Mars
Mars Leadership Experience Program (Jan 2026)
Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland
Opportunity details
- Graduate Job or Program
- AUD 70,000 - 80,000 / Year
- 10-15 vacancies
- Opens 22 Jun 2025
- Apply by 20 Jul 2025
- Start date 4 Jan 2026 - 29 Jan 2026
Mars 2026 Leadership Experience Program
The Mars Leadership Experience is not your average graduate program! Our award winning, 2-year program is packed with great experiences, opportunities and learning.
To us, every graduate is a potential leader. That’s why we offer you the unique opportunity to step into a real role, right from the start. You’ll be given real responsibility and empowered to make an impact right from the get-go.
Our graduates complete 2 x 12-month rotations across our business in Australia and New Zealand, allowing you to truly experience the breadth of our business. We have multiple factories and offices across Australia and New Zealand, and we are looking for open minded graduates who are willing to take on any experience across locations and functional groups.
With mentorship from senior leaders, hands-on experience, and a collaborative environment, you’ll rapidly develop the skills and knowledge needed to become a future leader and fast track your career.
A closer look at Mars
We have fun. We innovate. We explore and we work towards making our world a better place today and every day. Want to know more about our work, culture and people? Then follow us on social media.
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mars.anz/?hl=en
- Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Mars
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/Marsglobal
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mars/
- YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/user/Mars
Hiring criteria
- No experience required
- Australian Citizen +more
- Business & Management +more
- Bachelor or higher
Reviews
Managing mars products, displays etc in countdown stores within a territory.
There are certain activities within the role that often feel repetitive and labour intensive, and may be better suited to be set up as a system generated software-based program, with the associate instead monitoring the software's upkeep and progression. Both roles do however, do bring a strong sense of satisfaction in completing work from all aspects of the business, as the role is internally and externally connected with varying departments.
Day to day, my role involves working closely with the marketing managers to deliver the execution of marketing activity across the portfolio, this includes everything from the TV campaigns you see, to online advertising, partnered promotions, social media, sampling, working with retailers (Woolworths and Foodstuffs) regarding in store and online marketing. My role also requires me to turn data to insight, champion launching new products, forecast, and manage budgets.
About the employer
Mars
4.0
> 100,000 employees
Retail & Consumer Goods
We’re a family business that’s been making products for people, and the pets that people love, for more than 100 years.
Pros and cons of working at Mars
Pros
Culture, support, team, brands
In all honestly, it's not necessarily the nature of the work which makes my job cool, but the people and culture. Mars has 5 key principles: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom. We're told not to have favourites and to rely on them all equally, but personally I've found mutually to be the coolest. The ability to speak and be heard, as graduates we have time to speak to the entire business, to present to directors, and feel as if we are equals rather than inferior. Our opinions and valid and acted upon. It's a feeling of family value when the directors and managers know you by name and make an effort to get to know you. I've also appreciated the flexible working, working from home and flexi hours, meaning I can get out for a dive or fish if the weather is good. Oh, and the dogs in the office.
The care and focus on wellbeing - always feeling like we can take time off if we need it.
The company culture is incredibly supportive of graduate trainees' learning and understanding, and there is also a clear level of career progression.
The culture
Cons
A sore back? I'm not used to being a desk jockey 40 hours a week yet. I've heard the same across the board from friends at other companies, but often, everyone wants to prove themselves, everyone is a perfectionist. That can often lead to longer hours when the strain comes on, but that's okay. We're encouraged to take time back, take ample leave and in general, look after yourself. As with many companies, your path of growth isn't always linear, often promotions depend on jobs becoming vacant, which may take time in some cases. Sometimes, your next best move might be a sidestep, to build experience, before a step up. I suppose working for the 6th largest privately owned company in the world always means things are rather concrete, systems and processes are quite fixed, and projects often take a lengthy amount of time to come to fruition. Smaller companies I feel hold a more dynamic offering.
During the current climate of COVID-19 that New Zealand has faced, at times, especially in roles that have little to know internal communication, one cannot help feel isolated at times.