Commissioning, Validation & Start-up (CVS) Lead

About the role

Mars is hiring a Commissioning, Validation & Start-up (CVS) Lead for its major capital investments at the Asquith site. You will be the operational cornerstone of these projects, partnering with Regional and Site Engineers and holding end-to-end accountability for commissioning, qualification, validation and start-up routines. You will bridge capital engineering and steady-state operations so that new equipment, processes and systems ramp up on time, within budget and to the highest safety and quality standards.

Key responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end commissioning, qualification, validation and start-up phases for major capital projects, aligned with site, regional and global Mars CVS standards.
• Follow the CVS Playbook and its testing protocols, and adhere to SOPs across temporary and permanent equipment.
• Manage the dedicated CVS project budget, tracking resources and milestones.
• Partner with the Value Stream Manager and support cross-functional decisions across Engineering, Operations, Reliability, R&D, Quality & Food Safety and HSE.
• Coach and direct multi-disciplinary subject matter experts supporting commissioning, and deliver classroom and hands-on training for site operators and technicians.
• Set handover criteria, complete milestone validation dossiers and manage the transition of assets into factory operations.
• Identify project pinch points, lead root-cause problem solving, track open actions and report on project gates and milestones.

Required profile

• Proven track record leading or contributing to commissioning, qualification, validation and ramp-up in FMCG, food & beverage, pharmaceutical or advanced manufacturing.
• Background in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical or Mechatronics Engineering, or extensive hands-on leadership on automated production lines.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to align cross-functional teams around delivery timelines.
• High resilience, autonomy and passion for continuous improvement, structured problem solving and budget control.

Required skills

• Drafting technical documentation, validation protocols, FAT/SAT execution matrices and SOPs.
• Commissioning, qualification and validation practices.

What we offer

• Personalised development and growth opportunities.
• Onsite canteen and convenient onsite parking.
• Health and wellness programs including fitness passport, flu vaccinations and health checks.