Program Lead - Regulatory-Driven Standards

Overview

This role is open to applicants from the US, Canada, or Europe.

The Regulatory-Driven Standards Programme aims to assess, prioritize, coordinate, and translate regulatory requirements into GS1 standards and deliverables that fulfill regulatory intentions while catering to GS1 Member Organisations and industry needs. With the increasing volume and complexity of regulations, this position provides essential coordination and governance to establish a uniform, transparent, and collaborative approach to standards development within GS1.

Role Summary

The Program Lead will oversee the entire Regulatory-Driven Standards Programme, acting as the integration point across Public Policy, Standards Delivery, Community Engagement, Architecture, and Project Delivery. Operating within a matrixed environment, this role ensures proper assessment, prioritization, planning, governance, and delivery of regulatory initiatives through standardized program management methods.

Instead of managing direct teams, the Program Lead cooperates with subject matter experts and senior stakeholders to coordinate activities, manage dependencies, monitor program health and risks, and provide clear visibility to aid decision-making. The role also manages the intake and priority pipeline, guaranteeing transparent evaluations and efficient progression from initial regulatory signals to standards implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the complete coordination of the Regulatory-Driven Standards Programme, including planning, governance, execution, and multi-workstream delivery.
• Create and maintain an integrated program plan defining scope, milestones, timelines, dependencies, resources, and deliverables.
• Continuously monitor program progress, identify risks and opportunities to enable successful outcomes.
• Manage the entire intake, assessment, and prioritization cycle of regulatory standards requests to ensure transparency and efficiency.
• Facilitate cross-functional assessments by bringing together experts from Public Policy, Standards, Architecture, Community Engagement, and others.
• Establish and improve governance processes and criteria for prioritizing regulatory standards development.
• Coordinate integration of multiple regulatory standards workstreams to ensure alignment and collaboration across departments.
• Handle cross-functional dependencies and ensure objectives align with organizational priorities and timelines.
• Promote collaboration among the Global Office, Member Organisations, and external partners to achieve program goals.
• Support governance activities including planning, meetings, and stakeholder communication.
• Produce integrated reports, dashboards, and materials to inform leadership of program status, risks, dependencies, and resource constraints.
• Escalate significant risks and decisions as needed to maintain program momentum.
• Guide cross-functional decision-making by presenting options, trade-offs, and recommendations.
• Drive adoption of consistent program management methodologies and governance standards across participating functions.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement of program processes and collaboration.

Experience & Knowledge Requirements

• 10 to 15+ years managing complex, multi-stakeholder programs such as standards development, data ecosystems, sustainability, or digital transformations.
• Proven ability to coordinate cross-industry and regulatory environment initiatives.
• Skilled in structuring options and priorities to support senior decision-making.
• Influence and align cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Experience establishing governance, prioritization, reporting, and performance metrics for complex programs.
• Preferred background with international standards bodies, industry associations, or federated organizations.
• Strong program and portfolio management knowledge, including methodologies and governance best practices.
• Understanding of data interoperability, identification standards, and supply chain information flows.
• Familiarity with regulatory-driven standards, Digital Product Passport initiatives, sustainability reporting, or similar regulatory data projects.
• Insight into standards development processes and public policy’s role is advantageous.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional stakeholder management and influence capabilities to build alignment among diverse technical, policy, and business groups.
• Excellent facilitation skills for consensus building and resolving competing priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to simplify complex matters and identify practical solutions.
• Superior organizational abilities to manage multiple concurrent workstreams in a fast-paced, global environment.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, adaptable to executive, technical, and policy audiences.
• Ability to independently foster collaboration and strong relationships across a matrixed organization.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Business, Programme Management, Engineering, Information Management, or related fields.
• Advanced degrees or professional certifications such as PMP, PgMP, MSP, or PRINCE2 Practitioner are desirable.

Additional Information

• Position may require up to 25% international travel.
• GS1 is committed to equal opportunity employment and prohibits any unlawful discrimination based on various protected characteristics.