What are the responsibilities and job description for the Supplier Compliance Specialist position at AAK?
Making Better Happen
Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the windy coast where Sweden and Denmark meet.
From our success in Scandinavia, we've grown into the world's leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4000 people all across the globe.
We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it's not just food - we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.
Every one of us works towards our shared purpose: Making Better Happen™.
Everything we do is about Making Better Happen together.
Join nearly 4,000 like-minded colleagues globally and build a better future with us.
Build a better future as a Supplier Compliance Specialist in Edison, NJ
Compensation Range: $78,840 - $96,360
Possible Bonus: 7.5%
AAK Edison
About The Role
The Supplier Compliance Specialist is responsible for leading and supporting various aspects of supplier compliance, adherence to AAK’s internal standards, and external regulatory requirements. This role serves as a key control point for supplier data integrity, compliance oversight, and risk mitigation within AAK’s supplier & product portals. Partnering with suppliers and with various functions across the organization, the compliance specialist will drive consistent adherence to food safety, regulatory, and sustainability standards, ensuring that suppliers are guided through a transparent onboarding process, and that products supplied to AAK are routed through the appropriate channels for qualification. The role also supports audit readiness, strengthens supplier accountability, and enables informed business decisions by maintaining accurate, complete, and compliant supplier information across the organization.
Responsibilities
The duties of the Supplier Compliance Specialist include but are not limited to:
Supplier Engagement and Compliance Oversight
Serve as a primary steward of supplier compliance within the AAK Supplier & Product portal ensuring all supplier records, documentation, and certifications are accurate, complete, and aligned with internal policies and external regulatory requirements. Maintain current knowledge of system updates and global requirements to ensure ongoing compliance and audit readiness.
Lead supplier onboarding and compliance engagement by clearly communicating AAK’s requirements, standards, and expectations. Provide training and guidance to suppliers to ensure accurate and timely completion of required documentation, reinforcing accountability for maintaining compliant records within the system.
Conduct detailed reviews and validation of supplier information, including risk-based assessment of documentation and certifications. Proactively request additional evidence or clarification to ensure adherence to the relevant food safety regulations, industry standards, and AAK compliance requirements.
Own the approval workflow for supplier facilities and raw materials by coordinating compliance verification across internal stakeholders. Communicate approvals, conditional approvals, or rejections with clear justification, maintain strict adherence to compliance standards and minimizing operational and reputational risk.
Enforce supplier responsibility for maintaining up-to-date and accurate documentation within the required systems, ensuring data integrity and reducing exposure to compliance gaps involving sensitive or regulated information.
Cross-Functional Supplier Compliance Coordination
Partner with the relevant functions to ensure supplier and product data aligns with supply chain realities while meeting all compliance and regulatory expectations. Provide compliance insights, risk identification, and documentation support to proactively mitigate supply chain risks, including sustainability and regulatory considerations.
Collaborate with procurement to ensure supplier compliance is embedded in procurement decisions and supplier setup. Provide detailed compliance feedback on suppliers and materials, support risk mitigation efforts, and assist with supplier audits and corrective actions as needed.
Facilitate the compliance review process by coordinating supplier and product assessments with QA. Ensure all required documentation is available for risk evaluation and regulatory review. Support follow-up actions, including gathering additional evidence, addressing non-conformances, and maintaining audit readiness.
Partner with the Customer Innovation & Quality functions to ensure product compliance alignment by coordinating reviews of supplier specifications against AAK requirements. Escalate discrepancies, gather technical feedback, and support approval decisions in partnership with QA, ensuring all products meet internal and customer-driven compliance standards.
Act as the U.S. compliance representative for the global supplier & product portal, ensuring alignment with global governance standards. Support cross-regional compliance initiatives, , respond to international inquiries, and collaborate to standardize supplier compliance practices across regions and System/process optimization projects
Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements (e.g., food safety, import/export, sustainability, and security programs such as CTPAT) and ensure supplier compliance with all relevant laws, standards, and AAK policies.
Proactively identify, assess, and escalate compliance risks within the supplier base, partnering with internal teams to implement corrective actions and prevent potential disruptions.
Support broader regulatory and compliance initiatives, ensuring supplier alignment with evolving legal and customer requirements.
Reporting, Metrics, and Continuous Improvement
Develop, maintain, and report on KPIs related to supplier compliance, data integrity, and overall program effectiveness.
Analyze trends and performance metrics to identify gaps, drive continuous improvement, and strengthen supplier compliance processes and controls.
Support audit preparation and documentation efforts by ensuring all supplier compliance data is complete, accurate, and readily accessible.
About You
Career paths, training and development, e-learning and tuition reimbursement programs offer potential for you to progress your future career
Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental and vision) starting date of hire
Health Savings Account with AAK annual contribution of $1,000-$1,500
We match 100% of the first 3% you contribute to your 401(k), and 50% of the next 3%
Free Life and Disability insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Supplemental Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection and Legal Insurance Plans
Discounts on travel, amusement parks, concerts, movies, and more
Celebrations, events, and activities on site and supporting our communities
Recognition incentives for service and peer to peer recognition
About AAK
Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and a deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and with the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.
AAK prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment.
Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the windy coast where Sweden and Denmark meet.
From our success in Scandinavia, we've grown into the world's leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4000 people all across the globe.
We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it's not just food - we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.
Every one of us works towards our shared purpose: Making Better Happen™.
Everything we do is about Making Better Happen together.
Join nearly 4,000 like-minded colleagues globally and build a better future with us.
