Principal Legal Counsel, Quality, Regulatory & Manufacturing

Haleon • Warren Township, NJ

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Haleon operates in a highly regulated global environment where manufacturing quality, product safety, and regulatory compliance are critical to consumer trust and business continuity. As regulatory expectations continue to evolve—particularly around ingredients, manufacturing systems, and oversight of suppliers and third‑party manufacturers—the business faces increasing complexity and risk. To support Haleon’s growth strategy and manage these risks, the Principal Legal Counsel, Quality, Regulatory & Manufacturing provides deep expertise in quality, regulatory, and good manufacturing practices, partnering closely with the QSC function. Regulators are applying more rigorous and nuanced requirements across global supply chains and advanced product portfolios, and ambiguity in inspection and enforcement expectations creates material enforcement and reputational risk. The Principal Legal Counsel, Quality, Regulatory & Manufacturing delivers senior level legal counsel in key markets while providing strategic oversight to enable consistent, defensible decision making across manufacturing sites and regions. This role serves as a senior specialist advisor, offering strategic guidance during inspections and regulatory interactions and advising on product safety and ingredient risk, including emerging restrictions on ingredients, contaminants, and chemical classes. This includes counsel on ingredient bans, global and local risk assessments, mitigation strategies, and product safety governance decisions that directly impact formulation, market access, and supply continuity. This expertise is critical to: Protecting Haleon’s licence to operate Maintaining regulatory credibility Reducing reliance on external legal counsel Enabling confident, timely decision making across manufacturing sites and region

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent law degree with admission to practice law in at least one relevant jurisdiction.
• 10+ years experience providing legal counsel in highly regulated manufacturing environments, with a strong focus on quality, product safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Prior experience working as in-house counsel in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated knowledge and expertise combined in the understanding of the consumer health, FDA and regulated manufacturing landscape
• Proven ability to provide strategic legal guidance during inspections and regulatory interactions, including delivering consistent, defensible interpretations of regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated experience advising on product safety and ingredient risk, including emerging and evolving regulatory restrictions on ingredients, contaminants, and chemical classes.
• Strong capability to advise on ingredient bans and restrictions, global and local risk assessments, and mitigation strategies impacting product formulation, market access, and supply continuity.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in environments involving regulatory ambiguity, evolving expectations, and high enforcement and reputational risk.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience partnering across Quality, Manufacturing, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Compliance, and Commercial teams.
• Demonstrated ability to support global decision making, enabling consistent approaches across manufacturing sites, regions, and operating units.
• Excellent judgment and decision making skills, with the ability to enable confident, timely decisions while balancing regulatory compliance, business continuity, and risk mitigation.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, including the ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable guidance for senior leaders.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience as a senior in‑house regulatory or manufacturing counsel within a global, regulated consumer health, pharmaceutical, or life sciences organization.
• Direct experience advising on FDA, EU, and U.S. state regulatory requirements affecting manufacturing and distribution.
• Deep expertise in good manufacturing practices (GMP) and the regulatory frameworks governing manufacturing, quality systems, and supply chains.
• Experience supporting global supply chains, including oversight of suppliers and third-party manufacturers.
• Background advising on recall procedures, manufacturing compliance issues, and regulatory best practices at a global level.
• Experience contributing to or leading legal strategy supporting ESG or environmental-‑related manufacturing goals.
• Demonstrated ability to reduce reliance on external legal counsel through strong internal expertise and leadership.
• Experience operating in environments with advanced product portfolios and heightened regulatory scrutiny.

Responsibilities

• Strategic legal partner to the QSCP function in the areas of quality, compliance, regulatory, and manufacturing.
• Collaborate with senior QSCP leaders globally and regional operating units legal leads to enable project and deal outcomes aligned with strategic priorities, support company goals, comply with legal requirements, and adequately mitigate risk.
• Key Legal Lead across - global quality compliance, recall procedures, manufacturing and regulatory best practices, and delivering strategy to deliver our ESG/environmental-related manufacturing goals
• Key legal partner on ingredient-related regulatory risk, including global and local ingredient bans and restrictions, contaminants and impurities risk mitigation and strategy, and emerging chemical regulatory regimes, ensuring legally defensible, science based decision making across product portfolios.
• Regulatory Compliance: Provide legal advice on healthcare-specific regulations affecting manufacturing and distribution, including FDA and EU regulations, U.S. state licensing requirements, other and supply chain requirements.
• Serve as senior legal advisor to cross-functional product risk and safety governance forums, providing legal judgment on escalation, risk acceptance, market action, and remediation decisions for product safety and compliance issues.

Benefits

• Haleon offers a robust Total Reward package that consists of competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits program.
• This includes a generous 401(k) plan, tuition reimbursement and time off programs including 6 months paid parental leave.
• On day one, you are eligible for benefits, including our healthcare programs where the company pays for the majority of your medical coverage for you and your family.
• We also offer the opportunity to receive a discretionary bonus based on the achievement of key business performance and other incentive/recognition programs as part of the offering.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree