Stephanie Enright- PG Cert in Food Regulatory Affairs

Name: Stephanie Enright

Job title: Regulatory Operations Strategist

Can you share your career path to date? 

Started in 1997 as a laboratory technician in a chemical service company in the oil industry, Aberdeen, Scotland and studied Applied Chemistry (Dip) at Robert Gordons University part-time.  Relocated to Ireland in 2000, continued in laboratory roles – metal plating (6mths) and pharma QC until 2005.  After a year of overseas travel returned to Ireland for for a quality role in a medical device company (2yrs) then later for a biotechnology start-up (1.5yrs). In 2012 joined Wyeth Nutrition’s global regulatory affairs team. 

What does your current role involve? 

Global regulatory support function, assisting infant formula and supplements registration dossier submissions, project management of product registrations.  Implementation and facilitation of global regulatory management of change process for commercialized products, Nestle Nutrition & Nestle Health Science. 

What motivated you to start studying?  

I wanted to improve my knowledge and understanding of the regulatory framework and gain a recognized regulatory qualification. 

Why did you choose this course from ATU Sligo? 

The course details were circulated via our local HR team – the course objectives were exactly what I felt I could benefit from in my current role and the best part; I could complete the course online. 

How did you find the process of studying online? What elements did you find helpful? Were there elements you found challenging?  

I very much appreciated not having to commute, that I could take part from the comfort of my home office. I found the recorded lectures invaluable as used to review them later at my own pace. I didn’t find anything particularly challenging about studying online, I felt we enjoyed the great collaboration between the students and lecturers and the lecturers always made themselves available to answer any queries I had. 

How did you balance work and study? 

This part was challenging, the course started during the covid pandemic, so I was working from home. I finished my day’s work then went straight into studying each night, either for lectures or to review course notes then at weekends worked all day Saturday and Sundays on the assignments. It was very full-on. 

In terms of your employer, were they supportive of your decision to study? Were there elements of the course that were particularly relevant to your current employer?  

Nestlé always encourages employees to up-skill and I was very grateful they allowed me this opportunity. Every module of the course was 100% relevant to my role.  

 What advice would you have for anyone considering studying online? 

Ensure to have a quiet space dedicated for study where you won’t be disturbed.  Be organized with your time so you can schedule study hours, personal tasks, and family time.  Discuss the commitment required with your significant other to ensure you have their support as your evening/ weekends will be filled with assignment preparation. 

In what way has studied online with ATU Sligo benefitted your career? 

Being online the course allowed me to continue working and upskill at the same time – I’ve not had to ‘take time out from my role to participate and have been able to put what I’ve learned directly into practice.  The content has increased my knowledge base and given me the confidence to look forward to future opportunities in my company. 

Did this course provide any unexpected benefits to your career? 

Unexpected – no nothing I can think of. 

Did you find that the elements you were studying had practical relevance in your day-to-day role?  

Absolutely. The framework of food regulations had the biggest impact. Coming from a quality background I understand compliance but now am at ease with the structure of food regulations, I have developed the capacity to search, read and interpret legislation and locate competent authorities or industry bodies if in need of additional support or guidance.   The food processing regulations module gave me a valuable explanation for processing applications, the stages at which food regulations are necessary and how they should be applied to ensure food safety.  The Supply Chain Integrity module expanded my outlook on food manufacture and showed why my role in regulatory links throughout the supply chain. The Claims and Labelling module gave a great foundation for understanding labelling legislation in Europe and practical examples for confirming compliance. 

What were the key skills you took away from your time studying at ATU Sligo? 

• The ability and confidence to search for, read and interpret legislation.   
• Improved researching, note-taking and academic writing skills. 
• More confidence in my presentation skills and communication from a regulatory standpoint. 

Find out more about Post Graduate Certificate in Food Regulatory Affairs

Learn more about our Online Learning Programmes