Director, International Relations

Position Summary

The Director of International Relations is instrumental in executing IFPA’s Global Advocacy and Policy Strategy (GAPS), as well as advancing IFPA’s global presence and influence by building strategic relationships with international and regional standard-setting bodies, key associations, and IFPA’s Global Councils.

Position Responsibilities

• Facilitate regular engagement to gather feedback on policy priorities and GAPS with Global Councils and other volunteer committees and councils, as appropriate, with particular attention to region-specific priorities across Asia, North America, and Europe.
• Facilitate the involvement of volunteer leaders and Global Council members in advocacy efforts, including calls to action, engagement with policymakers, and participation in relevant events.
• Ensure Global Council and other volunteer leader committees and councils input informs global advocacy strategy and execution.
• Coordinate with IFPA’s internal subject matter experts in health and nutrition, sustainability, and supply chain to ensure policy positions are informed and aligned with global policy goals and member needs.
• Career Development and Training
• Support cross-functional collaboration to integrate global perspectives into IFPA’s broader policy work.
• Support the development and delivery of the annual update on Global Council advocacy activities.
• Aid IFPA communications and marketing teams in developing and coordinating international and regional content to support advocacy and policy initiatives.

International Policy & Standards Tracking

• Track IFPA’s engagement in key global and regional standard-setting bodies (e.g., Codex Alimentarius, APEC, EU) with targeted monitoring of developments impacting Asia, North America, and Europe.
• Maintain a centralized record of IFPA’s participation and influence in international forums.
• Draft and coordinate comments on proposed standards and regulatory frameworks issued prioritized global and regional bodies or key focus regions on topics such as food safety, market access, etc.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand IFPA’s global footprint through collaboration including strengthening IFPA’s visibility and partnerships across its three focus regions.

Representation & Strategic Partnerships

• Act as IFPA’s main point of contact for identified global and regional bodies and partner organizations to those bodies.
• Build IFPA’s visibility and credibility in international policy and regulatory spaces.
• Coordinate and lead, as necessary, IFPA participation in meetings, consultations, and working groups particularly within IFPA’s priority regions of Asia, North America, and Europe.
• Manage relationships with key international associations and coalitions.
• Support alignment of global advocacy efforts with IFPA’s mission, purpose, and member priorities.