Senior Director Scientific Affairs

Rosemont, Illinois, United States | In-office Tuesday through Thursday; visa sponsorship and relocation are not available for this position

People. Planet. Community.

Dairy's journey starts on the farm, and the road we travel demonstrates our unwavering commitment to sustainable nutrition, as our farmers provide lasting and meaningful nourishment to people, the planet and our communities, both urban and rural.

We are a nonprofit organization located in the greater Chicagoland area and we're always looking for talented people to join our team who share the passion and motivation to promote the goodness of dairy.

The Dairy community's health and sustainability commitment has a broad vision to provide consumers with the nutritious dairy products they want in a way that is economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially responsible. National Dairy Council (NDC) has a 100-year legacy in nutrition and a commitment to sustainability as an organization. NDC is modernizing its Nutrition, Regulatory, and Sustainability Affairs (NRSA) approach to engage diverse technical audiences that include nutrition scientists/academics, health professionals, and authoritative health and wellness organizations in efforts to educate and amplify the science on the role of dairy foods in health, wellness, and sustainable food systems.

Position Overview

The Senior Director for Scientific Affairs will report to the Senior Vice President for Scientific Affairs and will help NDC amplify research about dairy's health benefits and integrate knowledge and expertise in nutrition, product, and environmental research. The strength of dairy science within nutrition guidance is foundational to the work of the Scientific Affairs function, whose main aim is to protect and maintain dairy's position in domestic and global food-based dietary guidelines. The Senior Director for Scientific Affairs will have a strategic leadership role in the overall nutrition guidance strategy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The Senior Director will provide strategic guidance to educate scientists, health professionals and the dairy community about dairy's role in sustainable diets nationally and globally. They will foster cross-functional collaboration and integration of Scientific Affairs with Nutrition Research, Nutrition Affairs, Sustainability Affairs, and Communications team, as well as other dairy partners and food and nutrition key opinion leaders.

In this role, the candidate will represent the dairy community for Dairy Management Inc. and National Dairy Council, as appropriate.

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) is funded by America's nearly 26,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. DMI works with state and regional promotion organizations to implement these programs across the country.

National Dairy Council (NDC), the non-profit organization founded by dairy farmers and funded by the national dairy checkoff program, has been committed to research-based nutrition education and communications since its start in 1915. NDC is dedicated to bringing to life the dairy community's shared vision of a healthy, happy, sustainable world - with science as its foundation. NDC's staff of registered dietitians, researchers, and nutrition educators communicate about dairy's contributions to health and sustainable food systems.

DMI and its related organizations cannot engage in policy or lobbying activities.

Key Accountabilities:

Translate science and develop science-based content on dairy's role in a healthy diet and sustainable food system

• Act as an expert scientific resource on dairy and contribute scientific expertise and leadership to NDC's nutrition guidance strategy
• Lead in science writing of key knowledge products that amplify the latest science on the role of dairy foods in health, wellness and sustainable food systems e.g., science summaries, public comment
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Nutrition Research, Nutrition Affairs, Sustainability Affairs and Communications team to interpret and translate science to develop educational resources, POVs and scientific symposia (e.g., ASN)
• Evaluate new relevant studies published in peer-reviewed literature; educate dairy community on implications, as needed
• Ensure research outcomes are credible, peer-reviewed, and communicated effectively to scientific and regulatory audiences
• Author papers for peer-review journals and partner with key opinion leaders to draft and finalize consensus, perspectives and proceeding papers to amplify dairy science

Educate key opinion leaders about science on dairy's role in heath, wellness and sustainable food systems

• Develop outreach and education programs for expert and scientific audiences on priority topics
• Create and execute scientific symposia at key scientific meetings
• Oversee development of literature reviews, meta-analyses and symposia proceedings
• Organize and implement science roundtables about new and emerging areas of research on dairy foods
• Identify and engage with respected scientists, academics and health professional organizations with relevant expertise that complements internal capabilities to fill knowledge gaps, as needed
• Attend scientific and other authoritative meetings of existing and emerging organizations focused on health and sustainability; review relevant authoritative reports and policy documents; submit public comments as appropriate

Support advancing amplification of dairy science in global food systems, food-based dietary guidelines, and relevant global efforts and initiatives.

• Advance NDC deliverables supporting global dairy industry partner priorities
• Monitor global food-based dietary guidelines approaches and their impact on US nutrition guidance processes
• Stay abreast of emerging global food systems research and implications for dairy
• Assist with nutrition/health metrics & indicators work to advance it across the dairy industry and encourage adoption within key global frameworks
• Assist with science-based education and engagement, including global reports and events support

Lead internal and external partnerships to advance nutrition guidance priorities

• Position NDC as a trusted thought leader in nutrition, health, and sustainability
• Lead technical team that supports nutrition guidance process
• Support Enterprise-wide development of nutrition guidance priority outcomes and coordination of implementation
• Build relationships with key opinion leaders, health professional organizations (e.g. American Society for Nutrition), and academic societies aligned with NRSA team strategic plans
• Serve as NDC representative in key partner organizational convenings and committees

Education & Experience

• At least 5 years of experience in related disciplines such as food and nutrition, agriculture, public health/policy, food systems
• Master's degree in nutrition, Dietetics, Public Health, or related studies
• Experience in global nutrition and food systems work is a plus
• CPG experience is a plus

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Research background and experience in science translation and thought leader education
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strategic and analytical thinker who can translate complex science into credible, engaging information to educate expert and scientific thought leaders
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Demonstrated capacity to be self-directed within a team and have a passion for collaborative efforts
• Analytical and technical skills essential

Other:

Willingness to travel approximately up to 25% of time

Dairy Management Inc. is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ethnicity, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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