Head of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs

a US-headquartered Fortune 500 provider of ingredient solutions that helps nourish, comfort, sustain, and delight people around the world. Our wide range of ingredient solutions is strategically designed to address changing consumer trends and preferences. Our portfolio includes plant-based ingredients providing healthful and texture solutions, such as clean and simple ingredients, plant-based proteins, sugar reduction and natural-based sweeteners, with the overarching goal to make healthy taste better. Our innovative ingredient solutions are used by customers and consumers in everyday products, from foods and beverages to paper and pharmaceuticals. And we do it all in a planet-friendly sustainable manner.

Open Position

JOB TITLE : Head, Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs (GSRA), EMEA Region

LOCATION: UK. Manchester Head Office.

REPORTS TO: Vice President, Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, located at the Innovation Centre, New Jersey, US

DIRECT REPORTS: Yes – three

Open Position

The Head, Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs (GSRA), Europe Middle East & Africa (EMEA) Region, is the regional lead responsible for providing leadership and direction to the scientific and regulatory function in the region. This lead position is a key partnership role engaging functional partners across the business, enabling new business and protecting and maintaining existing business, leveraging insights for solutions to scientific and regulatory opportunities. The postholder will develop and implement regulatory strategies, anticipating changes in regulations, and playing a pivotal role ensuring compliance across our product portfolio and successful product development. The postholder will be a key member of the GSRA Leadership team, providing thought-leadership on ‘One Team’ Global Project initiatives, partnering with other regional GSRA leads and Nutrition leads, in addition to providing guidance to regional leaders and colleagues on regulatory frameworks in EMEA.

Key Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Lead the SRA function in EMEA, promoting team recognition, business value and fostering cross-collaboration with internal partners. Play a pivotal role in developing the team, providing guidance, mentorship, and growth opportunities.
• Compliance: Minimises risk to the company by providing/obtaining concise regulatory advice to assure inherent compliance and safe products for use in EMEA market. Proactively anticipate regulatory compliance needs and best practice expectations.
• Risk Responsible: Interpret impact and implications of legislation on the business and provide smart guidance to respond to regulatory opportunities/issues/threats. Provide the business with options to achieve regulatory compliance and take calculated risks.
• Business Partnership: Partner with innovation leaders to support product development. Lead strategic planning sessions with business partners, aligning organizational goals and objectives, with SRA department plans.
• Customer Collaboration : Build strong relationships with Customers. Play a key role interacting with regulatory counterparts at customer companies on common areas of interest, providing advantaged, differentiated value.
• Regulatory Insights: Be ahead of the regulation – know the upcoming changes in advance for success in predicting and preparing for them, leveraging dynamic networks.
• External Affairs: Lead interface in key ingredient associations in EU & UK to anticipate, influence and capitalise on regulatory requirements and changes, maximizing business opportunities. Engage in communication, negotiations, and information exchange with regulatory authorities to advance product authorisations providing access to market.

• Concise Communication : Provide fact-based regulatory guidance and recommendations to shape business positions, product messaging & compliant external marketing. Engage in communications on wider innovation and marketing, leveraging insights and knowledge-base on totality of evidence for ingredient opportunities.

Knowledge, Skills & Requirements

• Educated to Bachelors degree level/Masters/PhD, in Food Science, Food Law/ Policy, Biological Sciences, or a relevant field.
• Minimum 10+ year experience in regulatory affairs with experience in the food industry and an understanding of related issues.
• Fully conversant with EU legislation, particularly general food law, novel foods, food additives, food labelling, nutrition & health claims, and associated Codex International Standards. Knowledge of the UK evolving regulatory frameworks and regulations in these areas post-‘Brexit’ highly desirable.
• Desirable knowledge in chemical law, i.e. REACH.
• A strong ability to interpret the impact and implications of potential regulations.
• Effective communication skills and an ability in bring clarity to complex regulatory positions.
• Proficient in influencing and negotiating skills in a multi-cultural environment.
• Detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to see the big picture and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Good judgment and high integrity, with demonstrated appreciation of general business values and ethics.
• Fluent English speaker, advantage to have reading knowledge of French, or additional EU languages.