Product Stewardship Specialist

The Product Stewardship Specialist represents the Global Product Safety, Stewardship, and Medical Affairs teams and works closely with cross-functional partners in product development, quality and regulatory affairs, to coordinate the development and execution of plans and deliverables within necessary timelines to ensure that all new and existing products meet or exceed both K-C requirements and regulatory/legal requirements.

The incumbent Product Stewardship Specialist is responsible for maintaining enterprise product stewardship programs to optimize business value by direction and guidance to the K-C business community to enable and meet product development milestones and ensure K-C products are safe for their intended use, support product registration/reporting as applicable, and comply with all applicable governmental safety and compliance rules, regulations, corporate standards, and consumer expectations through all phases of development, commercialization and post-market life cycle management.

Additional key responsibilities include the coordination of quality management system activities in support of product safety and compliance, database management of product bill of materials, evaluation of data integrity and completeness, identification, development, and implementation of strategies to address data gaps, and completion of the technical assessment of products for chemical compliance to support the safety assessment, stewardship, reporting and compliance of K-C products.

This position is located in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

• Represent the Product Safety, Stewardship and Medical Affairs teams with cross-functional partners to plan, manage, prioritize, and execute deliverables ensuring that all new and existing products meet or exceed both K-C requirements and safety/regulatory/legal requirements within necessary timelines .
• Perform technical activities in support material and product compliance, safety to human health, claims substantiation and stewardship programs through all phases of development, commercialization, and post-market life cycle management. Identify and escalate as appropriate technical or chemical compliance issues or material changes that may impact K-C products or business sectors.
• Contribute to the regulatory and chemical reporting, chemical management, and material aspects of emerging programs in product lifecycle assessments, sustainability and customer reporting, environmental product declarations, transparency and end producer responsibility programs in order meet regulatory obligations and product compliance determinations.
• Conduct product and substance hazard classification, author and provide for hazard communication based on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) and local country requirements. As needed, coordinate product compliance testing to obtain necessary data for hazard classification, determination of compliance criterion, or registration or notification programs.
• Coordinate with business sectors to ensure ongoing compliance through change management, new product development and market expansion. Ensure data entered into SAP EHS for products and their materials is maintained with high quality standards in accordance with data models developed to support product safety, stewardship, and chemical regulation compliance. Support accurate product safety record documentation in SAP EHS database and manage chemical and ingredient regulatory compliance data and SAP reporting activities.
• Perform technical evaluations/assessment of products and their ingredients/raw materials sold in region to enable compliance to applicable standards and regulations. Communicate and support compliance actions. Identify and escalate as appropriate technical or chemical compliance issues or material changes that may impact K-C products or business sectors.
• Review product hazard classifications and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) based on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) and local country requirements for accuracy and regional compliance.
• Designate and obtain necessary analytical test data as needed for hazard classification, determination of compliance criterion, or as needed for registration or notification programs. As needed, coordinate product compliance testing, including scheduling, test article shipment and final report review.
• Prepare chemical reporting data, ingredient listings and technical chemical compliance assessments for sustainability reporting, customer requirements and Regulatory Affairs in order meet regulatory obligations and product compliance determinations.
• Contribute to content for regulatory/chemical submissions in accordance with domestic local and regional regulatory requirements to support product development activities.
• M anage regulatory changes via regulatory intelligence tools with respect to existing regulations that may impact existing product lines and benefit new product introduction.
• Evaluate, appropriately process, and respond to incoming requests for chemical compliance information by applying technical knowledge of K-C products and regulations. Identify and escalate as appropriate technical or chemical compliance issues or material changes that may impact K-C products or business sectors.
• Collaborate on cross-functional team to support the management of global chemical product risk and regulatory compliance, sustainability and customer reporting, as well as emerging market product regulations.
• Build and develop relationships with internal and external business stakeholders including proactive participation in discussions with suppliers, external advisors and trade association(s) working groups.
• Evaluate, appropriately process, and respond to customer/consumer queries and questionnaires for chemical compliance/stewardship by applying technical knowledge of K-C products and regulations to ensure compliance and support business growth.
• Provide support for Product Stewardship programs to ensure responsible stewardship and compliance of the regional K-C product portfolio.
• Capable to develop and serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in key areas of need, including regulatory compliance, toxicology and safety assessment, project management or systems development and maintenance.

Basic Qualifications:

Degree in biology, chemistry, toxicology, pharmacology, biomedical or a related technical field of study with prior relevant experience:

• Bachelor’s degree with 3+ years of experience, or
• Masters or other advanced degree with some relevant experience preferred

Strong IT literacy and demonstrated proficiency in working within SAP database environments and Microsoft programs (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio, Project, etc.).

Strong project management background/skills and ability to independently prioritize work activities.

Experience organizing large sets of chemical safety and regulatory data, research/product safety testing report information and the analysis of these data into SAP EHS or similar type databases.

Demonstrated ability to understand and follow complex scientific/technical research, protocols, and procedures and the ability to analyze and interpret scientific data using computerized systems and databases.

Knowledge of stewardship principles relevant to consumer product companies, chemical national inventories, chemical regulations, sustainability reporting approaches and product chemical and ingredient safety regulations globally.

Experience applying the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) standard for the generation of Safety Data Sheets and labeling requirements.

Strong interpersonal communication and technical writing skills with demonstrated proficiency in working effectively in a multidisciplinary team.

Preferred Qualifications:

Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and independently manage multiple projects in a cross-functional corporate setting and the ability to effectively communicate in written or oral presentation formats.

Knowledge of toxicology or hazard assessment approaches for safety assessments.

Ability to travel up to 10% (domestic and international).