Build a better future as a Supplier Compliance Specialist in Edison, NJ
Compensation Range: $78,840 - $96,360
Possible Bonus: 7.5%
AAK Edison
About The Role
The Supplier Compliance Specialist is responsible for leading and supporting various aspects of supplier compliance, adherence to AAK’s internal standards, and external regulatory requirements. This role serves as a key control point for supplier data integrity, compliance oversight, and risk mitigation within AAK’s supplier & product portals. Partnering with suppliers and with various functions across the organization, the compliance specialist will drive consistent adherence to food safety, regulatory, and sustainability standards, ensuring that suppliers are guided through a transparent onboarding process, and that products supplied to AAK are routed through the appropriate channels for qualification. The role also supports audit readiness, strengthens supplier accountability, and enables informed business decisions by maintaining accurate, complete, and compliant supplier information across the organization.
Responsibilities
The duties of the Supplier Compliance Specialist include but are not limited to:
Supplier Engagement and Compliance Oversight
Serve as a primary steward of supplier compliance within the AAK Supplier & Product portal ensuring all supplier records, documentation, and certifications are accurate, complete, and aligned with internal policies and external regulatory requirements. Maintain current knowledge of system updates and global requirements to ensure ongoing compliance and audit readiness.
Lead supplier onboarding and compliance engagement by clearly communicating AAK’s requirements, standards, and expectations. Provide training and guidance to suppliers to ensure accurate and timely completion of required documentation, reinforcing accountability for maintaining compliant records within the system.
Conduct detailed reviews and validation of supplier information, including risk-based assessment of documentation and certifications. Proactively request additional evidence or clarification to ensure adherence to the relevant food safety regulations, industry standards, and AAK compliance requirements.
Own the approval workflow for supplier facilities and raw materials by coordinating compliance verification across internal stakeholders. Communicate approvals, conditional approvals, or rejections with clear justification, maintain strict adherence to compliance standards and minimizing operational and reputational risk.
Enforce supplier responsibility for maintaining up-to-date and accurate documentation within the required systems, ensuring data integrity and reducing exposure to compliance gaps involving sensitive or regulated information.
Cross-Functional Supplier Compliance Coordination
Partner with the relevant functions to ensure supplier and product data aligns with supply chain realities while meeting all compliance and regulatory expectations. Provide compliance insights, risk identification, and documentation support to proactively mitigate supply chain risks, including sustainability and regulatory considerations.
Collaborate with procurement to ensure supplier compliance is embedded in procurement decisions and supplier setup. Provide detailed compliance feedback on suppliers and materials, support risk mitigation efforts, and assist with supplier audits and corrective actions as needed.
Facilitate the compliance review process by coordinating supplier and product assessments with QA. Ensure all required documentation is available for risk evaluation and regulatory review. Support follow-up actions, including gathering additional evidence, addressing non-conformances, and maintaining audit readiness.
Partner with the Customer Innovation & Quality functions to ensure product compliance alignment by coordinating reviews of supplier specifications against AAK requirements. Escalate discrepancies, gather technical feedback, and support approval decisions in partnership with QA, ensuring all products meet internal and customer-driven compliance standards.
Act as the U.S. compliance representative for the global supplier & product portal, ensuring alignment with global governance standards. Support cross-regional compliance initiatives, , respond to international inquiries, and collaborate to standardize supplier compliance practices across regions and System/process optimization projects
Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements (e.g., food safety, import/export, sustainability, and security programs such as CTPAT) and ensure supplier compliance with all relevant laws, standards, and AAK policies.
Proactively identify, assess, and escalate compliance risks within the supplier base, partnering with internal teams to implement corrective actions and prevent potential disruptions.
Support broader regulatory and compliance initiatives, ensuring supplier alignment with evolving legal and customer requirements.
Reporting, Metrics, and Continuous Improvement
Develop, maintain, and report on KPIs related to supplier compliance, data integrity, and overall program effectiveness.
Analyze trends and performance metrics to identify gaps, drive continuous improvement, and strengthen supplier compliance processes and controls.
Support audit preparation and documentation efforts by ensuring all supplier compliance data is complete, accurate, and readily accessible.
About You
- Bachelor’s degree in business, Administration, Food Science, Chemistry, or Nutrition
- Working knowledge of food safety and HACCP
- Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), preferred
- Microsoft office. Experienced with computers and software databases.
- Understanding of documentation maintenance best practices
- Ability to communicate (verbal and written) with management and co-workers is critical.
- Effective communication skills; both verbal and writing. Ability to multitask. Attention to detail. Strong organizational skills.
- Time management and prioritization, ability to work with tight deadlines.
- Ability to build a summary and an overall picture.
- Ability to learn a new supplier & product platform (SIM/PIM).
- Self-motivated individual who possesses the ability to work independently.
- Experience – Two or more years of relevant work experience, preferably in the food and beverage arena or other FDA regulated industry.
Career paths, training and development, e-learning and tuition reimbursement programs offer potential for you to progress your future career
Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental and vision) starting date of hire
Health Savings Account with AAK annual contribution of $1,000-$1,500
We match 100% of the first 3% you contribute to your 401(k), and 50% of the next 3%
Free Life and Disability insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Supplemental Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection and Legal Insurance Plans
Discounts on travel, amusement parks, concerts, movies, and more
Celebrations, events, and activities on site and supporting our communities
Recognition incentives for service and peer to peer recognition
About AAK
Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and a deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and with the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.
AAK prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment.
Salary : $1,000 - $1,500