Product Compliance Manager

POSITION TITLE: Product Compliance Manager

POSITION DEPARTMENT: Research and Development

Position Summary Description:

The Product Compliance Manager owns the company’s product safety and regulatory certification program (UL, ETL, NSF, DOE, CE, UKCA, EPA, and others) across the full product lifecycle. This role leads compliance strategy and decision-making, partnering closely with Engineering, R&D, Purchasing, and Supply Chain to build compliance into product design, development, and production from the start.

As part of an employee-owned company, this position is accountable for protecting product quality and doing things the right way for the long term. The Product Compliance Manager has final decision authority on certification strategy, testing coordination, audits, and required documentation, including the Approved Components List (ACL) and other certification records by product line. This role also tracks engineering and component changes, identifies and resolves compliance risks, and ensures the program is accurate and ready for product launches and regulatory reviews, reporting outcomes and recommendations directly to the Director of R&D.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

Certification, Regulatory Affairs & Compliance Records

• Own and manage all product certifications (UL, ETL, NSF, DOE, CE, UKCA, EPA, etc.) across the product portfolio, setting priorities and timelines for the program.
• Serve as the primary contact and decision-maker for certification agencies, testing labs, and auditors, resolving technical and procedural issues directly.
• Lead certification projects end to end, including testing, audits, documentation, submissions, and follow-ups.
• Maintain and govern compliance documentation and records, including certifications, test reports, standards, labeling, product literature, and the Approved Components List (ACL)
• Monitor regulatory changes, support customer documentation requests, and provide compliance status reporting, budget input, and timeline planning to the Director of R&D.

Product Development & Engineering Support

• Partner with R&D and Engineering to ensure compliance is built into product design and development from concept through launch.
• Lead design reviews and make the final determination on engineering, supplier, and component changes for compliance impact.
• Decide and direct the required response to changes (certification updates, re-testing, or agency notifications), keeping the Director of R&D informed.
• Own product launch readiness sign-off, confirming all required certifications and approvals are in place before commercialization.
• Work with Purchasing and Supply Chain to ensure components remain compliant throughout their lifecycle.

Compliance Management & Auditing

• Develop, implement, and maintain product compliance policies, procedures, and controls.
• Lead internal audits of products, processes, and documentation to ensure compliance.
• Identify compliance risks and decide on and implement mitigation steps.
• Lead investigations and resolution of compliance issues, certification failures, and regulatory nonconformances.
• Own corrective and preventive action (CAPA) tracking and drive findings through to closure.

Education & Experience Requirement

• Bachelor’s degree required (Engineering, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, or related field preferred); equivalent demonstrated experience considered in lieu of degree.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in regulatory affairs, compliance, or certification management required, including direct experience leading certification programs or projects.
• UL Fundamentals / UL Standards training (or equivalent demonstrated experience) required.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 internal auditing required.

Preferred Qualifications

• ISO 17025 awareness or experience working with accredited testing laboratories
• CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) and root cause analysis training.
• Direct experience leading UL, ETL, NSF, or similar certification submissions from start to finish.
• Experience with CE and/or UKCA regulatory requirements.
• RAC (Regulatory Affairs Certification) preferred.

KEY SKILLS:

• Strong leadership and decision-making ability, with sound judgment to resolve compliance issues independently and know when to escalate.
• Strong project management and documentation skills, with the ability to own multiple compliance initiatives and keep them organized and moving forward.
• High attention to detail with consistent follow-up discipline to ensure tasks, audits, and certifications are completed to closure.
• Comfortable using modern digital and AI-assisted tools to improve documentation quality, reduce manual tracking effort, and support faster decision-making.
• Ability to manage multiple technical projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical regulatory and certification requirements into clear, actionable language for internal teams and leadership.
• Collaborative, cross-functional leadership across Engineering, R&D, Purchasing, Supply Chain, and external agencies.
• Comfortable engaging directly with certification bodies and testing labs in a professional, technical capacity, including representing the company in high-stakes discussions.

REPORTS TO:

Director of Research and Development