technology Digital R&D team, who are responsible for the strategy and governance of R&D digital ecosystem and delivery of new digital capabilities meeting the needs of corporate and functional strategies across the R&D function in Mars Inc.

The Enterprise Technology Project Manager – R&D Labs leads the delivery of technology initiatives across the MGS Labs and R&D Labs portfolio. The role manages end-to-end project execution following the PMX framework, including planning, budget management, stakeholder engagement, risk management, governance, vendor coordination, and BAU transition. The Project Manager ensures projects are delivered on time, within budget, and aligned with business objectives, laboratory operations, compliance requirements, and enterprise standards.

Working closely with business stakeholders, Enterprise Technology leaders, solution teams, and external partners, this role translates business priorities into structured delivery plans, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and with the expected business value.

The role supports the execution of the digital R&D roadmap, coordinating multiple initiatives, managing dependencies, identifying risks, and ensuring alignment between business needs, technology solutions, and enterprise standards.

The Project Manager ensures effective delivery governance, manages cross-functional dependencies, monitors investment and delivery performance, and helps teams overcome obstacles to deliver trusted, scalable, and business-relevant analytics capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

Project Planning & Delivery 

• Lead end-to-end delivery of analytics and data initiatives, ensuring alignment with agreed business priorities and technology roadmaps. 

• Translate strategic priorities into project plans, milestones, deliverables, resource requirements, and measurable outcomes. 

• Coordinate cross-functional teams across business, technology, architecture, and external partners. 

• Manage project scope, timelines, budgets, risks, issues, dependencies, and change requests. 

• Ensure delivery teams maintain clear accountability for commitments and deliverables. 

• Support deployment, adoption, and transition of analytics capabilities into ongoing operations. 

Digital R&D LABs Roadmap 

• Support the execution of the MGS Labs digital roadmap, ensuring projects align with business priorities and enterprise technology strategy. 

• Coordinate initiatives involving laboratory systems, digital R&D platforms, product development, and related capabilities, as applicable to the approved portfolio. 

• Manage dependencies across projects, platforms, and business functions to ensure integrated delivery. 

• Support prioritization discussions by providing visibility into delivery status, resource constraints, risks, and expected outcomes. 

• Coordinate project transitions into business-as-usual (BAU) operations, ensuring ownership and support arrangements are established. 

Governance and Stakeholder Engagement 

• Facilitate project meetings, steering committees, status reviews, and decision-making forums. 

• Provide clear and timely communication on progress, risks, issues, decisions, and expected business outcomes. 

• Escalate critical issues and decisions requiring leadership intervention. 

Delivery Excellence and Continuous Improvement 

• Apply Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid project management approaches according to initiative requirements. 

• Promote collaboration between business stakeholders and technical delivery teams. 

• Identify opportunities to improve delivery processes, portfolio reporting, and governance effectiveness. 

• Support consistent standards for project documentation, risk management, and delivery reporting. 

• Encourage early identification of delivery challenges and a proactive, solution-oriented mindset. 

• Follow Project Management Excellence to ensure compliance with Mars framework. 

Job Qualifications:

• 8+ years in delivery of digital capabilities within a business function, preferably in the CPG industry.
• Bachelor degree in IT, Business or relevant business function
• Functional expertise and awareness in core R&D processes, with a strong understanding of laboratory operations, scientific workflows, laboratory systems, and digital capabilities supporting research, testing, and innovation activities.
• Strong ability to lead and influence in a matrix organisation
• Experience of leading projects using both Agile & Waterfall methodologies.
• Experience working in a product-oriented organisation
• Project Management experience working with Global Teams (multi-segment).
• PMP certified preferred.
• Familiarity with enterprise data platforms, cloud technologies, data governance, and analytics solutions is preferred.
• Budget management and financial acumen.
• Risk management and change management expertise.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
• Fluency in English and experience working with geographically distributed teams.

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