Senior Food Contact Regulatory Expert

Celanese; Florence (KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Celanese is seeking a senior Food Contact Regulatory Affairs SME to join the Americas Product Stewardship team. You will provide independent technical regulatory expertise for U.S. FDA food contact and MERCOSUR requirements, guiding product compliance across Celanese’s businesses.

The role requires monitoring regulatory developments, assessing materials for compliance, and leading complex regulatory questions to support business growth while maintaining strict compliance standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Toxicology, Regulatory Affairs, Food Science, or related scientific discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 8+ years of experience in Product Stewardship, Regulatory Affairs, Product Safety, Food Contact Compliance, or related technical regulatory role.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting U.S. FDA and/or MERCOSUR food contact regulations, particularly for chemicals, polymers, additives, compounds, or specialty materials.
• Strong understanding of food contact compliance assessments, migration principles, substance authorization frameworks, and regulatory risk evaluation.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams in a global environment.
• Familiarity with SAP EHS, Product Compliance systems, and regulatory databases.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to independently interpret regulations, apply them to product compositions and use conditions, document conclusions, and provide pragmatic, risk-based recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Sr. Product Stewardship SME for food contact regulations, with primary focus on U.S. FDA and MERCOSUR regulatory requirements.
• Monitor, evaluate, and communicate evolving regulatory developments and enforcement trends.
• Independently assess raw materials, additives, formulations, and finished products for compliance.
• Maintain and manage the food contact product portfolio and ensure current compliance.
• Lead complex regulatory assessments and provide guidance to customers and internal teams.
• Define external testing strategies and collaborate with laboratories as needed.
• Partner with manufacturing, quality, procurement, legal, and technology teams to ensure lifecycle compliance.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of stewardship processes and databases.
• Develop regulatory guidance, knowledge sharing, and training for stakeholders.

Skills

Regulatory Affairs

Food Contact Regulations

Migration Principles

Risk Assessment

Cross-functional Collaboration

Regulatory Strategy

Documentation & Compliance

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry/Polymer/Chemical Engineering/Regulatory Affairs/Food Science

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

SAP EHS

Regulatory databases

Job description

Celanese is seeking a senior Food Contact Regulatory Affairs SME to join the Americas Product Stewardship team. You will provide independent technical regulatory expertise for U.S. FDA food contact and MERCOSUR requirements, guiding product compliance across Celanese’s businesses.

The role requires monitoring regulatory developments, assessing materials for compliance, and leading complex regulatory questions to support business growth while maintaining strict compliance standards.