Sustainable Packaging Lead

Sustainable Packaging Lead

Location: Wilmington, DE, with hybrid work arrangement

Travel: Approximately 10–15% international/domestic travel

In this global Product Stewardship & Regulatory role, you will serve as Qnity’s sustainable packaging lead, responsible for monitoring and interpreting global packaging regulations with impact. As a senior individual contributor (no direct reports), you’ll lead through expertise and influence – partnering across our businesses to translate evolving packaging EPR obligations (from U.S. state-level programs to new EU packaging rules like PPWR) into actionable requirements for Qnity. Your mission: ensure we stay ahead of global packaging EPR mandates through clear guidance, rigorous reporting, and robust compliance processes that empower our teams and support Qnity’s sustainability commitments.

Core Responsibilities:

• Monitor & Interpret Global Packaging EPR Regulations: Continuously track and analyze packaging-related EPR laws and regulations across applicable markets; interpret their impact on Qnity’s products and operations.

• Maintain Compliance Register & Calendar: Establish and maintain a global regulatory obligations register and compliance calendar for packaging EPR requirements, ensuring all reporting deadlines, fees, and evolving obligations are clearly documented and communicated.

• Lead EPR Regulatory Reporting Program: Own Qnity’s packaging EPR reporting process end-to-end – requesting and validating required data, performing calculations and analysis, preparing accurate reports, coordinating internal reviews (QA/QC), and managing on-time submissions to regulatory bodies or Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs). Ensure all reports are delivered with precision and are audit-ready.

• Translate Regulations into Internal Requirements: Serve as the internal expert who distills new or changing packaging compliance obligations into clear, actionable guidance for business and technical teams (with a focus on "what changed, so what, now what" implications).

• Governance & Cross-Functional Alignment: Lead through influence in cross-functional governance processes (e.g., RACI, working group meetings, decision logs) to align stakeholders – including Packaging Engineers, Procurement, Supply Chain, Commercial, Legal, Sustainability, Finance, and Digital Technology – on roles, responsibilities, and decision-making for packaging EPR compliance.

• Data Requirements & Controls: Partner with data owners to define and implement packaging data requirements, data collection processes, and internal controls (for materials, weights, recycled content, etc.) that ensure accurate and traceable information for compliance reporting.

• External Liaison & Coordination: Act as Qnity’s primary liaison with external compliance schemes, PROs, industry associations, consultants, and regulatory authorities related to packaging EPR, effectively managing reporting portals and staying informed on best practices.

• Training & Enablement: Develop and deliver internal training, awareness sessions, and guidance materials to build organizational understanding of packaging EPR obligations, compliance processes, and each team’s role in meeting them.

• Risk Identification & Mitigation: Continuously evaluate compliance risks and gaps in our packaging EPR program; propose pragmatic mitigation plans, escalate critical issues with solution options, and implement improvements to reduce regulatory risk.

• Documentation & Audit Readiness: Maintain thorough documentation and evidence of Qnity’s EPR compliance activities – including methodologies, data sources, communications, and decision rationales – to ensure audit readiness and confidence in our compliance posture at all times.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Environmental Science, Sustainability, Regulatory Affairs, Engineering, or similar). Advanced degree (MS, MBA, or JD) a plus.

• Experience: 8+ years of experience in environmental compliance, product stewardship, regulatory affairs, or related fields

• Regulatory Expertise: Strong knowledge of extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks and packaging regulations (e.g., familiar with U.S. state packaging EPR laws and European packaging directives/regulations); proven ability to interpret and apply regulatory requirements in a business context.

• Data & Reporting Skills: Hands-on experience managing large data sets and complex regulatory reporting processes – including data analysis, quality assurance, and documentation – to meet compliance obligations.

• Project & Program Management: Demonstrated ability to lead compliance programs or projects from inception to execution; excellent organizational skills to handle multiple jurisdictions and deadlines.

• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey complex regulatory information clearly to diverse stakeholders and senior leadership.

Skills & Competencies:

• Regulatory Interpretation: Exceptional ability to interpret complex regulations and distill them into clear, business-relevant requirements and guidance.

• Compliance Rigor: Meticulous attention to detail and rigor in data gathering, validation, and reporting, ensuring accuracy and completeness in all compliance submissions.

• Advanced Microsoft 365 proficiency: Expert use of Excel for regulatory data analysis; Word and PowerPoint for audit‑ready documentation and executive‑level regulatory communications; Outlook/Teams/SharePoint for cross‑functional collaboration in a global environment; and Copilot for boosting efficiency while maintaining rigorous human oversight.

• Influence & Collaboration: Excellent influencing and stakeholder management skills; able to build trust and drive alignment across diverse teams without direct authority, using well-founded analysis and clear communication.

• Program Leadership: Effective project/program management capabilities – can independently organize workstreams, meet deadlines, and adapt to regulatory changes in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

• Problem Solving: Proactive approach to identifying issues and solving problems; comfortable navigating ambiguity and making informed decisions to mitigate compliance risks.

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