Global Product Regulatory Specialist

Smiths Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

John Crane, part of Smiths Group, seeks a Senior Regulatory Compliance lead to oversee global regulatory adherence across product lifecycles. You will coordinate audits, provide senior guidance, monitor regulatory developments, and ensure SDSs and documentation are current and accessible.

You will collaborate with QHSE, Procurement, Sales & Marketing, and Materials/Laboratory teams to translate regulations into practical actions, ensuring compliant product behavior and readiness for regulatory

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, or related technical field required.
• Master’s degree in Inorganic Chemistry or related discipline preferred.
• Significant relevant industry experience may be considered in lieu of a formal degree.

Responsibilities

• Lead coordination and preparation of internal and external audits and compliance activities.
• Provide senior-level guidance on product regulatory compliance to internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify and interpret global regulations and translate developments into practical business actions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and mitigate compliance risks across product lifecycle.
• Prepare and manage regulatory submissions and maintain SDS, labeling, and documentation.

Skills

Global regulatory compliance

Regulatory strategy

Audits & inspections

SDS authoring

Education

Bachelor's degree (Chemistry / related field)

Master's degree (Inorganic Chemistry or related)

Tools

ERP systems

Regulatory data management tools

Job description

John Crane (www.johncrane.com) is a global leader in rotating equipment solutions, supplying engineered technologies and services to process industries. The company designs and manufactures a variety of products, including mechanical seals and systems, couplings, filtration systems and digital diagnostics technologies. John Crane customer service is accessed through a global network of more than 200 sales and service facilities in over 50 countries. Global reported revenue for fiscal year 2023 was in excess of $1.2 billion/1b GBP. John Crane is part of Smiths Group, a global leader in applying advanced technologies for markets in engineered components, energy, contraband detection, and communications.

Job Description

This senior role reports directly to the Materials Technology Manager and is responsible for ensuring that all John Crane products comply with applicable product regulatory requirements while providing strategic leadership on product regulatory compliance across the company. The role requires a broad understanding of global regulatory trends and emerging requirements, with responsibility for monitoring, tracking, trending, and interpreting regulatory developments that may impact the business. In partnership with cross-functional teams, the incumbent leads the timely implementation of new and revised regulations into company processes, products, and documentation, while ensuring that required product-related SDSs are authored, maintained, and readily available to all interested parties.

• Leads the coordination and preparation of internal and external audits and compliance activities in accordance with applicable regulatory standards.
• Provides senior-level guidance across the organization on product regulatory compliance matters and serves as a key resource and point of contact for internal and external stakeholders in support of John Crane products.
• Responsible for the ongoing identification, monitoring, tracking, trending, and interpretation of relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards related to product regulatory compliance, and helps translate regulatory developments into practical business actions.
• Performs timely product regulatory compliance and risk reviews throughout all stages of the product lifecycle and proactively collaborates with QHSE, Procurement, Sales & Marketing, Materials Lab, and other cross-functional teams to identify and mitigate potential compliance risks.
• Oversees the collection, management, and analysis of product regulatory compliance data and supports the administration of documentation collection from suppliers to help ensure ongoing product regulatory compliance.
• Provides the reply for product regulatory compliance-related customer inquiries and helps guide responses to compliance questions from internal and external stakeholders.
• Authors product-related Safety Data Sheets, the implementation of product labeling programs, and raw material introduction programs, while helping ensure required product documentation remains accurate, current, and available.
• Prepares external product registrations/certifications/notifications to support existing business and to secure business growth.
• Partners with internal stakeholders to drive proactive compliance strategies, support training and awareness initiatives, facilitate readiness for regulatory agency inspections and other compliance reviews, and support corrective actions and continuous improvement activities across the company.

Qualifications

Qualifications & Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, or a related technical field required.
• Master’s degree in Inorganic Chemistry or a related discipline preferred.
• Significant relevant industry experience may be considered in lieu of a formal degree.

Experience

• Strong experience in global product regulatory compliance, product stewardship, or chemical regulatory affairs.
• Proven experience working with global chemical regulations and product compliance frameworks.

Core Competencies

• Advanced knowledge of global product regulatory compliance principles, including:
  • Chemical regulations (e.g., REACH, TSCA, GHS, etc.)
  • Safety Data Sheet (SDS) authoring requirements
  • Hazard communication and product labeling standards
  • Product stewardship practices relevant to industrial products (e.g., John Crane portfolio)

Regulatory Expertise

• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply global, regional, and local regulations and industry standards.
• Experience assessing regulatory impact on products and business operations.
• Ability to identify emerging regulatory trends and compliance risks and support implementation of new or updated requirements across products, processes, and documentation.
• Experience preparing and managing regulatory submissions in government-required formats.

Technical & Functional Skills

• Strong capability in:
  • Regulatory data analysis and management
  • Supplier documentation review
  • Product lifecycle compliance assessments
  • Raw material approvals and introductions
  • Product registration/notification activities
• Ability to review and interpret:
  • Product drawings
  • Technical specifications
  • Engineering documentation

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across functions, including QHSE, Procurement, Sales & Marketing, and Materials/Laboratory teams, to resolve complex compliance issues and drive regulatory alignment.
• Skilled at influencing stakeholders and supporting cross-functional implementation of regulatory initiatives.

Communication & Execution

• Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to translate regulatory requirements into clear, practical guidance for internal stakeholders and customers.
• Experience responding to customer and regulatory inquiries with accuracy and professionalism.
• High attention to detail with strong documentation and recordkeeping practices.
• Sound judgment in making risk-based, compliant decisions.

Systems & Tools

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Experience working with ERP systems and regulatory data management tools.

Certifications (Preferred)

• Professional certification or specialized training in product stewardship, regulatory compliance, chemical management, or SDS authoring.

Additional Attributes

• Demonstrated learning agility and ability to adapt in a dynamic regulatory environment.
• Strong project coordination and organizational skills.

Additional Information

Additional Information

With colleagues stretching across the globe, we are proud of our diversity. To foster inclusivity, we run employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a safe space for employees to connect and support each other. Our cross-business ERGs include Veterans, Pride Network, Black Employee Network, Women@Work Network, and Neurodiversity.

Across our company, we recognize excellence, culminating in the Smiths Excellence Awards, our annual celebration of the most extraordinary activities, people, and projects that best showcase our strengths and help drive our business forward. We announce these on our annual Smiths Day, a global celebration of Smiths around our network.

Join us for a great career with competitive compensation and benefits, while helping engineer a better future.

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.