Associate Director, Project Quality - QC

CSL; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 154,000 - 193,000; Full time

Job summary

CSL Behring is expanding its Ig manufacturing capacity at the Kankakee site to support the M7/M8 expansion.

The Associate Director, Quality Control will provide strategic and operational leadership for QC activities, ensuring regulatory compliance and readiness for startup, qualification, and commercial-scale production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biology, microbiology, chemistry, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years' microbiological/biochemical analytics in a pharmaceutical GMP environment.
• Laboratory management experience with operations optimization.
• Experience supporting regulatory inspections and customer audits.
• Extensive knowledge of analytical instruments and GxP.
• Strong leadership in a global matrix organization; Six Sigma/Lean helpful.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for all M7/M8 QC activities supporting delivery, startup, qualification, validation, and operational readiness.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks impacting QC deliverables and timelines.
• Lead QC activities for facility design reviews, user requirements, and equipment qualification.
• Ensure readiness of QC utilities, sampling, testing for qualification activities.
• Develop and execute staffing, training, procedures, and inventory management plans.
• Manage QC activities by timelines, budgets, resources, and risk mitigation.
• Review and assess QC policies; perform gap assessments and improvements.
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive QC project roadmap with milestones and budgets.
• Provide strategic oversight of change control for analytical methods, specs, and lab systems.
• Build strong relationships with regulators, suppliers, labs, consultants, and project partners.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory inspections

GxP knowledge

Laboratory management

Project governance

Matrix organization

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant scientific discipline

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Analytical instruments

Job description

The growing demand for expanding production lined requires an expansion of CSL's manufacturing capacity. To support this growth, immunoglobulin (Ig) production activities-from plasma thawing through sterile filling-will be incorporated into the new Building under construction at the CSL Kankakee (KAN) site to accommodate Ig production. The new fill-finish facility is part of the Ig manufacturing expansion, known as Module (M) 7/8.

This role will provide Quality oversight for change control activities associated with the M 7/8 Site Expansion Project at the CSL Behring Kankakee site.

The Associate Director, Quality Control (QC) will provide strategic and operational leadership for Quality Control activities supporting the M7/M8 Immunoglobulin (Ig) Expansion Project. This role is accountable for building and leading a high-performing QC organization that ensures successful project execution, regulatory compliance, operational readiness, method lifecycle management, laboratory qualification, and commercialization support for expanded manufacturing capacity.

Reports To: Senior Director, Project Quality

Direct Reports: QC Analysts, QC Sample Management Associate, QCAT Associates

Other partnerships within Manufacturing, QC Technical Services , Engineering, Technical Operations, Validation, Global Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Supply Chain to deliver project milestones while maintaining compliance with cGMP, regulatory requirements, and company quality standards.

Responsibilities

1. 1. Provide strategic leadership and governance for all M7/8 QC activities supporting the successful delivery, startup, qualification, validation, and operational readiness of the new IgG manufacturing facility.
2. 2. Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks impacting QC deliverables, laboratory readiness, testing capacity, method implementation, and qualification timelines, escalating critical issues to senior leadership as appropriate.
3. 3. Lead QC activities supporting facility design reviews, user requirements, laboratory fit-out, equipment selection, and workflow optimization in consultation with site Operational QC. Develop and execute the overall project strategy, ensuring alignment with project objectives, regulatory expectations, cGMP requirements, site priorities, and CSL quality standards.
4. 4. Ensure timely readiness of QC activities including utilities and environmental monitoring sampling, testing for project qualification activities, assay tech transfer and validation, equipment purchases and qualification, establishment of new raw materials, and testing support of qualification runs. to support engineering runs, process validation, PPQ activities, and commercial manufacturing.
5. 5. Develop and execute comprehensive operational readiness plans, including staffing, training, procedures, equipment qualification, and inventory management.
6. 6. Manage QC activities by project timelines, budgets, resources, and risk mitigation plans to support successful project delivery.
7. 7. Review and assess existing QC policies and procedures for successful execution of M 7/8. Perform gap assessment and suggest improvements in existing and future procedures and policies.
8. 8. Establish and maintain a comprehensive QC project roadmap, ensuring milestones, resources, budgets, risks, and deliverables are proactively managed and aligned with overall project timelines
9. 9. Provide strategic oversight of change control activities related to analytical methods, specifications, testing strategies, laboratory systems, equipment, and quality processes, ensuring timely implementation to meet project objectives.
10. 10. Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including regulatory authorities, equipment suppliers, testing laboratories, consultants, and project partners, as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in relevant scientific discipline (biology, microbiology,chemistry, etc.); advanced degree preferred
• 10+ years' experience in microbiological and biological, chemical or biochemical analytics in a pharmaceutical/medicinal GMP environment
• Significant experience in laboratory management, including operations optimization - Strong experience supporting regulatory inspections and customer audits.
• Extensive knowledge of analytical instruments and GxP regulations.
• Management/demonstrated leadership experience
• Experience within a global matrix organization
• Six sigma, lean, and/or variability reduction
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and balance future needs with immediate pressures

The expected base salary range for this position at hiring is $154,000- $193,000. Please note this salary range reflec