The Head of Europe Regulatory Affairs leads the European Regulatory Team and works collaboratively with cross-functional partners to support the company’s regional and global objectives by enabling continuous market access of the existing portfolio and innovations.

This People Leader role provides regulatory thought leadership, strategy, stewardship and governance for the European region enabling achievement of the Royal Canin growth strategy. It ensures an effective, high performing, developing and engaged Europe Regulatory organization.

What Are We Looking for?

• Min. 10 years professional experience, including 5 years' with hands-on experience in Regulatory Affairs in the Life Sciences industry. Previous experience as a people leader is a must.
• Proven track record in defining novel approaches to enabling access the market of compliant products.
• Proven track record of building collaborative, x-functional business relationships
• Ability to use experience base with intuition to chart the future in an ambiguous environment
• Visible leadership: Make the tough calls on quality, associates, budget, etc.
• Continuous improvement & solution oriented mindset and ability to identify new opportunities where Regulatory can add value to the business.
• Ability to collaborate with/lead a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, global working groups and a broad cross-functional network.
• Excellent interpersonal and written and oral communication skills.

What Will be your Key Responsibilities?

• Operationalizing the Company’s  Regulatory Strategy, ensuring it meets the needs of the European Business. Managing timelines and resources to achieve stated objectives, ensuring tracking tools and regulatory databases are maintained up to date.
• Ensuring that the European Regulatory team are  staffed & organized to deliver on its mission and continuously improve its performance to meet the Business current and future needs.
• Accountable for ensuring effective team development through line management excellence behaviors and create opportunities for development of team and the wider Mars Scientific & Regulatory Affairs community. 
• Accountable for recruitment, succession planning and managing performance. Define and develop the capability needs for the European Regulatory organization to meet the needs of the region today and in the future.
• Contributing to best practices sharing & cross-training within the Global Regulatory Affairs network and create synergies across Mars segments.
• Identifying, developing, managing and leveraging an appropriate regional external network of experts and opinion leaders in industry, academia, government, and NGOs, represent the company and provide leadership and influence in external regulatory organizations consistent with the regulatory agendas and in line with the regional business strategy.
• Accountable for the monitoring & evaluation of developing regulatory issues and opportunities that could influence the access to the market of the company’s portfolio and/or business strategy. 
• Maintaining a broad knowledge of scientific, regulatory and policy environment in the region.
• Leveraging cross-functional collaboration to ensure that businesses are guided on a sound regulatory basis, to define the appropriate regulatory strategy and resource to support compliance as well as opportunity driven activities.
• Partnering with Legal Counsel and external partners (trade associations, professional associations) to align an appropriate risk framework, aligned with the regional Leadership Team.
• Ensuring effective cross-segment Scientific & Regulatory Affairs community communication to align and create a ‘one-voice’ approach; aligning globally on key topics to ensure alignment and consistency.
• Leading discussion where required to balance business strategy with reputation and freedom to operate.

What can you expect from Mars?

• At Mars, we believe in a relationship of mutual trust, dignity and respect between our company and Associates that is more meaningful than the standard employer/employee relationship.
• As Associates, we can expect to be respected, supported and valued as individuals, to be treated fairly and equitably.
• The opportunity to learn and develop, taking charge of your own career across Mars.
• You will work in a multicultural environment (more than 40 nationalities) and where your dog will be welcomed by more than 100 other Associates’ dogs at the office!   
• You will work in a unique campus, which gathers more than 800 Associates working for: the international Royal Canin HQ, the French subsidiary, two laboratories, a kennel and a cattery with more than 200 cats & dogs, and finally the most important factory of the Royal Canin group