Meet Julia John
“Every day is different – there’s always something new to learn.”
Job Title: Regulatory Compliance Officer
Company: Lionel Hitchen Ltd
Degree: BSc Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth
From biomedical science to flavour regulations
Julia didn’t have a set career path in mind when she was at school, but she always knew she wanted to do something in science. Originally from Poland, she moved to the UK at 16 and followed a non-traditional route into higher education. After completing an English language course, she studied Level 2 and BTEC Applied Science before switching to an Access to Higher Education course to better suit her goals.
This led to a degree in Biomedical Science at the University of Portsmouth.
“It was a really broad course,” Julia says. “There was so much knowledge to take on, but I thought it was a good fit for me.”
After graduating, she planned to continue into a postgraduate course, but decided instead to gain some work experience.
An unexpected opportunity
Like many people in the industry, Julia didn’t set out to work in flavours. Her first job after university was in microbiological testing for water companies. When the lab relocated, she chose not to move with it and applied instead for a QC Analyst position at Lionel Hitchen, the flavour house where Julia still works today.
Her current role in Regulatory Compliance came up as a maternity cover, and although she was hesitant at first, it turned out to be a great opportunity.
“Six months in, they decided to keep me full-time – it worked out really well.”
Varied work, continuous learning
Julia’s role involves supporting change control processes, reviewing raw materials, checking for hazards, setting up new products in the system and issuing safety documentation. It’s fast-paced and wide-ranging work.
“No two days are the same,” she says. “I’ve learned so much since I joined the team.”
One aspect she particularly enjoys is the flexibility and autonomy: “We assign tasks to ourselves, so we’re responsible for managing our own workload.”
Next steps
Julia is open-minded about her future, but for now, she’s happy where she is.
“I enjoy what I do and I enjoy the people I work with,” she says.
While she can see herself staying in the flavours or wider chemical industry, she’s not yet focused on the next step.
“I’d like to progress within the regulatory department, but I don’t know exactly what that might look like yet.”
Advice for future talent
Julia’s advice for others thinking about entering the industry is clear:
“Just try. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds – chemistry, pharmacology, microbiology and some who didn’t go to university at all. As long as you’re willing to learn, there’s no one path into this work.”
What I Love About Working in Flavour Regulation
In this video, Julia talks about the most rewarding parts of her job as a Regulatory Compliance Officer in the flavour industry.
