Manager, Regulatory Commercialization

Your Opportunity as the Manager, Regulatory Commercialization

Lead regulatory strategy and compliance for innovation and commercialization across one or more of Smucker’s strategic business areas. You will provide regulatory expertise for product launches, reformulations, line extensions, cost-savings initiatives, supplier and sourcing changes, business-continuity projects, and packaging changes. As a strategic innovation partner, you will assess complex regulatory and business risks, develop practical and compliant solutions, and influence cross-functional decisions that enable business growth.

Location: Orrville, Ohio

Work Arrangements: Hybrid, with an expectation of 30% in-office presence

In this role you will:

Regulatory Commercialization and Governance

- Lead regulatory strategy throughout the concept-to-commercialization process for assigned business areas.
- Provide guidance on regulatory requirements, pathways, risks, key decisions, and documentation needs.
- Help develop enterprise regulatory standards and governance while establishing category-specific requirements when needed.
- Partner across R&D, Marketing, Legal, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, and other functions to address barriers, manage risk, and support commercial objectives.
- Prioritize regulatory work and manage dependencies across multiple commercialization projects.
- Train business partners on regulatory requirements, decision criteria, and practical guardrails.
- Provide leadership-ready recommendations that clearly communicate risks, uncertainties, options, business implications, and recommended actions.

Ingredient Approval and Technical Documentation

- Lead regulatory review and decision-making for ingredient authorization, GRAS determinations, novel-food processes, food-contact notifications, expanded-use approvals, and other applicable pathways.
- Determine appropriate regulatory pathways and documentation requirements for novel, complex, or business-critical ingredient initiatives.
- Manage cross-functional project plans, data-gap resolution, external expert engagement, and regulatory-authority interactions.
- Review and approve regulatory conclusions within scope of authority and escalate novel or high-risk matters when appropriate.
- Ensure regulatory decisions and supporting documentation are scientifically sound, complete, and defensible.

Claims, Labeling, and Substantiation

- Implement enterprise policies and standards for claims, substantiation, approvals, and documentation throughout product development and commercialization.
- Partner with Product Development teams to develop and substantiate regulated claims, including nutrient-content, health-related, natural, clean-label, functional, and comparative claims.
- Assess substantiation and regulatory risk while developing practical mitigation strategies that balance compliance and business objectives.
- Provide regulatory leadership and technical expertise throughout the claims review process.
- Guide product certification processes, including Kosher, Halal, Gluten-Free, and other applicable certifications.
- Partner with Legal on advertising, consumer protection, class-action, National Advertising Division, Federal Trade Commission, and competitor-challenge considerations.
- Escalate novel, high-risk, or precedent-setting matters with clear recommendations and next steps.

Regulatory Monitoring, Response, and Advocacy

- Assess evolving federal and state regulatory developments, enforcement activity, consumer-protection matters, and industry trends.
- Translate regulatory developments into implications for products, ingredients, formulas, claims, labels, certifications, and commercialization decisions.
- Recommend and support updates to standards, review processes, internal controls, and risk-mitigation plans.
- Partner with Government Relations and other stakeholders to provide regulatory expertise that informs advocacy priorities.
- Represent Smucker in relevant trade associations, technical organizations, and external forums.

What we are looking for:

Minimum requirements

- Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Food Science, or a related field.
- 7–10 years of food-industry experience, primarily within regulatory affairs or compliance.
- Demonstrated knowledge of U.S. human and/or pet food regulations.
- Experience supporting product development and commercialization, including reformulations, packaging changes, supplier changes, cost-savings initiatives, and business-continuity projects.
- Experience managing complex or high-risk ingredient, formula, labeling, claims, certification, or packaging matters.
- Experience developing regulatory standards, governance processes, playbooks, decision trees, risk-tiering criteria, or regulatory training.
- Experience partnering with Legal on advertising, consumer-protection, class-action, NAD, FTC, or competitor-challenge matters.
- Working knowledge of U.S. human and/or animal food requirements related to labeling and ingredients, including food additives, GRAS status, color additives, processing aids, flavors, fortification, novel ingredients, and food-contact substances.
- Strong risk-based judgment with the ability to assess complex or ambiguous regulatory matters and provide clear, actionable recommendations.
- Strong business acumen, communication, collaboration, and influencing skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, navigate ambiguity, and build effective cross-functional relationships.

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

- Advanced degree in Nutrition, Food Science, Regulatory Affairs, Toxicology, or a related field, or Registered Dietitian credential.
- Experience supporting regulatory advocacy or participating in trade associations and technical organizations.
- Experience managing external consultants, scientific experts, certification bodies, or specialized service providers.
- Experience leading, mentoring, or developing regulatory professionals or other technical employees.
- Ability to bring together diverse perspectives and create alignment across functions.
- Ability to constructively challenge established practices and confidently take a position when needed.

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our  Basic Beliefs , and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

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We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.