From a Biologist at York University to a Science Communicator at Mars
My love of science started at school when I moved to outback Australia, where I felt as though I could see extreme examples of science happening in nature all around me. This experience inspired me to study Biology at the University of York. During this time I realized that I was much better at talking about science, than I was at actually doing it (the lab life was not for me!).
This lead me to undertake a Masters in Science Communication at The University of Edinburgh, which covered everything from Science Journalism to Museum Exhibit Design, to Science Policy in government. From this experience I went on to work for a Pharmaceutical Consultancy company, developing communications to support market access, launch and reimbursement of medical products for a range of pharmaceutical companies.
From here I had the opportunity to move to Mars - a company I had always aspired to work for! - where I have developed a role in communicating the science around our Care and Treats technologies, which are used to inspire claims and stories around our products. Alongside this I have been working with the Consumer Technical Insight team running market research to understand consumer perceptions of our products.
I communicate the science behind our care and treats, like Dentastix!
I work in the Global Innovation Centre for Care & Treats, where we develop products such as Dentastix and Dreamies. It is my job to understand the science that goes into developing our products, and translate that into compelling stories, which can be used to help sell these technologies and products both internally and to consumers. These stories are used to inspire claims, and communications. I also work within the Consumer Technical Insight team, where I run pieces of consumer research to understand how consumers and their pets feel about our products.
Working with lots of great people in lots of different functions
I find one of the best ways to learn and grow is to work with lots of different types of people. One of the great parts of my role is being able to work with and learn from people across the business in many different roles. On a daily basis, I am working with associates in R&D, Marketing, Legal, Engineering, Corporate Affairs, and more. Additionally, because I work in a global team, I have the opportunity to work with people in countries across the world. I really enjoy meeting new people and learning about their backgrounds, so I am very lucky to work with fantastic, passionate people with all sorts of experiences and skills. I often get to meet their pets too which is a bonus!!
In the Consumer Technical Insight aspect of my role, I am also able to interact with and learn from consumers during our consumer research. I enjoy staying connected with the people - and pets! - who are buying - and eating - our products, and learning about their wants and needs.
Stick by your values and go with your gut
Mars is a company that absolutely stays true to its values. These values are discussed daily and always used to guide decision making. These strong values are why I aspired to work for Mars as they are aligned with my own.
Mars values its people, be it the Associates that work for the company, it's consumers or its customers, Mars ensures that people are treated fairly.
The mixture of the Five Principles, and the people-centricity of the business allows me to do my job to the best of my ability. If you are keen to stick by your values and you feel that Mars' Five Principles are aligned with these, then Mars will be a great place for you to work!
In my first interview with Mars, I didn't get the job, however I came back and the second time round I succeeded! I believe that when looking at jobs and businesses it is important to go with what your gut is telling you. If you truly feel that a company or a job is the right one for you, keep going and don't give up.
I developed a completely new role, which is now having a great impact
When I joined Mars, I came into a completely new role that had never been done before. This was quite a challenge! I spent time understanding the business, and developing an understanding of the technologies used in R&D. I had to create connections with associates across the business to raise awareness of the new role, and the benefits that the role could bring. I later developed a strategy and process, and had this approved by the leadership team. This strategy is now being rolled out in numerous projects. I think this is a great achievement, as this role will improve the way that we communicate our products going forward. I have appreciated being given the freedom and responsibility to develop this role myself, as this has been a fantastic experience for me and enabled me to learn a lot about the business, communication methods, and developing strategy.
