Associate Director, Discover Marketing

Mars (External) Open · verified Sep 13, 2026

Illinois-Chicago Full-time Director General Marketing

Leadership General Marketing role at Mars (External). Illinois-Chicago · full-time · $169,840–$233,530 base.

SalaryStated by Mars (External)

$169,840 – $233,530

Base salary for this role, in USD per year, as published in the posting.

Role brief

Growth Roles summary, based on the employer's posting.

What you'll do

You'll lead multidisciplinary teams across marketing, human insights, R&D, design, science and technology
You'll turn unmet consumer needs into concepts and physical or digital prototypes with R&D and design
You'll run quick consumer tests, then use the findings to refine emerging propositions
You'll shape value propositions, early business models and unit economics for scalable opportunities
You'll package research, validation evidence and business cases into briefs for commercialization handoffs

What you bring

A bachelor's in marketing, business administration or a related field; a master's or MBA is preferred
Seven to ten or more years in CPG brand marketing, front-end innovation or new product development
Strong command of Design Thinking, Lean Startup and Agile co-creation methods
Consumer research experience across qualitative discovery, behavioral studies and proposition testing
Commercial judgment, partnership-network building, executive storytelling and comfort with ambiguity

Who this fits

You’ll suit an experienced CPG innovation marketer who can work across consumer research, concept development and early business framing. The role calls for self-direction, comfort with uncertainty, experimental pivots, and presentations to senior leaders and cross-functional partners. It is a full-time position in Chicago, Illinois.

From the employer

Job Description:

Mars Snacking has established an internal entrepreneurship engine dedicated to identifying, incubating, and scaling the next generation of breakthrough snacking innovations. As the Innovation Marketing Lead within the Discover Team, this role lives and breathes priority consumer pain points—translating them into tangible products, packaging, and experiential solutions rooted in verified human needs.

Acting as both a pain point detective and a solution architect, the Associate Director shapes high-potential value propositions enriched by early validation from consumers, customers, retail buyers, and external domain experts to fuel scalable growth platforms across Mars Snacking.

What are we looking for?

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field required, Master's Degree or MBA in Marketing, Innovation, or Business Strategy preferred
7–10+ years of progressive experience in CPG brand marketing, front-end innovation, new product development (NPD) required
Demonstrated mastery in applying Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Agile co-creation methodologies to build early-stage concepts
Deep consumer insights fluency, with proven experience designing qualitative discovery sprints, behavioral research, and proposition testing
Strong commercial acumen with an understanding of P&L drivers, margin structures, and early-stage business case modeling
Proven ability to build and manage external partnership networks (startups, academic institutions, incubators, and specialized subject-matter experts)
Exceptional storytelling and executive presentation skills with a track record of influencing senior leadership and cross-functional partners.
Highly comfortable navigating ambiguity, driving self-directed initiatives, and pivoting based on experimental data

Key responsibilities:

Cross-functional Team Leadership: Lead and inspire multi-disciplinary innovation project teams (Marketing, Human Insights, R&D, Design, Science & Technology), fostering an entrepreneurial startup mindset focused on agility, speed, and continuous experimentation.
Pain Point & Insight Mastery: Champion consumer pain points and unmet needs at every stage of discovery, ensuring all front-end initiatives remain anchored in verified human truths.
Concept Prototyping & Design: Partner with R&D and Design teams to rapidly translate pain points into concepts, and physical/digital prototypes.
Rapid Test & Learn Experimentation: In partnership with HI, run rapid consumer experiments to validate desirability.
Bring in Voices Beyond Consumers: Partner early with customer teams, buyers, and external networks (startups, academic researchers, nutritionists, and entrepreneurs) to pressure-test, co-create, and refine emerging propositions.
Value Proposition & Business Framing: Craft robust Value Proposition Canvases, preliminary business models, and early unit economics to substantiate scalable platform opportunities.
Deliver & Handoff: Package insights, early validation proof points, and business cases into Project Briefs for seamless handover to intrapreneur and commercialization teams.
Foresight & Signal Spotting: Leverage AI tools, digital trend platforms, regional customer/consumer connections, and science and technology developments to monitor emerging macro trends, cultural shifts, and dietary behaviors for early recognition and fast-follow concept development.
Performance Tracking & Agility: Track discovery platform milestones, align initiatives with enterprise strategy, and utilize KPIs to continuously improve front-end innovation speed, learning velocity, and pipeline impact.

What can you expect from Mars?

Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

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.

The pay range shown is applicable to all US locations listed within the job posting:USD 169,840.00 - USD 233,530.00