Director of Regulatory (Food and Beverage Industry)
Job Description
Director of Regulatory (Food & Beverage Industry)
Position Overview
Our client is seeking an experienced Director of Regulatory to lead regulatory activities for a food and ingredient-focused organization. This individual will oversee regulatory compliance, provide guidance on product and labeling requirements, and serve as a primary resource for regulatory questions from internal teams and customers.
The Director will work closely with Quality, R&D, Sales, Operations, and senior leadership to ensure products and business practices remain aligned with applicable regulatory requirements. This role requires a strong understanding of U.S. food regulations, excellent leadership abilities, and the ability to manage both day-to-day regulatory needs and longer-term compliance initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the organization’s Regulatory Affairs function and provide direction, support, and development to regulatory team members.
- Establish priorities and processes for managing regulatory requests, customer inquiries, documentation, and compliance activities.
- Partner with Sales and Customer Service to provide accurate and timely responses to customer regulatory requests and product questionnaires.
- Review and provide guidance regarding product composition, ingredients, allergens, claims, labeling, specifications, and other regulatory considerations.
- Oversee the preparation and maintenance of regulatory documentation and product information used by customers and internal departments.
- Ensure finished-product labeling and regulatory statements comply with applicable U.S. requirements.
- Provide regulatory guidance related to domestic and international market requirements when requested.
- Maintain accurate regulatory information within internal databases and systems.
- Evaluate existing regulatory processes and implement improvements as regulatory requirements and business needs change.
- Monitor developments in food and ingredient regulations and communicate relevant changes to leadership and affected departments.
- Assess the potential impact of new or changing regulations and coordinate appropriate organizational responses.
- Provide regulatory expertise during food safety, quality, product development, recall, and other cross-functional initiatives.
- Oversee applicable certification and regulatory programs, including religious, organic, and other product-specific requirements.
- Serve as a regulatory resource for senior management and provide recommendations regarding compliance risks, regulatory strategy, and emerging requirements.
- Develop strong working relationships across departments to ensure regulatory considerations are incorporated into business and product decisions.
- Support the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and training related to regulatory compliance.
- Participate in special projects and other initiatives requiring regulatory expertise.
- Support the organization’s overall food safety and quality objectives and promote a culture of regulatory and operational compliance.
- Ensure regulatory activities align with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
- Maintain familiarity with applicable FDA, USDA, FSMA, HACCP, GMP, SQF, and other food industry requirements.
- Support programs involving food safety, food defense, allergen management, traceability, crisis management, document control, and related quality systems.
- Participate in internal audits, compliance reviews, training, and other activities supporting the organization’s food safety and quality programs.
- Promote safe work practices and adherence to established workplace safety requirements.
Salary
$150,000 - $170,000
Benefits Available
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, or a related scientific discipline.
- 8+ years of progressive regulatory experience within the food, flavor, ingredient, or related industries.
- Significant experience in Regulatory Affairs with demonstrated leadership or people-management responsibility.
- Strong knowledge of U.S. food regulatory requirements and the ability to interpret and apply regulations to products and business activities.
- Experience with food labeling, allergens, ingredient declarations, product claims, specifications, and customer regulatory documentation.
- Familiarity with regulatory requirements associated with food ingredients and flavor systems.
- Experience working with certification programs and applicable domestic or international regulatory requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop regulatory professionals.
- Strong judgment and problem-solving abilities with the ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical recommendations.
**If you’d like to hear more about this opportunity and others we are currently working on, please contact Mike Ribando at mribando@cps4jobs.com.
JO: 10.01.26MR
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