Director Product Compliance

Role Purpose

Lead the global Product and Environmental Compliance function across the Technology Solutions product portfolio, covering electronic and non-electronic products. Establish a unified, end-to-end compliance framework spanning the entire product lifecycle from ideation to commercial release and post-market surveillance.

Role Overview

Define, drive, and deploy the global product compliance and sustainability strategy across the Technology Solutions product portfolio. Establish a unified compliance framework spanning concept and design through sourcing, manufacturing, market launch, and post-market surveillance, covering legacy products, new product development, engineering change management, and market extensions. Operate within a global matrix organization, collaborating with R&D, Quality, Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Policy & Communication, EHS, and Sustainability. Scope includes software products such as embedded firmware, device software, cloud services, mobile and web applications, data platforms, and AI-enabled functionalities.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and lead a global Product Compliance strategy aligned with business objectives, product portfolio, and risk profile.
• Establish governance including scope definition, decision rights, escalation paths, and accountability across Compliance, Legal, R&D, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Product, Marketing, and EHS.
• Transition the organization from a reactive to a proactive, risk-based compliance model.
• Serve as a senior advisor to leadership on regulatory risk, market access, and product compliance strategy.
• Lead and coordinate an international network of Compliance and Sustainability functions.
• Influence without direct line authority to ensure alignment across local and global teams.
• Build and strengthen a product compliance culture and increase maturity in compliance and sustainability practices.
• Oversee regulatory monitoring, assess regulatory and standards changes, conduct impact assessments, and define multi-year implementation roadmaps.
• Lead product certification and conformity assessment requirements for international regulations, standards, and market access rules.
• Maintain expertise in software-related regulations including cybersecurity, privacy, data protection, software safety, reliability, update obligations, and AI/algorithm governance.
• Embed compliance processes in product development, material and component selection, supplier onboarding, production readiness reviews, and post-launch monitoring.
• Ensure data management, traceability, and documentation supporting audits, regulatory inquiries, and customer requests.
• Own compliance-related KPIs, coverage metrics, and reporting.
• Lead supplier engagement and compliance data collection across a global multi-tier supply chain.
• Define compliance requirements and clauses in supplier contracts.
• Oversee platforms for supplier compliance data and improve response rate, data quality, and transparency.
• Develop and deploy global training programs for engineering, R&D, procurement, and product teams.
• Draft and maintain compliance policies, SOPs, work instructions, and templates.
• Act as a Center of Excellence for compliance-related cases and queries.
• Define and lead the Software Compliance Framework across the software lifecycle.
• Act as primary compliance interface for software-related audits, customer inquiries, and regulatory inspections.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Global Supply Management, EHS, Policy & Communications, Legal, and other corporate functions.
• Support M&A, due diligence, and business development from a product compliance perspective.
• Interface with regulators, notified bodies, certification labs, and industry organizations.

Minimum Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or Software), Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.

Preferred Education

Master's degree (M.S.) in Regulatory Affairs, Engineering Management, or Business Administration (MBA).

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of senior experience leading global Product Compliance, Environmental Compliance, or Regulatory Affairs within a global organization developing and manufacturing multidisciplinary products involving mechanics, electronics, and software.
• Strong background managing regulatory compliance and product certification/standards for complex technology-driven products in multiple jurisdictions.
• Proven experience with external compliance and regulatory interfaces such as regulators, certification labs, notified bodies, and industry organizations.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional matrix organizations without direct authority.
• Demonstrated experience building governance models, compliance policies and procedures, and product compliance data frameworks from the ground up.
• Strong risk-based mindset and ability to balance regulatory rigor with business needs.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills at executive level.
• Fluency in English and experience working in a global, multicultural environment.

Preferred Certifications

Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC) or Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP).