Mars
Mars Graduate Programs & Internships
Are you ready to launch your career with a company where you can make a real impact on people, their pets and the planet?
Mars are the creators behind some of the world’s most loved brands including: Mars, Snickers, Extra, Eclipse, Maltesers, Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin, Dolmio, Bens Original and Masterfoods.
In Australia and New Zealand, we have over 3,000 Associates spread across multiple locations including, Melbourne, Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, Ballarat, Wodonga, Asquith, and Wyong.
Our Mars Leadership Experience (MLE) 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.
Our Mars Leadership Experience (MLE) 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.
Mars ranked in the top 25 Graduate Employers for Graduates in 2024
Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE)
In 2025, our program is broken up into different streams which reflect the focus of your technical learning and rotations during the program:
Sales & Marketing (Australia): Our Sales & Marketing teams drive our business forward by building strong retailer relationships and boosting consumer demand and loyalty.
Open to any degree discipline, Marketing degrees highly regarded
Supply Chain (Australia): Our Supply team is the driving force behind our operations, ensuring products are delivered efficiently to meet consumer demand.
Preferred educational background or interest: Business, Commerce, Management, Supply Chain / Logistics, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Economics, International Business
Engineering (Australia): Our Engineering team plays a critical role in our success, ensuring efficient and sustainable production of our iconic products.
Preferred educational background or interest: Mechanical or Process Engineering preferred, but open to all Engineering disciplines
Procurement (Australia): Our Procurement team is the backbone of our efficient and cost-effective operations, managing supplier relationships to keep everything running smoothly.
Preferred educational background or interest: Commerce, Economics, Business, Finance, International Business, Engineering, Procurement & Purchasing
Multi-Function (New Zealand): Our New Zealand business is a diverse mix of passionate Associates who focus on the marketing, sale and distribution of our products within NZ.
Preferred educational background or interest: Open to any degree discipline
Who we are looking for:
We’re passionate about developing great future leaders as well as amazing products. We can teach you all the technical stuff, so what we’re looking for is individuals who…
What makes Mars unique?
We are incredibly proud of being family owned. It allows us the freedom to make decisions that we think are best for Mars, our people and the planet, not just shareholders.
At Mars, we refer to our employees as Associates and welcome them into the Mars family. Our people are the heart of our business and we support them to develop and grow within our global organisation. We are very values driven, and all Associates live by our 5 Principles which are our north star and guide all our decisions.
Our Sustainability Plan
We care deeply about people and the planet and believe the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today.
Our Sustainable in a Generation Plan focuses on three key areas — Healthy Planet, Thriving People and Nourishing Wellbeing. It works to improve the lives of people in communities where we source materials, as well as the lives of our Associates, customers and pets.
Inclusion & Diversity
At Mars, we know that our strength lies in embracing and celebrating the unique perspectives, talents, and experiences of all Associates.
We have a dedicated network of Associate Resource Groups (ARGs) made up of passionate Associates who promote a diverse and inclusive work culture for everyone. Our 6 ARGs focus on: Wom+n of Mars, LGBTQ+ Pride, Cross Cultural, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, DiverseAbilities and Te Whakakotahitanga Māori.
We are also proudly partner with the following organisations:
Recruitment Process
1. Application Form (22 Jul – 18 Aug 2024)
Complete our quick and easy application form which captures your key experience and interest in Mars.
2. Online Tasks (22 Jul – 25 Aug 2024)
If you are eligible for the program that you have applied for, you will receive our online cognitive and situational judgement tasks. They are not timed (although generally take around 60 minutes to complete).
3. Video Interview (22 Jul – 25 Aug 2024)
Not as daunting as it sounds! This is a pre-recorded session where we will share with you what it’s really like to work at Mars and ask you a few questions.
4. Leadership Final Panel (23 Sep – 4 Oct 2024)
This is an opportunity to meet our leadership team in a small group setting, and for you to showcase what they’ve been missing! This will involve a pre-prepared presentation, case study and interview.
5. Offer
Welcome to Mars! We will be notifying successful candidates shortly after Leadership Final Panels.
Remuneration & Career Growth
Mars offers a two-year accelerated development program which allows you to engage in meaningful work including the option to complete 2 rotations. Additionally, you will have a dedicated mentor to help shape your career trajectory.
The program also offers the following benefits:
- Competitive compensation and benefits
- Superannuation
- Accelerated development in your chosen career path
- Flexible work arrangements (role dependent)
- Dogs welcome in many of our offices (location dependent)
- Delicious products (for you and your pets!)
Graduate Reviews
- 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
- 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.
Jobs & Opportunities
- Auckland