Assistant Manager, Public Affairs - India

ROLE AT A GLANCE:

The Assistant Manager – Public Affairs will support the Public Affairs function in managing government relations, regulatory coordination, stakeholder engagement and business continuity-related priorities across Kolkata and identified markets in East / Northeast India.This role will require a proactive professional who can independently coordinate with internal teams, government departments, regulators, industry bodies, vendors and external stakeholders to support regulatory approvals, license continuity, issue resolution, inspections, compliance follow-ups and Public Affairs initiatives.

The position is expected to provide stronger on-ground support to the Regional Public Affairs team and help ensure timely execution of regulatory, FSSAI, Consumer Affairs, Legal Metrology, Direct Selling Monitoring Mechanism, special projects and stakeholder engagement priorities.

HOW YOU'LL MAKE AN IMPACT:

• Support Public Affairs and government relations activities across Kolkata and assigned East / North East markets, (WB, Bihar + Complete Northeast).
• Engage and coordinate with government departments, regulators, local authorities, industry bodies and other external stakeholders under the guidance of the Regional Head.
• Support regulatory approvals, licence renewals, modifications, inspections, submissions and follow-ups with relevant authorities.
• Coordinate with FSSAI, State Food Safety Departments, Consumer Affairs, Legal Metrology, local bodies, district authorities and other relevant departments as required.
• Support Direct Selling Monitoring Mechanism-related application verification, documentation, follow-ups and stakeholder coordination.
• Track regulatory developments, government notifications, state-level policy updates and local issues that may impact business operations.
• Work closely with internal teams including Regulatory, Legal, Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, HR and Compliance for timely inputs, documentation and closure of open matters.
• Assist in managing inspection readiness, documentation support, regulatory responses and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate with vendors, consultants and external partners for documentation, invoices, payment follow-ups, deliverables and project execution.
• Maintain regulatory trackers, licence trackers, stakeholder engagement trackers, payment trackers and project status updates.
• Support Public Affairs initiatives, stakeholder meetings, industry association engagements, events, awareness programmes and special projects.
• Prepare basic briefs, meeting notes, status reports, regulatory summaries and internal updates for leadership review.
• Maintain proper records of approvals, submissions, correspondence, licences, regulatory documents and stakeholder interactions.
• Help identify early warning signals, local regulatory concerns and potential business continuity risks in assigned markets.
• Ensure timely follow-up, disciplined documentation and smooth coordination across multiple internal and external workstreams.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR SUCCESS:

Education

• Graduate in any discipline. Postgraduate qualifications in Public Policy, Law, Management, Social Work, Political Science, Public Administration or related fields will be an added advantage.

Experience

• 8+ years
• 8-10 years of relevant experience in Public Affairs, government relations, regulatory affairs, compliance coordination, stakeholder engagement, external affairs, administration or related functions.
• Prior experience in FMCG, nutrition, food, health supplements, direct selling, pharma, consumer goods, supply chain or regulated sectors will be preferred.
• Working exposure to FSSAI, Consumer Affairs, Legal Metrology, State Government departments, local authorities or industry associations will be an advantage.

Skills/Certifications

• Good understanding of government, regulatory and stakeholder engagement processes.
• Strong coordination and follow-up skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Good communication skills in English and local language. Knowledge of Bengali will be preferred.
• Ability to interact confidently with internal teams, external stakeholders, vendors and authorities.
• Working knowledge of MS Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Ability to prepare trackers, reports, meeting notes and basic regulatory updates.
• Strong documentation discipline and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while keeping the reporting manager updated on key developments.
• Practical problem-solving ability and willingness to support on-ground regulatory and Public Affairs matters.
• High integrity, maturity and sensitivity while handling government-facing and stakeholder-facing matters.