Job Description:

Job Title: Packaging Lead Regulatory Advisor

Location: London, Dublin, Menstrie

Closing Date: 29 October, 2026

Position Type: Permanent

About us:

With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, Diageo is home to some of the world’s most iconic drinks. From Johnnie Walker and Guinness to Tanqueray, Smirnoff and Don Julio, we craft brands chosen for life’s moments — from everyday connections to landmark celebrations. Bring your talent, curiosity and ambition, and strive for your personal best alongside people who challenge, support and learn from each other. Together, as one outstanding team, we keep learning, improving and setting the standard for our brands, our business and each other. Join us and play your part in making life’s moments mean a little more.

About the Function:

Supply Chain & Manufacturing is where our brands are made, moved and delivered to the world. With over half of our people working across more than 100 sites, this is a complex, large-scale operation that brings together production, logistics, engineering and supplier partnerships. It’s fast-paced and hands-on, with teams working together to ensure quality, efficiency and sustainability at every stage. From sourcing ingredients to getting products into customers’ hands, you’ll play a role in delivering the brands people know and love.

About the role

Provide hands-on regulatory expertise, guidance and risk assessments on global packaging legislation, acting as a subject matter expert for packaging regulatory compliance. Own and deliver day-to-day packaging regulatory activities, alongside leading strategic regulatory programmes and implementation of new legislation. Prepare, review and maintain Declarations of Conformity (DoCs), regulatory statements and supporting compliance documentation for packaging materials and components, ensuring appropriate evidence is available to substantiate compliance. Lead the regulatory implementation of key packaging legislation, including the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Interpret complex regulatory requirements and translate them into practical technical requirements, specifications, controls and actions for the business. Establish and continuously improve global processes for managing packaging compliance while ensuring those processes are operationally embedded and driven. Work directly with Packaging Sustainability, Procurement and other technical teams. Provide regulatory input into packaging development, innovation, material changes and sustainability programmes from concept through to implementation.

Key Accountabilities

• Conduct global regulatory horizon scanning and perform detailed assessments of legislation, identifying requirements, risks, opportunities and necessary business actions.
• Draft, review, approve and maintain packaging Declarations of Conformity, ensuring they are accurate, complete and supported by appropriate supplier declarations, specifications, test reports and technical evidence.
• Review supplier regulatory documentation and technical data.
• Perform regulatory assessments of packaging materials, components and material changes, including food-contact materials other applicable packaging requirements.
• Lead and complete regulatory activities associated with PPWR, including restricted substances, heavy metals/PFAS, DRS requirements, recyclability, reuse, labelling, documentation and conformity requirements.
• Provide hands-on regulatory review and approval for packaging projects, changes and technical queries, documenting decisions and regulatory rationale where required.
• Develop and maintain regulatory standards, procedures, guidance documents, templates, decision trees and compliance tools.
• Partner with Packaging Sustainability and Procurement to ensure regulatory requirements are incorporated into packaging specifications, supplier qualification and material selection.
• Support testing strategies where regulatory evidence is required, including determining when testing, supplier evidence or additional technical assessment is necessary.
• Maintain appropriate regulatory records and evidence to demonstrate compliance and support audits, customer requests and regulatory authority enquiries.
• Provide training and technical coaching to build packaging regulatory capability across relevant teams.
• Support digitalisation and simplification of regulatory processes while maintaining robust compliance controls.
• Represent Packaging Regulatory in cross-functional projects and governance forums, while remaining accountable for the technical execution and delivery of assigned regulatory activities.

Experience/skills required: (TE)

You will have a Relevant Qualification in Technical/Science or Law and Significant regulatory experience in packaging legislation, ideally in the food or consumer goods industry. Knowledge and experience of EU legislative processes is essential, with other jurisdictions desirable. We’re looking for an individual who is comfortable working in areas of complexity and ambiguity, is detail orientated and has the drive to be the best with a proven track record of influencing, leading, and delivering cross functionally and the ability to deliver exceptional insights.

Working with Us

Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you’re supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one. We recognise and value performance, offering our people a highly competitive Rewards and Benefits package including: Our purpose is crafting iconic drinks chosen for life’s moments. And it’s our people, with their different experiences, perspectives and talents, who make that possible. We value diversity in its broadest sense and want everyone to feel they can belong, contribute and strive for their personal best. You’ll work alongside people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives — challenging, supporting and learning from one another as one outstanding team. Together, we’re constantly learning and improving, combining the strength of our people, capabilities and iconic brands to improve, grow and win. Wherever you join us, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute, make an impact and play your part in making life’s moments mean a little more. Ready to bring your best? This could be your opportunity. If you require a reasonable adjustment, please ensure that you capture this information when you submit your application.

Recruitment Scam Warning

Protecting candidates is very important to us. All communications regarding your application will come from an email address ending in @diageo.com. In our recruitment process, we'll never ask for money.

Worker Type:

Regular

Primary Location:

1HQ

Additional Locations:

Job Posting Start Date:

2026-10-14