Downstream Process Jobs in Arkansas (NOW HIRING)

Purpose of the Position

The Product & Regulatory Compliance 2 demonstrates proficiency and plays a critical role in ensuring seamless oversight and guidance throughout the complete Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) process under minimal supervision. This position supports the accurate creation, validation, and maintenance of specifications and graphics, contributing to product accuracy and regulatory compliance prior to production, and tackles tasks and resolves issues independently.  Could manage up to 1 direct employee.

Essential Position Responsibilities - This is a Salary Exempt position. 

Regulatory & Labeling Compliance. Collaborates with the Regulatory Affairs team to verify product claims and ensure labeling accuracy in alignment with applicable USDA, FDA, AAFCO, and international regulatory frameworks. Supports adherence to all state, federal, and international regulations as they pertain to the Simmons portfolio. Conducts artwork review for regulatory accuracy and partners with Marketing and Graphics on artwork revisions. Supports overall compliance for Simmons products, including tonnage reporting and state and federal registrations where applicable, with attention to associated timelines and budget reporting. Maintains and updates the label library across applicable systems, supporting consistency and traceability. Supports international export compliance, including labeling, registrations, and market access requirements for active export markets. Responds to customer and sales team requests for product information under minimal supervision. Flags and escalates unresolved registration or compliance issues to the appropriate internal and external stakeholders and agencies.

Specification Management & Collaboration. Stewards specifications and projects through the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system across business units and specification types under minimal supervision, supporting efficient production workflows. Verifies that submitted specifications are complete, accurate, and properly routed before release. Manages specification changes across business units, including formulation, packaging, supplier, and regulatory-driven changes. Maintains data integrity across PLM modules and downstream system references. Supports specification system users across Simmons and provides day-to-day training and guidance to new users. Contributes to operational reporting on cycle time, work-in-flight, and change order activity.

Supplier Compliance. Collects, validates, and maintains supplier documentation in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), working with Procurement, R&D, and suppliers to ensure documentation is current, complete, and accurate. Verifies that new and existing vendors meet defined compliance criteria. Supports supplier set-ups within the specification management system and maintains accurate supplier data to enhance project launch efficiency and streamline operations. Owns renewal cycles and aging reports to identify and close documentation gaps for new suppliers, ingredients, and packaging components. Partners with Procurement on supplier onboarding documentation standards. Supports the Food Safety & Quality team through timely data collection and document maintenance. Coordinates with suppliers and internal stakeholders on ongoing compliance updates and audit readiness.

Specification Authoring & Collaboration. Authors Simmons internal specifications across business units and item types under minimal supervision, contributing to specification accuracy and consistency across the organization. Partners with R&D to translate product knowledge into structured, system-ready specifications. Applies and helps refine templates, naming conventions, and required attributes to support consistency across business unit and item type. Hands authored specifications to the Specification Management team for workflow processing and responds to verification feedback. Incorporates regulatory inputs into specifications in partnership with Regulatory Compliance. Independently resolves authoring questions and escalates complex or contested specification issues to senior team members.

Process Improvement & Systems Optimization.  Participate in targeted process improvement initiatives across designated functional areas, identifying opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce inefficiencies, and enhance overall operational effectiveness. Focus efforts on integrating Simmons systems and processes to minimize manual data entry, improve real-time data accuracy, and support scalable solutions that align with enterprise objectives. Work with all team members for reports to help drive business processes for their area of expertise. 

Participates as a member of the Technical Services Team. Participates in the ongoing development,  communication and implementation of team concepts, programs and policies; coordinates work to ensure  best practices with all team members. Attends appropriate team meetings. As a member of the Team,  fosters strong cohesiveness regarding all major issues; e.g., direction, annual plan, policy changes, etc.  Accepts responsibility to quickly identify any areas that lack cohesiveness, bringing them to the attention  of leadership and working with the team in a supportive manner to resolve issues and actively look for  ways, and reinforce actions needed, to achieve synergy possible within the larger organization. 

Simmons Operating systems principles and objectives: Is familiar with Simmons’ established  operating systems (e.g. quality, security, office environment, company policies, continuous improvement);  understands the responsibility to maintain familiarity with the systems and this position’s role in support of  these systems - including a consideration of the impact of individual actions on the systems and the  responsibility to communicate concerns and improvement ideas. 

Performs other duties as necessary in support of business objectives: Perform other duties as  directed by your supervisor. This position description is intended to guide the activities of the person in this position and is not intended to limit the thinking and creativity of the person as to the work of this  function nor is it intended to describe all the work that may be required of the person in this position.

Physical Activities: Enters and locates information on a computer. Visually verifies information, often in small print. Presents information to small or large groups. Communicates with Customers, Suppliers, or Employees via telephone, in person, and/or electronic mail.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): As needed in required environment. 

Travel: Travels occasionally to manufacturing locations or trade/regulatory conferences. 

Technical Experience: 2+ year’s experience in a project coordination or business analyst role.  Excellent computer skills with respect to the Microsoft Office Suite - intermediate to advanced level skills in Excel and PowerPoint as well as experience preparing documents for presentation. Ability to quickly learn the company’s applicable software suites. Strong communication, project management, and analytical skills and an understanding of basic quality systems are required.

Industry Experience: 2 years in Project or Business Analyst role, or 1 year in Regulatory Compliance role.

Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree in animal nutrition, business, graphics, food science or related field, or 4 years equivalent work experience. 

Preferred Education: Graduate degree in animal nutrition, business, graphics, food science, etc. Food Labeling laws and regulations or Project Management Professional (PMP) highly preferred. Knowledge of PLM Systems and Supplier portals a plus.

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