Associate Director - Scientific Policy and Intelligence

Description Overview

We are excited to recruit an Associate Director to join our newly established Scientific Policy & Intelligence (SPI) team, based in the UK. In this role, you will provide leadership in advancing Perrigo’s scientific policy and intelligence agenda across the breadth of the portfolio. 

Reporting to the Head of Scientific Policy & Intelligence, a member of Perrigo’s Scientific Office Leadership Team, you will work closely with subject matter experts and senior leaders across the organisation. You will also engage externally with industry leaders and peers to shape and influence the broader scientific and regulatory landscape, including through trade associations and relevant forums. 

This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact—playing a critical role in shaping a new team, defining processes and establishing ways of working—while collaborating with highly capable colleagues across Perrigo. If you are motivated by building capability, influencing at scale, and driving strategic outcomes, with a strong track record of success in this space, we would love to hear from you!

Scope of the Role

Policy & Scientific Advocacy Priorities and Governance  

• Act as a senior advisor on complex, cross-cutting issues, leading matrix teams to develop clear, actionable recommendations where scientific, regulatory, reputational and policy factors intersect and shape portfolio strategy and enterprise risk. 
• Define and govern the approach to tracking, interpreting and translating global regulatory and policy developments relevant to Perrigo’s current and future portfolio. 
• Establish a quantitative, structured framework to assess and prioritise scientific policy topics and external risks, enabling clear visualisation and informed decision-making across stakeholder groups. 
• Support the architecture of external landscape driven reports, analysis and dashboards to quantify and visualise external trends, risks and opportunities relating to scientific and regulatory policy for different audiences.  
• Lead the development of internal scientific and policy positions, working with cross-functional subject matter experts, including Regulatory Affairs, Medical, R&D, Government Affairs and Legal, to ensure alignment and robustness. 
• Support and contribute to external engagement and advocacy in enterprise-wide topics, including regulatory consultations, trade association working groups, briefing materials and position papers, ensuring Perrigo’s positions are clearly articulated and consistently represented. 

Ingredient Intelligence & Policy Leadership 

• Lead the development and optimisation of enterprise processes and governance to capture and interpret external intelligence signals on ingredient and material evaluations, enabling forward-looking risk quantification, prioritisation and strategic response encompassing the full spectrum of regulatory change, scientific scrutiny, public perception, reputational and sustainability considerations. 
• Work with subject matter experts to define and own Perrigo’s scientific and regulatory internal positions on priority ingredient and material topics, including those requiring a “beyond compliance” posture . 
• Develop and support implementation of assessment frameworks that translate external signals into clear portfolio impact, risk characterization and recommended actions, enabling informed decision-making across innovation, reformulation and lifecycle strategies. 
• Partner with Regulatory Affairs, R&D, Quality, Safety, Legal and Sustainability balancing the separation between policy and execution (RA/Quality/R&D) while maintaining alignment. 
• Support and shape Perrigo’s position through leadership on trade associations, consultations and cross-industry initiatives – including ingredient related defence topics.  

Experience Required

• Regulatory leaders with a strong scientific, or regulatory policy background across relevant consumer health classifications (medicines, medical devices, food supplements, biocides, cosmetics) with experience operating in a global, matrixed environment. 
• Experience engaging externally with regulatory bodies, trade associations or industry forums, supporting advocacy and helping shape the broader policy and regulatory landscape. 
• A solid understanding of global regulatory frameworks, ingredient or material safety standards, and policy development processes. Demonstrated expertise in interpreting complex regulatory, scientific and policy developments, and translating these into clear business implications and decision-ready insight. 
• Proven ability to influence enterprise-level decisions and navigate complex regulatory and business challenges, working effectively across functions and senior stakeholders.  
• A systems-thinking approach, with experience designing and deploying scalable processes that connect intelligence, policy, governance and execution. 
• Strong analytical, organisational and communication skills, with the ability to distil complex topics into clear, concise and impactful messages for diverse audiences.  
• A digital and data-driven mindset, using structured frameworks, tools and insights to track trends, assess impact and support robust decision-making.