Date Posted:
October 24, 2026
Position Title:
Director, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs
Office/Company:
International Bottled Water Association (IBWA)
Party:
N/A
Office Code:
Job Number:
HC-13820
Reports To:
Location:
Washington, DC
Contact:
Salary:
$85,000 – $115,000 or commensurate with experience. Annual salary to be determined by the President and CEO.
Primary Role
Secondary Role:
Job Type:
Description:
Director, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is a trade association that advocates on behalf of the No.1 packaged beverage in the United States: bottled water. IBWA’s membership consists of U.S. and international bottlers and distributors that produce and deliver bottled water products and the suppliers that serve them. IBWA is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to establish comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality water. IBWA member bottlers must also adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations, including mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization. The Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs serves as a technical, scientific, and regulatory expert for IBWA. This role is responsible for proactively engaging federal and state regulatory agencies, providing technical assistance to lawmakers, and delivering direct regulatory, technical, and scientific guidance to IBWA members. The Director ensures that all industry positions are grounded in credible science and supports the management of the association’s certification, technical, and inspection programs to defend and promote the safety and quality of bottled water. This position reports directly to the Vice President of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs.
Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
• Minimum bachelor’s degree in biological, chemical, or environmental science, or a similar discipline. An advanced degree in the above fields is highly desirable.
• General Qualifications
• · Approximately 5 – 15 years of life, physical, and environmental sciences experience
• · 3 – 5 years of management experience
• · Ability to grasp complex scientific and regulatory issues
• · Ability to communicate forward-looking alternative options and costs to association committees and directors
• · Initiative to implement board-approved policy
• · Service-minded attitude
• · Experience with a trade association is preferred; industry or government experience in food, beverages, or water is highly useful.
• · Demonstrated, active professional network and established working relationships with key regulatory officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as relevant congressional committees and key federal policymakers.
• · Strong communications skills, both written and oral, are essential to persuasively articulate industry positions in international, federal, and state legislative and regulatory arenas, and in public forums as the industry’s lead scientific and technical spokesperson with the media.
• · Management skills and experience negotiating research projects and contracts, overseeing independent consultants, staff administration, and volunteer consensus building and motivation are necessary skills.
Instructions:
To Apply
Other:
IBWA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. IBWA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
