Senior Director, Compliance

Nelson / Kraft and AssociatesAbbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

5 days ago

Job type

Full-time

Job description

This executive search is conducted by Nelson / Kraft & Associates on behalf of Vitalus Nutrition Inc.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for driving excellence in Compliance, Quality, and Food Safety? Vitalus Nutrition Inc. (VNI) is seeking an experienced Sr. Director, Compliance to lead our compliance functions across all VNI entities (MDI & WDP). In this high-impact role, you'll champion our CORE Values and lead with a commitment to Regulatory, Environmental, Health & Safety, and Quality excellence.

As the Sr. Director, Compliance, you’ll be the driving force behind our Quality Assurance & Control strategy, ensuring consistency, compliance, and customer care are at the heart of everything we do. You'll oversee the implementation and continuous improvement of our Quality Management Systems, Health & Safety initiatives, Environmental practices, and Regulatory programs—fostering a culture of the highest standards for Food Safety at the organization.

If you’re ready to inspire teams, shape strategy, and uphold the highest standards in Compliance and Food Safety, we want to hear from you!

OUR PURPOSE

Our purpose goes beyond the production of high-quality ingredients. We strive to improve the lives of our people, our customers, and our community.

Company

We conduct business with ethics and transparency grounded in our core values. We use these principles as the foundation for our Food Safety and Quality Systems.

People

We believe that our team prospers in an environment where they feel safe, recognized, and challenged. We live our values by promoting diversity of thought, strength, and ability .

Community

We build strong relationships with our customers and suppliers to achieve transparency in the supply chain. We care about how our materials are sourced and how we get our ingredients to our customers.

Planet

We work to minimize the environmental footprint of our operations through continuous improvement. We are always looking for new methods to efficiently manage our resources, energy, waste, and by-products.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide strategic leadership to the organization on executing highest standards of Food Safety, Health & Safety, Environmental, Quality, Customer Requirements and Regulatory Compliance.
Establish an organizational framework that facilitates cross-functional collaboration in developing, implementing and maintaining comprehensive Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Compliance programs
Oversee all aspects of Food Safety and Quality Assurance interactions with government and regulatory agencies, including adherence to all compliance standards.
Partner with operations in contributing to a continuous improvement culture

HIGH LEVEL TASKS

Strategic Leadership

Develop and institutionalize through effective training and ongoing communication, the organization’s Food Safety, Quality, Environmental, Health & Safety and Regulatory Compliance vision, strategy and goals.

Collaborate with the ELT to integrate these considerations into our business strategies and decisions.

Program Development & Implementation

Design and oversee the execution of effective Food Safety, Environmental, Health & Safety, Quality and Regulatory Compliance programs, policies, procedures across all operational areas, in all VNI facilities.

Risk Management

Initiate the halting of operations when there are high potential product issues that may result in negative health and / or food safety outcomes.

Collaborate with ELT to integrate risk parameters into business strategies and decisions.

Identify potential Food Safety, Health & Safety, Environmental, Quality and Regulatory Compliance risks, assess their impact and develop proactive strategies to mitigate and manage them.

Lead investigations into incidents, recalls, ethical concerns and regulatory compliance issues, implementing corrective actions as required.

Team Management

Build, develop and mentor a high-performing team of food safety quality assurance and quality control professionals.

Cross-functional Collaboration

Evangelize a “Doing the Right Thing Attitude” to drive quality throughout the organization.

Collaborate with various departments, including Production, R&D, Customer Care and Marketing to integrate these considerations throughout the product lifecycle.

Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) providing guidance on all Compliance, Regulatory, Health & Safety, Food Safety & Quality Assurance / Control to cross-functional teams.

Audits & Inspections

Prepare team for and oversee internal & external audits, inspections and third-party certifications related to industry standards (FSSC, Smeta, Ecovadis, etc.), ethical sourcing, regulatory compliance and adherence.

Qualification

Must be equipped to drive and facilitate cross-functional collaboration at all times.

Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, influencing and change leadership skills

Must possess the courage to make critical and difficult decisions independently, utilizing effective critical thinking and analytical skills.

Proven ability to build and maintain strong business relationships with regulatory agencies – be a bridge builder.

Ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to top management, public groups, and / or boards of directors.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Demonstrated ability in setting successful quality strategies and building and leading the function.

Ability to evaluate complex situations and to render judgments where significant legal, financial, and / or regulatory risks exist, and when compliance guidelines are vague or not available.

Relevant degree / diploma. i.e. Undergraduate degree in Food, Dairy Science, Microbiology (Food, Manufacturing).

10+ years of progressive compliance, regulatory & quality experience with minimum of 5 years in a management role in the food manufacturing industry, preferably within a specialty dairy ingredients-food processing environment.

Substantial experience in leading and participating in various regulatory (customer, environmental, food safety) audits and preparing staff to be audit ready.

Location : Abbotsford, BC

Application Deadline : May 8, 2025

APPLY online at nelsonandkraft.com / jobs with your cover letter and resume. You must be eligible to work in Canada.

ABOUT US

Nelson / Kraft & Associates Inc. is an executive consulting firm that specializes in working with not-for-profits and for-profit businesses across Canada, assisting them in the placement of senior executives and directors.

Nelson / Kraft & Associates Inc. welcomes and encourages all interested applicants to apply for this position. Nelson / Kraft & Associates Inc. is committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion in its hiring practices and will only make distinctions among interested applicants in accordance with the applicable Human Rights legislation.

Nelson / Kraft & Associates Inc. also welcomes and encourages applications from candidates with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in the selection process. If you require disability-related accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact us.