The Manager – Regulatory Operations provides leadership, supervision, and line management for the Regulatory Start-Up team. The role ensures staff are appropriately trained and supported in the execution of clinical trial regulatory start-up activities, including Regulatory Authority (RA) and Ethics Committee (EC) submissions and approvals, site identification, and regulatory intelligence. Responsibilities are carried out in accordance with:
- ICH-GCP guidelines
- Local regulatory requirements
- Company and client Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Project Agreements
The Manager is responsible for team leadership, operational oversight, staff development, and ensuring timely and high-quality regulatory start-up deliverables.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & People Management
- Lead, mentor, and manage members of the Regulatory Start-Up team.
- Oversee onboarding and ensure completion of company induction requirements.
- Ensure staff understand and comply with company policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
- Conduct regular one-on-one meetings to review workload, performance, career development, and employee well-being.
- Establish performance goals and conduct probationary and annual performance evaluations.
- Develop succession plans and support employee career progression.
- Monitor staff performance and provide coaching and feedback.
- Approve leave requests, expense reports, and timesheets.
- Collaborate with Human Resources and department leadership on recruitment and workforce planning.
- Participate in interviewing and hiring new employees.
- Partner with Learning & Development to identify training needs and support staff development.
- Contribute to departmental meetings, process improvements, and development of Regulatory Start-Up SOPs.
- Monitor team utilization and resource allocation.
Project Execution & Regulatory Start-Up
- Provide oversight for the planning, preparation, review, and submission of Regulatory Authority (RA) and Ethics Committee (EC) applications to support timely clinical trial approvals.
- Review investigational product packaging and labeling documentation.
- Prepare, review, and submit import/export permits and licenses for investigational products.
- Review and approve essential clinical trial documents, including:
- Participant Information Sheets (PIS)
- Review Regulatory Green Light packages supporting investigational product release.
- Develop and maintain project tracking tools to monitor milestones, timelines, and performance metrics.
- Participate in project team meetings and provide regulatory start-up expertise.
- Represent Regulatory Start-Up during client meetings and contribute to study start-up strategies and timelines.
- Serve as a local regulatory expert, providing guidance on clinical trial regulations, ethics submissions, approvals, and regulatory intelligence.
- Establish and maintain relationships with external vendors supporting study start-up activities, including:
- Central laboratories
- Regulatory consultants
Operational Excellence
- Ensure compliance with company policies, SOPs, and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiencies.
- Support the development and revision of departmental SOPs and guidance documents.
- Participate in company initiatives related to Regulatory Start-Up operations.
- Maintain a high standard of professionalism in all interactions with clients, investigators, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
Business Development Support
- Monitor local clinical trial regulations and industry developments.
- Advise Operations and Business Development teams regarding country-specific regulatory requirements.
- Identify opportunities to expand services within existing client projects.
- Provide regulatory strategy guidance during proposal development and bid defense meetings.
- Oversee external contractors performing regulatory registration or marketing support activities.
- Represent the organization at industry conferences and professional meetings.
Site Identification & Feasibility
- Lead strategic site identification activities to support successful clinical trial start-up.
- Manage site identification specialists and provide leadership for feasibility assessments.
- Evaluate potential investigational sites based on protocol requirements, patient population, regulatory considerations, and operational feasibility.
- Collaborate with Project Management to define site selection criteria.
- Review clinical protocols and regulatory guidance to support effective site selection.
- Maintain site intelligence databases and country-specific site information.
- Collaborate with Clinical Operations, Project Management, Quality Assurance, and Country Leadership to collect and maintain site intelligence.
- Oversee confidentiality processes to ensure appropriate agreements are in place before study discussions.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of site identification and feasibility activities.