Program Service Specialist - Deviation Management

UL, LLC; Cumberland (RI); Hybrid; USD 64,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401K and retirement benefits

Paid time off (vacation, holidays, and

Job summary

UL Solutions in Cumberland, RI, is seeking a Program Service Specialist - Deviation Management to lead investigations of product quality deviations across cosmetics, OTC drugs, foods, and more. You will assess risk, determine CAPA actions, and coordinate with suppliers, laboratories, and retailer stakeholders to ensure compliant dispositions.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in a related science field and 2+ years in QA, regulatory compliance, or deviation management, with strong writing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related scientific discipline.
• 2+ years of experience in quality assurance, quality systems, regulatory compliance, laboratory testing, or deviation management.
• Experience in consumer packaged goods sectors such as cosmetics, OTC drugs, foods, dietary supplements.
• Strong understanding of root cause analysis methodologies and CAPA systems.
• Experience reviewing laboratory testing data and technical reports.
• Excellent technical writing, documentation, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex investigations simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
• Experience supporting major retailers testing programs.
• Knowledge of OTC drug monographs, cosmetic regulations, food safety requirements, and retailer quality programs.
• Experience with supplier qualification programs and third-party manufacturing oversight

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end lifecycle of deviations, non-conformances, and failing laboratory test reports.
• Evaluate product failures across chemical, microbiological, physical, labeling, packaging, and performance testing.
• Conduct investigations to determine root cause and assess product impact.
• Review laboratory reports, COAs, specifications, formulations, manufacturing records, supplier documentation, and historical quality data.
• Determine appropriate product disposition, including release, rework, retesting, market withdrawal, or destruction recommendations.
• Ensure investigations are completed within established service-level expectations and retailer requirements.
• Partner with Product Development, Sourcing, Legal, Supplier Management, and Retail Quality teams.
• Communicate investigation status, risk assessments, and recommended actions to stakeholders.
• Provide technical guidance on product quality and compliance issues.

Skills

Technical writing

Communication

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, or related field

Job description

The Program Service Specialist - Deviation Management is responsible for leading the investigation, assessment, resolution, and closure of product quality deviations and failing laboratory test reports across a broad portfolio of consumer packaged goods sold by a major national retailer. Product categories include cosmetics, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, foods, dietary supplements, personal care products, household products, and general merchandise.

This role serves as the primary point of contact for managing non-conforming product issues identified through laboratory testing, retailer surveillance programs, consumer complaints, regulatory inquiries, supplier investigations, and internal quality reviews. The Deviation Manager ensures timely risk assessment, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action (CAPA) development, and communication with suppliers, laboratories, and retailer stakeholders to support compliant and defensible disposition decisions.

The ideal candidate possesses strong technical knowledge of quality systems, regulatory requirements, laboratory testing methodologies, and consumer product safety standards, with the ability to balance compliance, business risk, and operational efficiency.

This is a full-time, hybrid (3 days in-office) position located at 200 Highland Corporate Drive, Cumberland, RI.

Deviation Investigation & Resolution

• Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of deviations, non-conformances, and failing laboratory test reports.

• Evaluate product failures involving chemical, microbiological, physical, labeling, packaging, and performance testing.

• Conduct detailed investigations to determine root cause and assess product impact.

• Review laboratory reports, Certificates of Analysis (COAs), specifications, formulations, manufacturing records, supplier documentation, and historical quality data.

• Determine appropriate product disposition, including release, rework, retesting, market withdrawal, or destruction recommendations.

• Ensure investigations are completed within established service-level expectations and retailer requirements.

Risk Assessment

• Perform risk-based evaluations to determine potential impact on consumer safety, product performance, regulatory compliance, and brand reputation.

• Assess deviations involving:

• OTC drug active ingredient levels

• Microbiological contamination

• Heavy metals and impurities

• Stability failures

• Labeling and claims compliance

• Nutritional discrepancies

• Escalate high-risk findings to senior leadership and retailer stakeholders when necessary.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product Development, Sourcing, Legal, Supplier Management, and Retail Quality teams.

• Communicate investigation status, risk assessments, and recommended actions to stakeholders.

• Provide technical guidance on product quality and compliance issues.

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, or related scientific discipline.

• 2+ years of experience in quality assurance, quality systems, regulatory compliance, laboratory testing, or deviation management.

• Experience managing product quality investigations within consumer packaged goods, cosmetics, OTC drugs, food, dietary supplements, or related industries.

• Strong understanding of root cause analysis methodologies and CAPA systems.

• Experience reviewing laboratory testing data and technical reports.

• Excellent technical writing, documentation, and communication skills.

• Ability to manage multiple complex investigations simultaneously while meeting deadlines.

• Experience supporting major retailers testing programs

• Knowledge of OTC drug monographs, cosmetic regulations, food safety requirements, and retailer quality programs.

• Experience with supplier qualification programs and third-party manufacturing oversight

Total Rewards

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. The estimated salary range for this position is $64,100- $68,000 and is based on multiple factors, including job-related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, as well as other factors. This position is eligible for annual bonus compensation with a target payout of 5% of the base salary. This position also provides health benefits such as medical, dental and vision; wellness benefits such as mental and financial health; and retirement savings (401K) commensurate with the standard rewards offered in each individual location or country. We also provide full-time employees with paid time off including vacation (15 days), holiday and personal days (totaling 12 days), and sick time off (72 hours).

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions (NYSE: ULS) transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 110 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers’ product innovation and business growth. UL Mark serves as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers’ products and reflects an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.

UL LLC has been and will continue to be an equal opportunity employer. To assure full implementation of this equal employment policy, we will take steps to assure that:

Persons are recruited, hired, assigned and promoted without regard to race, color, age, sex or gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, religion, creed, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship, ancestry, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy, marital or familial status, or any other protected category under applicable law.