Value Stream Support (Logistics) Manager
Mars · Chattanooga, TN
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 3+ years
- Industry
- Food & beverage
- Posted
- 3 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management continuous improvement role at Mars (food & beverage) in Chattanooga, TN. Manage (direct/indirect) daily logistics functions for material storage and material supply and consumption up to the production lines and deployment and shipping of finished products.
- They ask for
- 3+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Value stream mapping, FDA / GMP, SAP
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Continuous Improvement roles in the US: typical posted base $105k–$150k.
Median of the low and high ends of 155 live postings that list pay, out of 413 continuous improvement openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Tennessee plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 12 other live lean / ci postings in Tennessee.
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (3+ vs 7+)
Similar roles usually ask 7+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Lean 62%
- Six Sigma 62%
- Kaizen 54%
- 5S 46%
- Team leadership 46%
- ✓ Value stream mapping 31%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for FDA / GMP, SAP, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at Mars
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is CI run from the plant floor or from a corporate OpEx group?
- Which metrics does leadership actually watch: OEE, scrap, cost per unit?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Mars in Chattanooga
1 other open role at this site.
- Maintenance Technician- 12 Hour Night Shift · Reliability · Technician
Full description from MarsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Minimum
- ✓Bachelor's degree
- ✓3+ years of experience in similar role with progressive procurement or materials management experience in a production, manufacturing or distribution environment.
- ✓2+ years of people leadership
- ✓Demonstrated leadership and strategic planning skills
- ✓Ability to deliver critical performance feedback and hold associates accountable to business objective
- ✓Knowledge of SAP and able to lead others in troubleshooting system issues and discrepancies
- ✓Functional knowledge and understanding of health, safety and environmental practices; and quality management and food safety principles.
- ✓Proven track record of building strong business relationships, solving problems with a sense of urgency, and the ability to work well with associates at any level.
- ✓Exceptional communication abilities in order to work effectively with numerous internal departments and external resources
- ✓Demonstrated leadership and strategic planning skills
- ✓Ability to deliver critical performance feedback and hold associates accountable to business objective
key responsibilities
be?
- ◆Provide leadership and development to your team, guiding their career progression through thoughtful performance evaluations and continuous coaching. Beyond your team, you will be a visible and influential leader across the entire site and be a role- model for the behaviors outlined in our Five Principles.
- ◆Leadership Team member providing strategic planning, organizational development with a focus on short- and long-term goals.
- ◆Manage (direct/indirect) daily logistics functions for material storage and material supply and consumption up to the production lines and deployment and shipping of finished products.
- ◆Manage plant scheduler functions ensuring production schedules are maintained to optimize customer service.
- ◆Analyze customer demand data from SAP into actionable production plans and ensure on-time execution by production departments to meet all schedule deadlines.
- ◆Develop and implement strategies for optimizing inventory levels on raw materials and packaging materials to meet the production demands.
- ◆Recommend and implement improvements to methods, equipment, systems and organization as needed to ensure that the objectives of the area and plant are met.
- ◆Partner with Regional and Global Procurement group as a technical resource for annual ingredient contracts, supply and demand issues. Identify new suppliers, resolve issues with supplier performance, negotiate pricing and building supplier relationships.
- ◆Manage quality release process for all raw ingredients, packaging materials, Site Sanitation and GMP programs in partnership with Q&FS.
What can you expect from Mars?
- ◆W ork 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.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Job Description
Value Stream Support Manager
The Value Stream Support Manager role is the heart of our operations, directing the flow of the entire supply chain and ensuring the highest standards of quality and food safety (Procurement, Production & Materials Planning, Warehouse Management, Inbound/Outbound Product Flows, Customer Service and Distribution Center Continuity). This role will manage a dedicated team, hold a key seat on the Site Leadership Team and drive operational excellence that defines our success.
If you are a strategic thinker, hands on leader and a communicator who excels at navigating complex discussions this could be your next best move.
What are we looking for?
Preferred
- +Bachelor's degree in engineering, basic sciences or business-related disciplines.
- +2 years leader of managers experience
What would your
