Specialist, Strain Risk Assessment

Job Description

International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) is a leader in the industrial biotechnology sector developing innovative (enzyme) products to advance sustainable solutions for the bio-based economy. The regulatory function facilitates market access of enzyme products, of which product safety assessments play an integral part. In this position you will develop and maintain up to date microbial strain documentation in support of strain risk assessment needed for manufacturing and regulatory approval dossiers for our Health & Biosciences division.

The scope of this position includes collecting information and data essential for safety and regulatory documentation on IFF’s microorganisms. Sources include culture collections, published peer reviewed literature and governmental and regulatory publications and internal IFF laboratory data. Your main interactions will be with R&D and regulatory affairs. As IFF is a global company, stake holder relationships span multiple languages, cultures and timezones.

You will be part of the team that is responsible for writing and organizing regulatory strain safety documentation. The data on which the assessment is based comes mainly from IFF R&D. Thus, though you will not be in the laboratory, the position requires strong laboratory knowledge and experience to interpret data and the ability to identify whether additional analyses may be necessary.

If you get excited about microorganisms, data interpretation and detailed documentation, we invite you to apply to this unique opportunity! We are currently seeking a talented individual to join the strain risk assessment team. This position will report into the Global Regulatory Microorganism Lead, who in turn reports into the Head of Product Safety in Corporate Regulatory Affairs.

Primary Responsibilities for this position include:

• Monitor literature on strain safety relevant topics.
• Monitor biosafety guidelines and regulations applicable to IFF’s microorganisms.
• Organize and maintain strain safety documentation.
• Conduct strain risk assessments according to business needs within the allotted timeframes.
• Conduct sequence-based analyses relevant for strain safety documentation (such as food allergenicity, toxin homology, open reading frame analyses).
• Support production strain related compliance matters and biosafety information needed within the strain risk assessment team.

Job Requirements

Required Background and Skills:

• MSc in life sciences, preferably in molecular biology or microbiology
• Strong attention to detail.
• Team player mindset.
• Demonstrated ability to write scientific paper(s) (peer reviewed publications) in English.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.
• ~5 years experience in Regulatory or R&D, with focus on microbial strain development / documentation
• Competency in computer/software tools, including sequence software, Microsoft office and Sharepoint, etc.
• Affinity with sequencing data.
• Ability to thrive in a multidisciplinary and multicultural global matrix environment.
• Strong analytical mind with ability to interpret laboratory study results and see connections.
• Willingness to keep learning and developing IFF’s strain risk assessment processes.

Preferred Background and Skills:

• PhD degree in Biosciences: e.g. molecular biology, microbiology
• Excellent planning, timekeeping and organizational skills.
• Affinity with document organization
• Understanding of risk assessment methodology and ability to interpret study results.
• Experience working in a multidisciplinary global corporate environment.

Job Location: Preferably Oegstgeest, the Netherlands (NL). Open to other locations (such as Wilmington, DE or Palo Alto, CA).

IFF is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex or veteran status. We strive for inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.