Head of Regulatory Affairs Seeds & Traits

Location

Zwijnaarde

Working hours

Full-time

Contract Type

Permanent

Working area

Licence to Operate (LTO)

Join the team

Agriculture plays a fundamental role in fulfilling many of humanity’s basic needs: food, feed, energy. To support growers and those who take care of our environment, BASF develops innovative solutions for farming, pest-, disease- and weed control so that we can effectively contribute to improving people’s lives and business’ demands. Come join us on our journey to create solutions for sustainable agriculture.

We are seeking a Head of Regulatory Affairs Seeds & Traits – EMEA to join us at our R&D Innovation Center in Ghent, Belgium.

Responsibilities

The Head of Seeds and Traits Regulatory Affairs EMEA is responsible for ensuring that BASF maintains and expands its License to Operate by directing global priority projects, providing guidance on our pipeline and re-registrations, championing key projects with significant strategic impact, and leading teams through the various stages of new project development. Reporting to the Global Vice President of Seeds and Traits Regulatory Affairs, this role is a key member of the global Regulatory, Sustainability & Public Affairs leadership community. This are the key responsibilities:

Strategically lead a large and complex organization of regulatory professionals, continually developing our culture, competencies, and capabilities within the regulatory domain.
Establish and maintain strong relationships with regulatory authorities in relevant EU countries, as well as other key EMEA authorities, including Russia and South Africa. Serve as the primary point of contact for Crops Seeds and Traits within the EMEA leadership team.
Provide timely insights to the business community regarding regulatory timelines and milestone development, while supporting the facilitation of prompt regulatory approvals. This includes overseeing the submission of dossiers for GMO seed products, seed variety registration, and biosafety permits to relevant regulatory authorities at both country and regional levels.
Drive technical advocacy to achieve and defend BASF’s License to Operate (LTO) by leveraging and integrating scientific, regulatory, and political advocacy efforts.
Promote product stewardship to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards.
Advocate for regulatory policies and a political environment that supports the commercialization of our Agricultural Solutions portfolio. Proactively identify emerging and cross-cutting international issues that impact biotech and regulatory policy, creating opportunities for the representation of the “Seeds Business” in international forums where these matters are discussed and negotiated.
Actively lead and encourage participation in industry organizations such as Crop Life Europe, EuroSeeds, AfricaBio, and other global industry associations.
Collaborate closely with other License to Operate functions and engage with the extended global LTO leadership community, as well as foster strong partnerships with Strategic Marketing and Legal teams.

Qualifications

You hold a Master’s degree in an agriculture-related field or a related scientific discipline.
You have a minimum of 12 years of experience in the agriculture and biotechnology sectors.
You have comprehensive working knowledge of global GMO regulations, with a proven track record of successfully registering GM events.
You possess the ability to define regulatory strategies in an ever-changing political environment, effectively communicate changes, and deliver a License to Operate on a global scale.
You demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with advanced proficiency in English required.

Benefits

A permanent contract within an attractive working environment in a professional and motivated team.
A role with challenging assignments and responsibilities.
An attractive base salary in relation to your diploma and competencies, an annual bonus, and extra-legal benefits.
A good work-life balance.

Come join us in bringing the lab to the field

About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division

Everything we do, we do for the love of farming. Farming is fundamental to provide enough healthy and affordable food for a rapidly growing population, while reducing environmental impacts. That’s why we are working with partners and experts to integrate sustainability criteria into all business decisions. We invest in a strong R&D pipeline, combining innovative thinking with practical action in the field. Our solutions are purpose-designed for different crop systems. Connecting seeds and traits, crop protection products, digital tools and sustainability approaches, to help deliver the best possible outcomes for farmers, growers and our other stakeholders along the value chain. With teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we do everything in our power to build a sustainable future for agriculture. In 2023, our division generated sales of €10.1 billion.

For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or our social media channels.

Application process

1. Application

You found the job you like on our website. Time to hit that ‘apply’-button and let us know who you are through the application form.

2. First encounter

We are intrigued by your application and call you immediately. At this point you can expect questions like: What motivates you? And what are your skills?

3. Interview

The call went great! So here you are, ready for your interview with HR and a hiring manager. We want to know more of your story and of course, you can ask about our story as well.

4. Contract

Welcome to our team. When can you start? So we can everything ready for your first day. You know, computer, paperwork, cake, balloons …

5. Onboarding

We welcome you with open arms and get you up and running. Including our eye-opening bootscamp, from the lab to the field.