Senior Q&RA Project Lead, Market & Innovation

Hello potential future Oatly employee. It’s us, the original oatmilk company that started in Sweden back 25 or so years ago and has since expanded to the U.S. where we’ve continued growing at a rate such that we need more brilliant minds to come work with us to keep the momentum going and the oatmilk flowing.

Sustainability, health, and transparency are the core values that guide everything we do. Basically, we exist to help people live a healthier life without recklessly taxing the planet’s resources in the process, and to change the food system for the better. We drive that change through the power of oats and through a significant reduction in cow’s milk consumption. If any of this resonates with you, then maybe you’d like to work for Oatly, too. Now onto the formal stuff.

We are looking for a Senior Q&RA Project Lead, Market & Innovation to join our team. This role will be responsible for leading strategic and operational quality and regulatory activities across innovation and product development, ensuring scalable, compliant, and efficient product launches. This is a hybrid role, working on-site in our Philadelphia location (3 days) and remote (2 days).

Due to business needs, the qualified candidate will reside in the Philadelphia metro area.

Here are the things we want to hire you to do:

• Act as the Q&RA lead and subject matter expert within global innovation and product development projects from concept through launch

• Lead product and process risk assessments, define quality and food safety criteria, and ensure stage-gate deliverables are met

• Coordinate cross-functional Q&RA work streams across SQA, Regulatory Affairs, and Compliance teams

• Drive implementation and continuous improvement of Q&RA frameworks, processes, and PD (product development) flows

• Ensure end-to-end compliance across food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements for all new products and changes

• Oversee validation strategies and challenge launch readiness decisions

• Act as escalation point for complex food safety and regulatory risks, with authority to block launches where needed

• Partner closely with Innovation, S&T, Commercial, Sustainability, and external stakeholders

• Support global and regional market expansion by deploying Q&RA processes in North America

• Coach project teams on Q&RA standards and promote a risk-based, quality-first mindset

Here are the things we think you need:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Safety, Regulatory Affairs, or a related scientific field

• 10+ years of experience in food quality and/or regulatory roles in a global or complex environment

• Strong experience supporting product innovation and development in a quality or regulatory capacity

• Deep knowledge of food safety systems, HACCP, and GFSI standards (BRC, SQF, FSSC/ISO 22000)

• Proven project leadership experience, including leading cross-functional teams without direct authority

• Strong experience with risk assessments, validation planning, and process documentation

• Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth, or ambiguous environments

• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills

• Strong analytical, structured, and strategic thinking capabilities

• Experience with PLM tools and project management platforms preferred

And here’s another list of qualities we think make a good Oatly team member:

• You feel connected to our mission of encouraging health, sustainability, and transparency

• You are a self-starter who doesn’t need direct supervision to motivate you for success – we believe strongly in building a culture of individual accountability and ownership and need partners that can embrace that mentality

• You are ready to make your mark in a smaller, growing brand, leveraging your experience to deliver amazing results and build an outstanding company

• You have an entrepreneurial spirit in that you’re comfortable with ambiguity and are energized by the process of building something lasting from the ground up

• You enjoy sharing your quirkiness and talents with your coworkers

Another bulleted list felt a bit too…bullet-y. So we wrote this long, awkward sentence to let you know all the ways we sweeten the deal when you work with us, like flexible vacation (take it when you need it), really great benefits (yes, pet insurance is in there), paid volunteer days off throughout the year (doing good is fun), free six packs of...(drumroll)…oatmilk, and you’ll also get genuinely great coworkers who are rooting for each other and the company to thrive. Oh, one more short but very important sentence: We are nimble and agile (not chaotic) in how we work, and we’re grounded in a long company history dating way back to the last century.

The salary for this role will be based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to geographic location, internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors, including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. Compensation may also include bonus, commission, or equity as applicable. Our good faith estimate for base salary is $135,000.

Our team is available to support you through the hiring process with reasonable accommodations to enable a barrier-free interview experience. We will maintain candidate privacy and confidentiality to enable an unbiased and equitable experience. If you need assistance applying for a role due to a disability or special need, please contact peopleconnect.NA@oatly.com.

Oatly is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.