Associate Director Clinical Quality Assurance and GxP Compliance
Job description
Why Join Us? Be a hero for our rare disease patients At Ultragenyx, we fundamentally believe that taking real impactful action to care for the needs of patients and our people is always the right thing to do. To achieve this goal, our vision is to lead the future of rare disease medicine. For us, this means going where other biopharma companies won’t go – challenging the status quo and creating a new model that advances our field so more patients and caregivers can benefit from life-changing treatments. We do this by following the science, applying a novel rapid development approach, making innovative medicines at fair and reasonable prices, and creating a collaborative ecosystem to reach patients in ways that are most meaningful for them. Our commitment and care for patients extends to our people, so culture is an essential cornerstone for Ultragenyx. We remain continuously focused on creating a supportive and inclusive environment of profound learning and growth – so employees can thrive in all areas of their lives, in and outside of work. Ultimately, we want to be an organization where we would be proud for our family, friends and children to work. If you want to have a meaningful impact, do the best work of your career, and grow a lot, both professionally and personally, come join our team.
Position Summary:
ultrainnovative – Tackle rare and dynamic challenges
The CQA Associate Director provides strategic leadership and direction for the creation, development, and continuous evolution of quality assurance strategies, policies, programs, and initiatives. They are accountable for ensuring that organizational decisions, activities, and deliverables align with established quality standards and global health authority regulations. The Associate Director partners with senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to proactively evaluate and enhance quality systems, strengthen inspection readiness, and drive enterprise-wide process improvements. They champion and model a culture of compliance and quality excellence across the organization. They provide high-level oversight, guidance, and governance for the GCP Audit Program, ensuring effective planning, execution, resourcing, and risk mitigation. The Associate Director also identifies strategic opportunities to enhance operational efficiency, advance quality maturity, and support organizational growth.
Work Model:
Flex: This role will typically require onsite work 2-3 days each week, or more depending on business needs. In many locations, the business will set certain days each week that Flex employees are required to be onsite.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a senior subject matter expert (SME) on U.S. FDA, EMA, and ICH-GCP regulations, providing strategic oversight and guidance to Ultragenyx functional leaders. Direct the evaluation of non-compliances and risk areas across clinical programs and drive development of sustainable, cross-functional solutions.
- Provide leadership, mentorship, and strategic direction to QA personnel, SMEs, and contract service providers in the preparation, conduct, and reporting of GCP audits. Ensure capability building that aligns with organizational needs and evolving regulatory expectations.
- Oversee and govern the execution of all GCP audit types, including complex or high-risk audits (e.g., For-Cause, systemic failure evaluations). Ensure appropriate audit strategy, resourcing, and escalation pathways to support enterprise-level risk management.
- Serve as the senior SME representing Clinical Quality during regulatory inspections, providing leadership on issue presentation, regulatory interactions, and cross-functional coordination. Oversee the creation, review, and approval of storyboards and inspection narratives.
- Establish, direct, and oversee the enterprise Clinical Program Inspection Readiness strategy, including risk-based identification of key vendors and sites, mock inspections, war room preparation, and readiness governance. Ensure proactive alignment with Health Authority expectations.
- Act as the executive CQA liaison to Records & Document Management and the Site Management Liaison (SML) team, steering continuous improvement of TMF management, clinical oversight processes, and documentation culture. Provide strategic direction to enhance regulatory compliance and operational effectiveness across teams.
- Lead and prioritize Quality initiatives and department-level continuous improvement programs, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy, regulatory trends, and quality maturity objectives.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's Degree is required in a scientific or related technical discipline.
- At least 7+ years' experience in health-care field or setting, or in Biotech/Pharmaceutical industry with 3-6 years Quality Assurance or Compliance experience preferred.
- Able to establish and execute Quality goals for a forward-looking 3-5 year period that aligns to company-wide objectives.
- Broad and direct experience with leading or organizing regulatory authority inspections.
- Strategic thinker, open-minded and flexible to adopting new ideas.
- Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal.
- Flexible in the face of shifting needs and/or priorities.
- Travel: approximate 30% (if needed).
- Partner & Collaborate Effectively: Listen to and value others’ thoughts and ideas. Demonstrate effective partnership both within and outside your team. Achieve results with and through others.
- Support Learning & Growth: Demonstrate self-awareness, humility, and curiosity in service of self-development. Provide regular coaching and feedback that will inspire growth and improvement in others.
#LI-KJ1 #LI-Hybrid
The typical annual salary range for this full-time position is listed below. This range reflects the characteristics of the job, such as required skills and qualifications and is based on the office location noted in this job posting. The range may also be adjusted based on applicant's geographic location.
This position is eligible for annual bonus and equity incentives. Actual individual pay is determined by demonstrated experience and internal equity alignment.
Pay Range$199,200—$246,100 USD Full Time employees across the globe enjoy a range of benefits, including, but not limited to: · Generous vacation time and public holidays observed by the company · Volunteer days · Long term incentive and Employee stock purchase plans or equivalent offerings · Employee wellbeing benefits · Fitness reimbursement · Tuition sponsoring · Professional development plans * Benefits vary by region and country
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin/ancestry, age, disability, marital and veteran status, and any other status or classification protected by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Reasonable accommodation will be provided for all protected statuses or classifications protected by applicable law, including individuals with disabilities, disabled veterans, for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, and based on sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants can request an accommodation prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, you may contact Talent Acquisition by emailing us at talentacquisition@ultragenyx.com.
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It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Note to External Recruiters
: All candidate activity and open positions are managed strictly through our Human Resources Department. Our Human Resources Department kindly requests that recruiters not contact employees/hiring managers directly in an attempt to solicit business and present candidates. Please note that failure to comply with this request will be a factor in determining a professional relationship with our organization. Submission of unsolicited resumes prior to an agreement set in place between the Human Resources Department and the recruiting agency will not create any implied obligation. Inquiries on developing a recruiting relationship with us, may be directed to: talentacquisition@ultragenyx.com.