Director, External Quality Assurance (GMP)

Xencor; Pasadena (CA); Hybrid; USD 198,000 - 236,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match

Healthcare coverage

ESPP

Equity grant

Annual bonus

Job summary

Xencor, Inc. in Pasadena, CA, is seeking a Director, External Quality Assurance (GMP) to lead QA at external vendors, ensuring compliant product release and alignment with global GxP standards.

This hybrid role requires 12+ years in GMP/CMC, strong leadership, and cross-functional collaboration across research, development, manufacturing, regulatory, and clinical programs. The position offers a competitive base salary, annual bonus, equity, and a broad rewards package.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline required.
• Minimum 12 years of GMP Quality/CMC experience with extensive CMO oversight.
• Strong leadership, governance, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific, medical and program issues clearly.
• Ability to partner with cross-functional teams across R&D, manufacturing, quality, regulatory and clinical development.

Responsibilities

• Oversees QA activities at GMP external vendors for manufacturing and testing operations.
• Leads vendor product release activities and reviews GMP documentation.
• Partners with Vendor Management to address performance issues and ensure QA standards.
• Drives continuous improvement and leads root cause analyses for issues.
• Maintains relationships with vendor teams to ensure clarity of expectations and execution.
• Performs change controls, deviations, and corrective actions as needed.

Skills

Relationship management

Cross-functional partnering

Leadership

Verbal and written communication

Adaptability

Coaching and supervision

Education

Bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline

Job description

Director, External Quality Assurance (GMP)

Xencor, Inc., 465 N. Halstead St., Pasadena, California, United States of America

Job Description

Posted Monday, August 17, 2026 at 4:00 AM

Introduction:

Xencor is a public, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company located in the Los Angeles area (Pasadena) and in San Diego. Our focus is developing high-potential XmAb® bispecific T-cell engagers and additional engineered drug candidates that leverage our differentiated technology platforms, and we are advancing our pipeline toward clinical proof-of-concept decisions. Our goal is to create high-impact therapeutics for patients with cancer and other serious diseases. More than 20 XmAb drug candidates engineered with our technology are in clinical development, and three XmAb medicines have been marketed by partners. For more information, please visit www.xencor.com. We have an excellent opportunity for a Director, External Quality Assurance (GMP), to join our team.

This is a hybrid position with2days a week onsite from our Pasadena or San Diego, CAoffice

Summary:

Responsible for leading Quality GMP manufacturing and testing activities at external vendors, supporting both early and late phase development and ensuring compliant product release, effective vendor management, and alignment with global GxP standards.

Job Duties:

• Provides oversight of Quality Assurance activities at GMP external vendors for manufacturing and testing operations, ensuring compliance with global GxP regulations, quality standards and procedures.
• Oversees and/or performs QA product release activities.
• Directs support staff on performing product release activities.
• Manages and performs review and approval of GMP external vendor documentation. Directs support staff on performing vendor product documentation review.
• Participates as the QA representative for multiple products in internal and external vendor product team meetings.
• Ensures timely resolution of operational and quality issues.
• Maintains strong working relationships with vendor operational teams to ensure clarity of expectations and consistent execution.
• Fosters collaborative relationships with vendors while providing quality guidance and oversight to ensure consistent adherence to established QA standards and performance objectives.
• Evaluates vendor performance, identifies trends, gaps, and risks in day-to-day operations and initiates corrective actions within defined processes.
• Supports structured Vendor business reviews and performance discussions.
• Partners with Vendor Management to address performance issues and enforce accountability.
• Drives incremental improvements using existing continuous improvement methodologies and tools.
• Leads root cause analysis for recurring or critical issues and ensure alignment with established remediation processes.
• Recommends enhancements to current frameworks based on observed operational insights.
• Collaborates with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure alignment with existing governance and operational priorities.
• Promotes a culture of quality and disciplined adherence to established processes.
• Performs data entry functions as required by procedure
• Authors, reviews and approves various internal documents ensuring accuracy and appropriate format according to procedures
• Manages creation and review of documents used in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• Perform QA activities such as authoring, reviewing, approving, and/or managing change controls, deviations, and corrective actions as needed.
• Assures standard operating procedures (SOPs) related to job responsibilities define the steps necessary to complete tasks.
• Maintains current knowledge of global regulatory expectations, industry standards, and emerging quality practices applicable to pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, and commercialization activities..
• Adheres to all department and company-wide policies regarding conduct, performance and procedures
• Provides oversight and direction to direct and indirect reports, as applicable (if assigned in the future), in accordance with the organization’s policies and procedures. The responsibilities may include, but are not limited to recruiting, training, communicating job expectations, appraising and managing job performance, delivering feedback and coaching, and providing career development planning and opportunities
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education/Experience/Skills:

Position requires a Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline, plus a minimum of 12 years of GMP Quality/CMC experience, with extensive CMO oversight, and strong leadership, governance, and relationship‑management.

Position also requires:

• Exceptional relationship management skills.
• Ability to use written and verbal communication skills to communicate complex scientific, medical and program issues
• Ability to partner with cross-functional teams from research, pre-clinical development, manufacturing, quality, regulatory and clinical development
• Outstanding flexibility and adaptability suited for the changing requirements and fast pace of a small biotechnology company
• Ability to demonstrate competencies applicable for job based on Xencor’s Leadership Competency Model
• Ability to effectively manage others through coaching and supervision, in accordance with company policies and practices. Ensures employee performance meets the organization’s expectations for conduct, productivity, quality, continuous improvement, and goal accomplishment.

Occasional travel may be required, including travel between Xencor’s Pasadena and San Diego offices. Work for this position is generally performed at Xencor’s worksite and requires full-time commitment.

Expected Base Salary Range: $198,000 - $235,500

The actual salary will be based on the selected candidate’s qualifications, including skills, competencies, education and experience. Xencor offers a competitive total rewards package including 401k match, healthcare coverage, ESPP and a broad range of other benefits. In addition, this position will be eligible for an annual bonus and equity grant. For more information, please see https://xencor.com/careers/.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement

The Company will provide reasonable accommodations (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with the application process upon your request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process, please contact [e-mail].

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

The Company is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

Xencor, Inc., 465 N. Halstead St., Pasadena, California, United States of America