Job Title

JOB TITLE: Director of Regulatory (Compliance), Sustainability and Risk Management JOB REPORTING TO: President and Shareholders WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Facility based, with some hybrid/remote . The Opportunity: The Director, Regulatory, Sustainability and Risk Management is responsible for developing a culture of Food Safety, Quality, Environmental Care, and Prudent Business Management across the entire supply chain, from suppliers to customers by developing, implementing and championing strategic directions working with owners, senior management and department leaders. Support the Quality Team in managing a comprehensive Food Safety program including the implementation and maintenance of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), design and oversee new Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) for our US operation, Supplier Approval processes, maintenance of the SQF certification, support of annual audits, Recall process, FDA/USDA Compliance. Our client is a well-established Canadian company with over 40 years of experience and a strong track record of growth and success in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of a wide array of their proprietary agricultural and food products across North America. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE: Senior Team Member: Oversee all Aspects of Regulatory, Sustainability and Risk Management, support the function of Quality Assurance. Be the representative voice for these functions on the Executive Team and support the full programs for all areas of the business. As a member of the Executive team, forge strong partnerships with all other Executive team members on driving overall business results and supporting the overall company growth agenda. Bring forward critical functional priorities to the Executive team for review and discussion, encouraging collective team problem solving and cross functional alignments for any executive level topics. Own applicable departmental budgets, and develop understanding of all company financials, identifying areas of needed increased spend or potential cost reduction in support of overall company profitability and budgeting process. Regulatory Directly manage Quality Assurance Team, with direct and indirect reports. Provide coaching, leadership, guidance on strategies to engage the business in quality objectives and help to challenge other departmental leaders as needed. Leads the collaborative efforts with cross functional partners, both internal and external (Marketing, Sales, Quality, Finance, Operations, Consultants, Lawyers, Government agencies, Certification body, and others) to ensure regulatory compliance to protect consumer health, company and brand reputation. Support QA team in all related matters, providing coaching, guidance and framework including Supplier Approval and monitoring program, testing protocols, audit certification maintenance (SQF/SFSF), FSVP, CFIA/FDA (EPA)/USDA Compliance. Leads the creation, documentation and implementation of standard protocols for all customs processes. Leads any engagement directly with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. Provide coaching & insight to all involved staff in the core areas of customs compliance, including tariff classification, valuation, country of origin, and best practices for managing CBP inquiries. Sustainability Lead the development and execution of a multi-year Sustainability plan that covers the areas of carbon footprint, waste reduction, energy consumption, supplier management, environmental. Work collaboratively with all internal department leaders in Operations, Finance, Sales, Supply Chain and their respective teams to set realistic and value-added goals for the Sustainability plan. Actively manage the program tracking progress and updating regularly. Define appropriate metrics that can be used to demonstrate progress in the Sustainability efforts. Learn and implement the use of such metrics and report on progress at Monthly Managers Meetings. Work with the Sales teams to respond to customer requests that pertain to Sustainability objectives. With support from Sales, Supply Chain and Operations, actively lead any customer specific Sustainability programs. Risk Management Risk management coordinates suitable insurance to provide coverages to support gross margin and out of pocket expenses incurred during an insurable event. Attend Customer and Supplier trade events, attend customer audits, understand and document trends that will affect the ability to comply with customer trends, identify projects, programs, and processes to address the pending challenges. Educate, inform executive team of potential risks to allow for proactive policy and process changes to meet the trades needs as it pertains to facility management, Pesticide and Biological testing. Identify areas of contractual risk for both customers and suppliers, create programs to address, and regularly refresh contractual agreements with 3rd party service providers, suppliers, and transportation companies. Summary of Duties: Create Culture of Food Safety. Implement Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) US Operation. Enhance Strengthen Supplier Approval Program / Visits. Support Annual Audits, Review of Supplier & Freight agreements. Enhance FDA Compliance. Oversee Pesticide and Microbial testing. Challenge current practices to enhance food Safety. Participate in Industry gatherings (associations, conferences, seminars) customer audits. Network with company solicitors to keep up to date on Food Safety and Regulatory Trends. Provide coaching leadership to quality team and executive. Subject matter expert for all Food Safety, Regulatory, Compliance events. Lead Crisis management situations, recalls, FDA Holds, legal representation. across the entire team. What you will bring 15+ years of progressive experience in quality assurance, food production, food science, regulatory affairs, and auditing/testing. And at least 3+ years at Director/Senior Manager level. Proven expertise in GMPs, HACCP, CFIA, FSMA, FDA/USDA, EPA and GFSI (SQF). (Food manufacturing, Seeds, Pet foods, Grains, Pesticides, Import/Export) Experience in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) program development/Implementation. Ability to analyze data, interpret and apply legislation, develop systems and standard operating procedures, and manage risk based on data and statistics. Strong communication skills, including written, oral, and presentation. Leadership qualities that will motivate, inspire team members to do well, exceed expectations and achieve personal goals. Other Requirements/Education B Sc. in Food Science, Biology/Chemistry, Engineering (B. Eng.) or related science discipline. MBA degree (or relevant business management credential) is an asset. Six Sigma training is an asset. Minimum 5 years of experience working within a large national/global food manufacturing organization, preferably in QA/Compliance/Regulatory Affairs/Risk management. Daily commute with possibility of Hybrid Remote work arrangement Able to travel across North America.