Regulatory Manager (Flavors)

Founded in 1954, Vibrant Ingredients is a leading provider of natural, clean label ingredients and systems that power extraordinary food and beverage experiences. The company’s broad portfolio — including natural flavors, botanical extracts, functional nutrition, cold brew coffee, tea essences, and food protection solutions — enhances taste, texture, color, shelf life, and performance across a wide range of applications. Vibrant operates four state-of-the-art facilities across the United States and works with leading brands, manufacturers, and foodservice operators.

About the role

We are a trusted partner to our customers when it comes to innovation and an industry leader in clean label ingredients. We collaborate with our customers in ways that respect people and the environment. A commitment to Purely Better™ drives our innovation team to discover new, on-trend solutions.

As a Regulatory Manager, you will interpret U.S. and international food and flavor regulations affecting ingredients, formulations, labeling, certifications, and customer documentation. Translate complex regulations into practical business guidance. Evaluate regulatory implications early to support creative product development while minimizing commercialization risk. Oversee day-to-day regulatory operations, ensure compliance across assigned product lines, support market-access activities, and lead a team of regulatory professionals. You will partner closely with R&D, Quality, Commercial, and Operations teams to provide regulatory expertise that enables compliant product development, customer support, and operational excellence.

At Vibrant, you'll find more than an exciting career opportunity. You'll join a team passionate about science, innovation, and helping customers succeed. Our collaborative culture encourages curiosity, creativity, and continuous learning while providing opportunities to make meaningful contributions from day one.

Responsibilities

• Regulatory Operations & Compliance
  • Manage regulatory oversight for assigned portfolios, ensuring compliance with applicable U.S. and international food & flavor regulations (FDA, FEMA, EFSA, CFIA, USDA, TTB).
  • Interpret regulatory requirements for ingredients, formulations, certifications, claims, and labeling.
  • Review and approve standard and moderately complex product documentation, including formulations, labels, and customer regulatory statements.
  • Support regulatory assessments for new product development and ingredient qualification.
  • Serve as the regulatory expert for all flavor ingredients and formulations.
• Team Management & Development
  • Supervise, mentor, and develop Senior Regulatory Specialists and Regulatory Specialists.
  • Assign workload and maintain clear team priorities aligned with business needs.
  • Support onboarding, training, and continuous development of regulatory staff.
  • Ensure accurate and consistent outputs and support team KPI delivery.
• Product Documentation & Customer Support
  • Ensure timely preparation and maintenance of regulatory documents (TDS, SDS, allergen/GMO statements, nutritional and natural certifications, NGP forms, Kosher/Halal certs, COO, Prop 65, flavor labeling, TTB submissions, and more).
  • Support global market-entry requirements through certification preparation and regulatory submissions.
  • Support customer requests, audits, documentation portals, and documentation reviews.
  • Provide compliance guidance to internal teams to support product development and commercialization.
• Regulatory Intelligence & Process Improvement
  • Monitor regulatory changes and industry updates impacting flavors, ingredients, and consumer products.
  • Communicate regulatory updates internally and recommend appropriate actions.
  • Drive improvements in regulatory systems, digital tools, and documentation workflows.
  • Support audit, inspection, and compliance review preparation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with R&D, Quality, Procurement/Supply Chain, Marketing, and Sales to ensure compliant product development and ingredient qualification.
  • Serve as a regulatory subject-matter expert in cross-functional meetings.
  • Collaborate with customers and regulatory agencies to resolve regulatory issues.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Quality, Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, or related field.
• 5+ years’ experience in flavor industry; additional experience in food/beverage, ingredients, or related consumer goods industry a plus.
• Working knowledge of global food and flavor regulations (FDA, FEMA GRAS, USDA, CFIA, EU, Organic, Kosher, Halal, TTB, labeling, import/export).
• Experience with Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade, and Non-GMO Verification Project preferred.
• Knowledge of Dietary Supplements, AAFCO, and IFRA a plus.
• Experience supporting innovation pipelines and new product development from a regulatory perspective.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong regulatory interpretation and problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated leadership, coaching, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate regulatory requirements for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Highly organized and capable of managing multiple concurrent projects.
• Strong cross-functional influence with a compliance-driven mindset.
• Proficiency in MS Office and regulatory database systems; experience with Salesforce and Product Vision preferred; Business Central a plus.

Work Environment

May involve exposure to allergens such as Soy, Wheat, Fish, Shellfish, Milk, Egg, Tree Nuts and Sesame.

Benefits

• Generous time off for vacations
• Paid Holidays
• 401(k) with company match
• Tuition reimbursement
• Medical/Dental/Vision
• Health & Wellness programs

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship now or in the future.