Job Summary

As a Manager for Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, you are overall responsible for product stewardship, ensuring products compliance with local regulations while remaining competitive within the marketplace. This position is responsible for regulatory compliance of products, labels, advertising and promotions in adherence with IFFCO policies and guidelines for assigned category. The candidate will assume a regulatory technical leadership role providing direction and input for brand development, project strategies, and product claims that enable significant and sustainable growth opportunities, this position provides the opportunity to interact with cross-functional members of the business, across the Middle East, India and Pakistan & GCC.

Roles & Responsibilities

The Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Manager has the following accountabilities:

Drive regulatory leadership to support product development and ensure successful implementation and execution of regulatory plans to support product approval and commercialization.
Provide regulatory due diligence assessments of new business opportunities as required.
Understand and interpret local and regional laws, regulations, guidance, and global regulatory and political developments throughout the geographic areas where the products are marketed while ensuring that elements, quality, accuracy and format of regulatory submissions comply with applicable laws and regulatory standards.
Run gap assessment for draft regulations impacting the business.
Participate into Concept phase of product development to set regulatory risks
Gather, evaluate, organise, manage and collate information in a variety of formats ensuring compliance with regulations set by the relevant Regulatory Agencies and Authorities.
Maintain the records of company product ranges and information.
Keep up to date the database with changes in regulatory legislation and guidelines
Outline requirements for labelling, storage and packaging
Write comprehensible, clear product information labels
Working understanding of below:
Food regulatory compliance (e.g., Codex Alimentarius, MENA Countries, EU, FDA)
Food safety management systems (e.g., GMP, HACCP, and ISO 22000)
Food quality management systems (ISO 9001)
Quality management in Laboratory (ISO 17025)
Health, Safety, and Environment management systems (OHSES 18000, ISO 14001)
Science: Nutrition, Health, Food Safety
Lead of Nutrition expertise (JM/AM)
Functional Competencies

Regulatory Compliance -Demonstrates knowledge of global and local relevant regulations, policies, religious and registration requirements for ingredient, formula, claims, labels, packaging including product artwork and registration compliance
Quality Programs: Demonstrates knowledge and understanding and understanding of Quality Policy expectations to deliver base quality programs and drive continuous improvement, putting the consumer at the heart of everything we do through the delivery of the Consumer Inspired Quality (CIQ) agenda
Technical Expertise - Demonstrates deep scientific and technical expertise in Life Sciences, Processing and Packaging required to create technical solutions
Consumer Inspired Design: Demonstrates ability to understand consumer, shopper and market insights to drive Technical Strategy, inform Commercial Strategy, and discuss design and commercialisation of products, processes and packaging.
Leadership Competences

Ethics and values-Acting like and owner for assigned brand responsibilities
Presentation, communications, influencing and motivational skills
Able to work across categories, cultures
Project management skills
Builds constructive/effective peer relationships
Personal learning agility.
Key Stakeholders:

BU R&D and Quality teams
Sales and Marketing teams
Project managers

KPIs

• Relationship Management
• Product and Compliance Management
• External Stakeholder Management

Work experience requirement

• 5-7 years of experience in scientific and regulatory affairs function, preferably in FMCG.
• Languages: Fluency in Arabic & English
• Excellent verbal and written skills are key; combined with the ability to analyse and effectively convey difficult and complex issues to internal and external stakeholders, including Senior Management.
• Flexibility and sensitivity to work with many cultures and across time zones is crucial to be successful in this position

Qualification

A BSc or MSc. in food science, biochemistry, chemistry, toxicology or a closely related field.

Competencies

Documentation and Reporting

Export Compliance

Food Regulations

Knowledge of Industrial Laws and Regulations

Knowledge of International and/or Local Laws and Regulations

Leading and Managing Change

Ownership & Result Orientation

Planning & Decision Making

Self and Team Management

Strategic Thinking

Business Unit: Research & Development (UAE) (3141)

Business Group: Oils&Fats (239)

IFFCO