What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Business Analyst position at Mars?
Job Description:
The Senior Business Analyst plays a critical role in enabling customer teams to drive business performance across both digital and physical retail channels. This role translates data into actionable insights that support strategic decision-making across assortment, pricing, promotion, forecasting, and trade investment. It exists to ensure that customer plans are informed by strong analytical rigor and aligned with Mars Petcare's growth objectives. In addition, the role has full ownership of our Closeout business including selling excess, overstock, or liquidation inventory to buyers, focusing on rapid deal closure, margin optimization, and relationship building with retailers.
This role is based in Franklin, TN or Bentonville, AR with regular in-office collaboration expected. Flexibility is a key enabler—empowering associates to make choices that support both business outcomes and personal needs, including occasional remote work.
What are we looking for?
Experience & Knowledge:
The Senior Business Analyst plays a critical role in enabling customer teams to drive business performance across both digital and physical retail channels. This role translates data into actionable insights that support strategic decision-making across assortment, pricing, promotion, forecasting, and trade investment. It exists to ensure that customer plans are informed by strong analytical rigor and aligned with Mars Petcare's growth objectives. In addition, the role has full ownership of our Closeout business including selling excess, overstock, or liquidation inventory to buyers, focusing on rapid deal closure, margin optimization, and relationship building with retailers.
This role is based in Franklin, TN or Bentonville, AR with regular in-office collaboration expected. Flexibility is a key enabler—empowering associates to make choices that support both business outcomes and personal needs, including occasional remote work.
What are we looking for?
Experience & Knowledge:
- 2–3 years of experience in business analytics, category management, commercial planning, or customer development (preferably in CPG or retail).
- Direct experience working with syndicated data systems (Nielsen, IRI, Madrid), retail portals (Retail Link or 3rd Party Interface), and internal sales forecast and financial management tools.
- Advanced analytical skills with ability to interpret data, uncover insights, and make strategic recommendations.
- High proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint
- Strong communication and presentation skills; able to influence stakeholders and present findings clearly
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and adaptable to evolving business needs.
- Business Analysis & Insight Development
- Analyze business performance across key metrics (sales, supply, margin, share, households) using multiple data sources (e.g., Nielsen, Retail Link, Compass, Madrid).
- Identify trends, risks, and opportunities across item-level performance, promotions, new item launches, OOS exposure, and competitive activity.
- Develop actionable insights with clear narratives – articulating the “what,” “so what,” and “now what” to guide strategic decisions.
- Support ad hoc storytelling using shopper insight tools; maintain clean attribution and leverage insights to support customer-facing narratives.
- Forecasting & Item Portfolio Management
- Provide detailed forecasting support by analyzing consumption run rates, distribution shifts, display changes, and new item loads (CER).
- Partner with Demand and Supply teams to influence forecast accuracy and ensure sufficient inventory flow across Omni channels.
- Manage and maintain item portfolio including attribution, system setup, cost/OI changes, and delistment risk analysis.
- Samples Management – Retailer modular reset samples, innovation mock-ups and ad hoc requests.
- Reporting & Performance Measurement
- Deliver regular reporting including Omni-channel performance recaps (weekly/monthly), competitive recaps, and customer meeting insights.
- Prepare data and presentations for key customer milestones such as PBRs (Post Business Reviews), MBRs (Monthly Business Reviews).
- Build dashboards or tools that improve visibility and decision-making across internal and external stakeholders.
- Operations & Process Improvement
- Manage operations-related tasks such as Compass/Financial system upkeep, retailer system item submissions, and price change processing.
- Identify and implement process improvements that drive data quality, efficiency, and actionable output.
- Ensure data readiness for internal systems and customer requirements.
- Internal & External Stakeholder Collaboration
- Build strong working relationships with cross-functional teams including Demand, Supply, Sales Strategy, Revenue Growth Management (RGM), and Category Management.
- Represent the analyst function in meetings, planning cycles, and customer engagements.
- Closeouts Management
- Prospect, present urgent deals, negotiate terms (price, freight, payment), manage pipelines, and ensure quick inventory movement to meet revenue targets in a fast-paced environment.
- 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.