Quality Site Head, Novato Operations

BioMarin is the world leader in delivering therapeutics that provide meaningful advances to patients who live with serious and life-threatening rare genetic diseases. We target diseases that lack effective therapies and affect relatively small numbers of patients, many of whom are children. These conditions are often inherited, difficult to diagnose, progressively debilitating and have few, if any, treatment options. BioMarin will continue to focus on advancing therapies that are the first or best of their kind.

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. Come join our team and make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.

Quality Site Head, Novato Operations

The Quality Site Head is a highly motivated technically knowledgeable leader with proven abilities to direct quality assurance activities across the Novato, CA Site Quality organization. The successful candidate will strengthen the Quality culture and ensure the manufactured product meets all company standards and government regulations. This leader will develop a high performing team and provides leadership and guidance to the organization. By providing strategic direction, setting clear expectations, goals and metrics, the leader is accountable for all activities related to commercial production generated at Novato. These products and late-stage projects span different platforms including biologics, gene therapies, and E coli production. The leader would champion continuous improvement to reduce variability in commercial production and to maintain high quality product.

This position required a broad range of knowledge and experience with biologic processes, drug development, analytical testing methods, lot disposition decisions, tech transfers, and understanding of the international regulatory landscape.

This is an Executive Director position, reporting to the VP Global Quality Operations, and is responsible for Novato Quality Control and Infrastructure, Quality Assurance Operations, and Site Quality System. This position will sit on the Global Quality Leadership Team and is a member of the Global External Operations Leadership Team.

 

SCOPE

People Leader, with a team of nearly 200 employees, working to make quality product for patients.

 Leadership Responsibilities:

• Direct activities within the Novato Site Quality Organization to ensure manufactured product meets company quality standards and government regulations.
• Engage in developing strategic goals and objectives that align with TOPS and Global Quality.
• Partner and align with Quality Site Heads to drive Global Quality Strategic initiatives toward achieving the Fit For Growth strategic targets.
• Maintain full strategic responsibility for activities that monitor, review, test, report and monitor all commercial programs.
• Lead and engage the site quality review team (SQRT) process to ensure site regulatory compliance and to identify opportunities for continual improvement of products, processes and the quality system itself.
• Manage development and performance of direct reports in appropriate ways that ensure they enjoy their career at BioMarin and are in the right role to achieve organizational and department goals with a productive environment.
• Manage and administer all aspects of people processes related to the employee life cycle. This includes the selection, hiring and training of personnel on company and department policies, systems and processes. Manage and communicate compensation related information per company guidelines.
• Coach and develop staff by providing an environment that encourages ongoing personal and professional growth. Manage and ensure the setting of realistic development goals for staff and provide regularly scheduled feedback throughout the year. Ensure staff receives appropriate knowledge and skill development and growth opportunities.
• Engage and lead your team to:
• Set operational objectives and business goals for their groups.
• Establish and monitor performance measures and objectives for the department.
• Optimize resources, looking for cross functional opportunities that create interesting roles and reducing handoffs.
• Approve and oversee improvements to Quality operational policies, plans and procedures.
• Forecast and set department budget.
• Monitor and control expenditures against department budget.
• Establish overall Quality objectives and long-range goals.
• Prioritize, direct and participate in continuous improvement initiatives.
• Notify Senior Management of significant quality or regulatory issues that may impact product quality or regulatory compliance in a timely and succinct manner.
• Review and sign documents as appropriate, such as APR, Investigations, CAPAs, technical documents, Quality Technical Agreement, etc.
• Demonstrate behaviors as identified in the TOPS Leadership Behaviors.
• Perform any other tasks as requested by Executive Management to support Quality oversight activities.

 Technical Responsibilities: 

• Establish overall site Quality organizational, managerial, and accountability structures.
• Direct and provide guidance on Quality matters.
• Align philosophies, processes and policies with the rest of the Quality organization.
• Serve as the decision-maker and spokesperson for Quality operational issues at the Novato site.
• Interpret and apply applicable 21CFR, USP, EP, JP, and ICH regulatory guidelines and directives
• Allocates, administers and directs resources to ensure staff receives appropriate development opportunities to support the business, achieve department goals and meet business objectives.
• Provide technical direction and leadership to direct the quality review of product documentation, including deviations, investigations CAPAs and HA observations.
• Interface with Senior Management to set policy on product quality and assure adherence to company and governmental standards.
• Interact on an ongoing basis with both internal and external business partners in Manufacturing/ Process Sciences to resolve operational issues.
• Shape and influence Quality perspective and actions based on regulatory inspections and third-party audits.
• Partner with the Manufacturing Site Head to create a strong quality culture across the site.
• Create strong partnerships with key business partners, such as Regulatory Affairs, Compliance, Supply Chain and Process Sciences and demonstrate Quality as a competitive advantage.
• Direct the compilation of appropriate quality performance measures, including analysis and recommendations for process improvement for Senior Management.
• Provide expert interpretation and application of regulatory guidelines to ensure manufacturing operations, facilities, and documentation adhere to regulatory requirements, company procedures, and are consistent with industry standards.

 
EDUCATION

BS/MS/B.Sc/M.Sc./PhD in the life sciences or engineering.

 

EXPERIENCE

• 15+ years relevant experience in pharmaceutical or related industry
• 10+ years supervising, managing and directing teams
• Demonstrated knowledge of cGMPs, Global Health Authority regulations and guidelines, Quality Systems and technical expertise in Drug Substance/Drug Product/Finished Goods manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated ability in implementing processes to deliver results.
• Knowledge of devices, combination products and device development desirable.
• Expertise in representing the company to Health Authorities.
• International/global experience preferred.
• Training and experience with six sigma tools preferred.
• Experience with CMOs and CTOs preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change across an organization.
• Proven collaboration skills coordinating across organizational areas.
• Ability to interpret and relate Quality standards across a large, diverse team.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally in written and verbal formats.

 

CONTACTS

This position will interact with all other departments throughout the organization. This position will partner and influence with Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Compliance, Process Sciences, Finance, MSATS, and other departments as required. This position requires constant contact with Senior Management across the organization.

PLEASE NOTE: Absent a Medical or Religious reason that prohibits vaccinations, all our incoming employees must be vaccinated for COVID-19.

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