Director, Quality Systems

RiseMe; South San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 225,000 - 263,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

RSUs

Health insurance

401k match

Job summary

Cytokinetics is seeking a Director of Quality Systems in South San Francisco to lead the quality management system, document control, and GxP training across the organization. You will set strategic direction, oversee compliance with FDA, EMA, ICH and cGMP standards, and drive continuous improvement, inspection readiness, and metrics reporting while mentoring a high-performing team.

This role collaborates with IT to enhance the eQMS, manages budgets and goals, and partners with senior leaders to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences with 12+ years in biopharmaceuticals.
• 7+ years leading Quality Systems in regulated life sciences.
• Strong leadership and communication skills across global teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic roadmap for Quality Systems, including QMS, document control, and GxP training.
• Lead and develop teams ensuring effective execution and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with FDA, EMA, ICH, and cGMP requirements.
• Oversee document control and GxP training programs across the company.
• Collaborate with IT to enhance the eQMS and support system updates.
• Drive inspection readiness and establish quality metrics and dashboards.

Skills

Quality leadership

QMS experience

Regulatory compliance

Change control

CAPA

Documentation control

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in life sciences

Tools

Veeva Vault

Job description

Cytokineticsis a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, building on its over 25 years of pioneering scientific innovations in muscle biology, and advancing a pipeline of potential new medicines for patients suffering from diseases of cardiac muscle dysfunction.

The Director of Quality Systems will be responsible for the overall operation of Cytokinetics Quality Systems and will provide leadership for the quality management system, document control, and GxP training groups. This role will provide strategic direction, leadership, and development for these groups to ensure that all aspects of pharmaceutical quality management systems (QMS), controlled documentation, and training programs are effectively established, implemented, and maintained in accordance with cGMP regulations and industry best practices. The Director of Quality Systems will serve as a key advisor on QMS-related matters and ensure quality system processes support business objectives, regulatory compliance, and inspection readiness.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic roadmap for the Quality Systems organization, including oversight of quality management system, document control, and GxP training groups, oversee personnel performance management, mentoring, and career development.
• Lead and develop teams responsible for document control, GxP training administration, and quality system processes, ensuring effective execution and continuous improvement.
• Acts as Business Process Owner of the QMS.
• Ensure Quality Systems and processes are maintained and modified regularly to ensure best practices.
• Ensure Quality Systems support compliance with applicable FDA, EMA, ICH, GxP, and other relevant regulatory requirements.
• Oversee the document control program, ensuring the effective management, review, approval, issuance, revision, archival, and retrieval of GxP documents and records.
• Oversee the GxP training program, ensuring training curricula, assignment, completion, effectiveness, and compliance requirements are met across the company.
• Collaborate with IT to implement updates/enhancements to the eQMS and ensure effective system support.
• Lead company-wide quality systems projects across various departments.
• Work with GxP functional leaders to implement processes and systems that enable the business to operate effectively. Provide process analytics and oversight on a continuous basis to enforce requirements and meet regulations.
• Monitor the entire quality system to ensure that acceptable levels of performance are maintained.
• Manage continuous improvement project as required.
• Establish and report on appropriate metrics and dashboards to monitor overall quality system health and facilitate quality review board and management review.
• Review and approve cGMP records and documents as required.
• Develop and manage goals and corresponding budget in alignment with company vision and goals.
• Work on complex problems that may have implications across functions, apply strong judgment in resolving problems and make recommendations.
• Lead inspection readiness activities related to Quality Systems.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Quality Systems personnel and functional subject matter experts.
• Recruit talent and build a high performing team, mentor, and coach colleagues.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences with 12+ years’ experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including at least 7 years of experience leading Quality Systems within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or other regulated life sciences industry.
• 5+ years of progressive people-management experience including leading, mentoring, and developing Quality professionals.
• Demonstrated leadership with effective communication skills and an ability to deliver results through teamwork.
• Strong direct experience with Quality Management Systems, including CAPA, Change Control, Deviations, Continuous Improvements and Quality Risk Management.
• Veeva Quality Vault experience preferred.
• Must think critically and be able to make decisions independently, determine appropriate resources for problem resolution, and have strong organizational and planning skills.
• In-depth knowledge of Quality principles, concepts, industry practices, and standards.
• Demonstrated ability to execute strategic and tactical objectives provided by senior leaders both within and outside of Quality.
• Able to effectively communicate vision and expectations to the teams.
• Experience in a global, multi-site, or international GxP environment preferred. #LI-HYBRID

Pay Range:

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of South San Francisco, CA is $225,000 - $262,500. The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. Base salary is just one component of our competitive total compensation package, which includes equity in the form of stock options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipents, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered. If you are excited about what you could accomplish at Cytokinetics and believe you can add value to our team, we would love to hear from you.

Our passion is anchored in robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking. We keep the patient front and center in all we do – all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers. We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer