Director, Product Quality Leader (PQL)

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 176,000 - 242,000; Full time

Job summary

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. seeks a senior quality leader for Technical Operations to guide CMC-related quality decisions across clinical development through post-commercialization.

You will chair cross-functional teams, develop product specifications, and ensure regulatory readiness while maintaining robust risk management practices. You will partner with multiple stakeholders to drive product quality strategies, oversee lifecycle quality activities, and ensure adherence to global regulatory

Qualifications

• BA/BS in life sciences or related field; advanced degree desirable.
• 12+ years of experience in Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, or highly regulated industries; preferred in biologics.
• Experience with combination products across clinical and commercial stages; device quality is a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills across levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated leadership; able to balance speed, quality, and risk in a matrixed environment.
• Solid understanding of cGMP principles and international regulatory landscape.
• Periodic travel is required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the single point of contact within a CMC Team for all product quality topics across all stages of the product life cycle.
• Lead the cross-functional Quality Partner Team (QPT) and manage deliverables per CMC plans with timelines.
• Own and maintain the product quality risk register and escalate issues as needed.
• Develop phase-appropriate product specifications and Quality Target Product Profile for products.
• Create product comparability protocols and assessments for clinical and commercial products.
• Interpret regulatory guidelines and advise stakeholders accordingly.
• Review and contribute to regulatory submissions and annual product reviews.
• Oversee health authority commitments and provide timely updates to management.
• Identify and lead initiatives to improve PQL processes and reduce risks.
• Collaborate to drive tech transfers and long-term product strategies.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory knowledge

Communication skills

Public speaking

Problem-solving

Education

BA/BS in life sciences or related field

Advanced degree desirable

Job description

BioMarin is a leading rare disease biotechnology company focused on genetically defined conditions.

Guided by our purpose to develop medicines that make a profound impact on people’s lives, our global teams have delivered a portfolio of therapies since our founding in 1997. Our revolutionary treatments for conditions like achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism), PKU (phenylketonuria), CLN2, a form of Batten disease, and a number of forms of MPS (mucopolysaccharidosis) offer new possibilities for patients and families who previously had few, if any, available options. More recently, with the close of the Amicus acquisition, our portfolio has expanded to include therapies for Fabry disease and Pompe disease, expanding our ability to reach more people living with rare genetic conditions.

Our success comes from our unwavering commitment to excellence, our deep understanding of patient needs, our scientific expertise, and our world-class manufacturing capabilities. At the heart of BioMarin is a dedicated team of the brightest minds in the industry working together to deliver innovative therapies to patients and families around the world.

About Technical Operations

BioMarin’s Technical Operations group is responsible for creating our drugs for use in clinical trials and for scaling production of those drugs for the commercial market. These engineers, technicians, scientists and support staff build and maintain BioMarin’s cutting-edge manufacturing processes and sites, provide quality assurance and quality control to ensure we meet regulatory standards, and procure the needed goods and services to support manufacturing and coordinating the worldwide movement of our drugs to patients.

Role Overview

This individual will serve as a technical quality expert for one or more products during clinical development all the way through post-commercialization. The role is responsive for making technical quality-related decisions and serving as the single point of contact on the CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) team for all quality functions, risks and issues associated with the assigned products. As a core member of the CMC team, the PQL provides efficient and effective quality leadership of CMC-related strategic activities and drives associated quality decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• As the single point of contact within a CMC Team for all product quality topics, participate fully in CMC team meetings, and other relevant technical forums, providing technical quality expertise to influence global strategies and ensure robust implementation plans for product/program changes for all stages of the product life cycle (Pre-IND through post-Launch lifecycle management).
• Partner with CMC Team and the Quality organization to identify, develop and prioritize long-term product strategies/initiatives enabling the clinical to commercial transition, new product introductions and tech transfers; accountable for creation of the product-specific Quality strategy.
• Lead the cross-functional Quality Partner Team (QPT) supporting Quality-related CMC deliverables; accountable for managing the QPT deliverables in alignment with CMC execution plans, including timelines and scope. Responsible for timely and clear communication of all relevant information to and from the QPT to the CMC Team and functional managers.
• Own and manage the product quality risk register to ensure identification, resolution, mitigation and/or escalation of product quality issues and risks to CMC team and/or Senior Management.
• Responsible for developing a phase appropriate product specification as part of product control strategy creation; collaborate with CMC Lead to establish a phase appropriate Quality Target Product Profile (QTPP) and ensure the right quality characteristics are implemented during product development.
• Responsible for developing product comparability protocols and assessments for clinical-stage and commercial products, including sample selection and acceptance criteria identification needed to support process/site changes.
• Interpret and apply applicable regulatory guidelines and directives (e.g., 21CFR, USP, EP. JP, and ICH) to product quality, staying abreast of changes and advising stakeholders appropriately.
• Review and author regulatory submissions sections and provide input to ensure clarity and consistency of messaging across Quality owned sections.
• Responsible for the review and approval of Annual Product Review for represented commercial programs.
• Provide oversight and monitor CMC related Health Authority commitments and ensure timely completion. Provide routine updates and visibility of submission commitments to functional and senior management.
• Support, or lead, efforts to identify, define, and mobilize initiatives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of PQL operational processes.
• Identify and lead cross portfolio initiatives or improvements that will reduce overall technical quality risks for the product portfolio, as required.

Experience/Education

• BA/BS in life sciences or related field required. Advanced degree desirable.
• 12+ years of experience with Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Medical Device or other, highly regulated, industry; preferred experience in biologics product development and licensure or technical support; experience in both clinical and commercial phases of product lifecycle is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting combination products across clinical and commercial stages, including device quality considerations, is a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, with the ability to interface with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated strong leadership capability with ability to align on, make and act on decisions while balancing speed, quality, and risk.
• Experience with influencing diverse stakeholders and driving accountability and decision-making in a highly matrixed, cross-functional environment.
• Highly capable of building strong, effective working teams; experience with developing relationships focused on best-practice sharing and collaborative problem solving.
• Skilled in the ability to work with ambiguity and complexity and can continuously modify options and solutions across all levels of the organization.
• Results oriented; effectively manages multiple projects efficiently.
• Excellent written and verbal skills; ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization; effective public speaker.
• In-depth understanding and application of cGMP principles, concepts, practices and standards; understanding of the international regulatory landscape preferred.
• Broad range of knowledge and experience in Quality with biologic and chemical processes, drug development, analytical methods.
• Prior experience with Regulatory, Quality, Compliance or a combination of technical experience such as analytical development, manufacturing sciences and Quality/Regulatory.
• Periodic travel is required.

Note: This description is not intended to be all-inclusive, or a limitation of the duties of the position. It is intended to describe the general nature of the job that may include other duties as assumed or assigned.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, email [e-mail] with your request.
This email address is not for general employment inquiries or correspondence. We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.

BioMarin Pharmaceutical does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or agencies and we will not be responsible for any fees related to resumes that are unsolicited. We handle all recruiting through our Talent Acquisition team – please do not contact hiring managers directly. Agencies who wish to offer their services to BioMarin Pharmaceutical may contact us at [e-mail] .
Applicants, please do not use this email address to submit resumes – if you do so, you will be redirected to apply through the website.

The salary range for this position is: $176,000 to $242,000. BioMarin considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation, including experience, qualifications, and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.