Director, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs

Job Position: Director, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs

Location: Remote, Washington DC Metro Area strongly preferred

Overview

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is a trade association that advocates on behalf of the No.1 packaged beverage in the United States: bottled water. IBWA’s membership consists of U.S. and international bottlers and distributors that produce and deliver bottled water products and the suppliers that serve them. IBWA is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling.

IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to establish comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality water. IBWA member bottlers must also adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations, including mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.

Summary of Position Responsibilities

The Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs serves as a technical, scientific, and regulatory expert for IBWA. This role is responsible for proactively engaging federal and state regulatory agencies, providing technical assistance to lawmakers, and delivering direct regulatory, technical, and scientific guidance to IBWA members.

The Director ensures that all industry positions are grounded in credible science and supports the management of the association’s certification, technical, and inspection programs to defend and promote the safety and quality of bottled water. This position reports directly to the Vice President of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs.

Education Requirements

Minimum bachelor’s degree in biological, chemical, or environmental science, or a similar discipline. An advanced degree in the above fields is highly desirable.

General Qualifications

·     Approximately 5 - 15 years of life, physical, and environmental sciences experience

·     3 - 5 years of management experience

·     Ability to grasp complex scientific and regulatory issues

·     Ability to communicate forward-looking alternative options and costs to association committees and directors

·     Initiative to implement board-approved policy

·     Service-minded attitude

·     Experience with a trade association is preferred; industry or government experience in food, beverages, or water is highly useful.

·     Demonstrated, active professional network and established working relationships with key regulatory officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as relevant congressional committees and key federal policymakers.

·     Strong communications skills, both written and oral, are essential to persuasively articulate industry positions in international, federal, and state legislative and regulatory arenas, and in public forums as the industry’s lead scientific and technical spokesperson with the media.

·     Management skills and experience negotiating research projects and contracts, overseeing independent consultants, staff administration, and volunteer consensus building and motivation are necessary skills.

·     Must perform the position’s functions in a style and manner that clearly conveys that the concerns and needs of members, both small and large, will be addressed with equal attention and consideration by IBWA.

Position Responsibilities

Basic Responsibilities

·     Serves as a technical and regulatory expert and authority on all scientific and technical affairs which substantiate bottled water as a high-quality, safe food product.

·     Provides direct technical and regulatory affairs services and guidance to IBWA members to support their compliance, operations, and market success.

·     Plans, organizes, and directs research projects, technical programs, regulatory education activities, and meetings of the organization to help ensure that objectives are attained, plans fulfilled, and member needs are met.

·     Through management and leadership, provides counsel to the Technical Committee, Environmental Sustainability Committee, Communications Committee, Education Committee, Government Relations Committee, and Board of Directors to provide forward-looking programming and constructive growth of the Association through credible documentation of industry positions.

·     Maintains effective relationships with other organizations, both public and private, and ensures that the position of the Association and its members is enhanced in accordance with the policies and objectives of the Association.

Specific Responsibilities

·      Regulatory Engagement: Maintains and actively leverages an existing network of key contacts within federal regulatory agencies (e.g., FDA, EPA, USDA, HHS, FEMA) and among congressional policymakers. Serves as a trusted, immediate liaison between the bottled water industry and these agencies on matters of food safety, protection, and rulemaking, proactively navigating rulemakings, advancing industry positions, and engaging key decision-makers without an onboarding delay.

·      Policymaker Assistance: Provides expert technical and scientific assistance to federal and state lawmakers and policymakers to inform evidence-based public policy impacting the bottled water association.

·      Member Guidance: Delivers comprehensive technical and regulatory affairs services to members requesting information in the areas of quality control, current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)/ Preventive Controls programs, food security and defense, testing, analytical methods, and processing techniques.

·      Issue Management: Through networking with government, industry, and research organizations, identifies emerging issues affecting the industry. Keeps members informed of the issues and recommends strategies and tactics that will further the objectives of the Association. Protects the collective interests of the members by engaging in a broad spectrum of technical and scientific activity.

·      Research & Advocacy: Recommends sponsorships of research and the development of information that addresses bottled water safety, defends industry products, and proactively promotes industry growth. Supports an approved program of action to earn understanding and acceptance among consumers, government, and media.

·      Committee Leadership: Provides administrative support and technical & regulatory expertise for a number of committees, including the Education Committee, the Environmental Sustainability Committee, and the Technical Committee. Attends meetings and prepares materials to assist each in furthering the Association’s objectives.

·      Foundation Management: Provides technical & administrative support to the Drinking Water Research Foundation (DWRF). Coordinates and supports scientific research and fundraising, and helps maintain the website.

·      Cross-Departmental Counsel: Works with the Government Relations and Communications Committees so that all legislative and regulatory positions, testimony, and public relations pronouncements are grounded in credible documentation with technical and scientific integrity.

·      Program Management: Working with the Vice-President, supports & monitors the compliance and performance of IBWA-administered programs, including the inspection and education programs. Contributes to the development of an online training platform and training courses focused on food safety, bottled water quality, manufacturing operations, and other industry-relevant topics.

·      Education & Certification: May serve as a seminar instructor at Association-sponsored meetings. Supports certification programs and related policies, procedures, and budgets. May conduct internal and external technical and regulatory training seminars for members, government officials, and other groups.

·      Other Duties: Performs other duties as assigned. As needed, obtains and maintains any security clearances necessary to accomplish associated tasks.

Compensation

$85,000 - $115,000 or commensurate with experience. Annual salary to be determined by the President and CEO.

Reporting & Evaluation

·     Reports to the IBWA Vice President of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs

·     Performance of this job will be evaluated annually

Equal Employment Opportunity

IBWA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. IBWA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

To Apply

Please send cover letter and resume to careers@bottledwater.org.