Full-Time
Senior Customer Development Manager
Updated on 9/3/2026
Mars
10,001+ employees
Global confectionery, food, and petcare company
No salary listed
No H1B Sponsorship
Bentonville, AR, USA
Hybrid
Occasional remote work allowed.
Bachelor's, MBA
 Sales & Account Management (1) |
|---|
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- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- 5–7 years of direct customer management, account management or commercial leadership experience within CPG or a related consumer products industry.
- Experience owning or supporting large retail customer business plans, customer relationships, financial performance and negotiations.
- Walmart customer management experience strongly preferred; experience with another major mass, grocery, club or omni-channel retailer will also be considered.
- Experience with retailer and syndicated data platforms, including Walmart Luminate/Scintilla, Circana, NielsenIQ or comparable tools, is preferred.
- Develop, lead and execute the Walmart customer strategy and annual business plan for the assigned portfolio, delivering profitable growth, share improvement and strong customer outcomes.
- Own and strengthen assigned Walmart merchant relationships, serving as the primary Mars Petcare contact for strategic planning, business reviews, innovation discussions, line reviews and negotiations.
- Lead integrated growth plans across stores, Walmart.com, pickup and delivery, ensuring recommendations reflect the total Walmart shopper experience.
- Translate brand, portfolio and enterprise priorities into actionable customer plans across assortment, innovation, merchandising, price-pack architecture, promotion, retail media, digital shelf and availability.
- Own gross and net revenue forecasting, trade investment management and delivery of financial commitments in partnership with Finance, Revenue Growth Management and Sales Planning.
- Use retailer, syndicated, shopper and Mars performance data, including Walmart Luminate/Scintilla where available, to understand business drivers, identify growth opportunities and develop compelling customer recommendations.
- Partner with Strategic Growth & Insights, Customer Marketing, Digital Commerce, Category, Supply Chain/CPFR, Finance and other cross-functional partners to deliver a cohesive Walmart growth agenda.
- Evaluate opportunities and customer investment decisions through both growth and profitability lenses, balancing volume, share, margin, trade efficiency and long-term strategic value.
- Maintain a forward-looking view of business performance, identifying risks, recommending interventions and ensuring disciplined follow-through against customer and financial commitments.
- Operate with an enterprise mindset in a fast-paced, highly visible environment, creating alignment, escalating appropriately and driving action through cross-functional teams.
- Advanced degree (MBA or equivalent)
- Walmart customer management experience strongly preferred; experience with another major mass, grocery, club or omni-channel retailer will also be considered.
- Experience with eCommerce, customer marketing, category management, revenue growth management or omni-channel business leadership.
- Experience with retailer and syndicated data platforms, including Walmart Luminate/Scintilla, Circana, NielsenIQ or comparable tools.
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
- Google Cloud launched Gemini Enterprise rollout for Mars on April 22, 2026.
- FTC cleared Mars's Kellanova acquisition on June 25, 2025, adding Pringles and Cheez-It.
- Mars announced a $100 million Chicago expansion and 600 jobs in July 2026.
What critics are saying
- Mars Wrigley cut 307 Newark jobs in July 2026, then exits by October.
- Nature's Bakery closes Hazelwood in September 2027, eliminating 345 jobs and shifting production.
- A broken Kellanova integration traps Mars in restructuring while PepsiCo and Nestlé gain shelf power.
What makes Mars unique
- Family ownership funds decade-long bets like Kellanova integration and Gemini Enterprise.
- Royal Canin, Banfield, and VCA create a pet-health ecosystem competitors cannot match.
- Mars controls snacks, petcare, and food across global manufacturing and distribution.
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Benefits
Professional Development Budget
Conference Attendance Budget
Performance Bonus
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 20%1 year growth
↑ 20%2 year growth
↑ 20%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.