Director, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Novolex

2d•$180,000 - $215,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) provides enterprise leadership for EPR strategy, governance, and execution across a large-scale packaging manufacturing portfolio. This role is accountable for ensuring full regulatory compliance while proactively managing EPR cost exposure, operational impacts, and reputational risk across U.S. states and international markets. The role partners with executive leadership to embed EPR requirements into packaging design, manufacturing operations, and commercial strategy—balancing compliance, cost, and circularity at scale.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, sustainability, supply chain, or packaging operations.
Direct leadership experience with EPR or packaging stewardship programs.
Strong knowledge of packaging materials and EPR fee mechanics.

Nice To Haves

Experience in high-volume packaging manufacturing.
Direct engagement with Producer Responsibility Organizations.
Background in enterprise transformation or large-scale regulatory programs.

Responsibilities

Define and lead the enterprise EPR strategy aligned with regulatory requirements, sustainability commitments, and long-range financial plans.
Establish governance, policies, and operating standards to ensure consistent execution across sites, product lines, and regions.
Serve as the executive owner for EPR accountability, decision-making, and escalation.
Monitor evolving EPR regulations impacting packaging manufacturers across U.S. and global jurisdictions.
Partner with Legal, Compliance, and Government Affairs to assess risk, influence policy, and manage audits.
Ensure timely and accurate registration, reporting, and fee submissions across Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs).
Own EPR fee forecasting, budgeting, accruals, and cost allocation models.
Integrate EPR costs into pricing strategies, margin analysis, and customer negotiations.
Identify cost-reduction levers through material optimization, recyclability improvements, and supplier strategies.
Embed EPR requirements into packaging design standards and product lifecycle governance.
Partner with Operations, Engineering, Procurement, and R&D to drive compliance-by-design.
Influence innovation and capital decisions to improve recyclability and material efficiency.
Establish data governance and reporting frameworks to support EPR compliance and audit readiness.
Partner with Technology teams to implement scalable systems for packaging and PRO reporting.
Ensure documentation and internal controls aligned with regulatory expectations.
Serve as the primary EPR subject matter expert for executive leadership and Board discussions.
Align EPR execution with ESG, Sustainability, and Communications strategies.
Represent the organization in industry coalitions and regulatory forums.