Science and Regulatory Affairs (SRA) Strategic Sustainability Claims Senior Manager

Science and Regulatory Affairs (SRA) Strategic Sustainability Claims Senior Manager

Employer: Mars
Location: London, United Kingdom
Salary: Competitive
Closing date: 22 Sep 2024

Job Description:
The Science and Regulatory Affairs (SRA) Strategic Sustainability Claims Senior Manager is recognized as the key expert on strategic sustainability claims, supporting Mars Pet Nutrition's (PN) growth agenda and its purpose of A Better World for Pets.

As a key member of the Global Science and Regulatory Affairs (GSRA) Team, this role will lead the development, activation, and implementation of global sustainability claims for PN. The role involves devising strategies for global innovation projects with sustainability components, conducting regulatory risk assessments, ensuring compliance with global and regional regulations, and aligning with corporate and local requirements. Additionally, the role will collaborate on ingredient approvals with sustainability benefits, supporting innovation and ensuring compliance.

What are we looking for?

• BSc required - Qualification in environmental science/technology, natural/biological science, or regulatory affairs preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years experience with a strong background in regulatory affairs related to sustainability and environmental issues.
• Extensive experience in a technical environment, including R&D in a business context.
• Demonstrated experience with sustainability/environmental regulatory issues in a business context.
• Proven track record in managing regulatory compliance and risk assessment for sustainability claims.
• Skilled at navigating and simplifying complex topics.
• Effective at influencing and negotiating with diverse teams.
• Digitally literate with knowledge management and reporting system skills.

What will your key responsibilities be?

• Ensure all sustainability claims comply with global and regional regulatory standards, maintaining up-to-date knowledge of relevant regulations.
• Partner with relevant teams to identify, develop, and support sustainability claims that align with regulatory compliance and consumer relevance.
• Conduct regular materiality assessments to prioritize sustainability issues and ensure claims focus on areas of greatest impact and regulatory significance.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with sustainability claims, converting them into opportunities and providing insights on risk levels by geography and brand.
• Lead a coalition to anticipate future PN claims, ensuring prompt substantiation and harmonizing regional claims through key stakeholders.
• Maintain and adhere to the unified claims process to ensure efficiency and effectiveness across all claim types (sustainability, structure function, etc.), including development, substantiation, review, and approval.
• Create and maintain a PN sustainability claims library with supporting documentation and audit alignment.
• Monitor and analyze the broader regulatory environment, including external sentiment and legislative developments related to sustainability, plastics, packaging, circular economy, and other relevant areas, updating and educating regional teams to ensure claims and any related innovations meet regulatory requirements.
• Maintain a materiality assessment tracking external stakeholders' viewpoints influencing future claims and developing strong external networks with bodies like testing houses and national authorities to stay updated on sustainability and environmental regulatory developments.
• Maintain an external view on competitive sustainability claims, providing insights to ensure Mars PN remains competitive while meeting regulatory standards, and owning the strategy to position current and future claims for maximum impact on Mars PN's sustainability goals.
• Deliver training as needed for all functions in the segment, escalating higher-risk claims for approval within PN and corporate teams.
• Collaborate with team members responsible for ingredient assessments to integrate sustainability benefits into new material and ingredient approvals, devising strategies, conducting regulatory risk assessments, and mitigating risks for global innovation projects before regional implementation.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with over 130,000 diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we're striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.