Senior Quality Assurance Specialist - Drug Substance

Cytokinetics is 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.

Reporting to the Associate Director for QA at Cytokinetics the QA Specialist for Drug Substance  will perform review of batch documentation as part of the QA certification process.  The role involves oversight and review of documentation relating to manufacturing, testing, release, and lifecycle management activities performed by Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs), Contract Testing Laboratories (CTLs), and other GxP service providers.

The candidate will be part of a team that provides QA support and advice to internal and external customers and will execute day-to-day quality issues as they arise at Cytokinetics. They will be part of teams who work with Contract Manufactures for Drug product (DP). The role will provide support to the Qualified Person (QP) function to oversee our QA activities as we continue to supply our products.

Responsibilities

• Provide GMP Quality Assurance oversight for clinical and commercial manufacturing, and distribution activities performed at Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs).
• Perform Quality review of clinical and commercial batch records and supporting documentation to ensure compliance with cGMP requirements, approved manufacturing instructions and regulatory filings.
• Review manufacturing, and testing documentation to support batch disposition and product release.
• Review and approve deviations, investigations, CAPAs, change controls and associated Quality Management System records to ensure timely resolution and appropriate root cause analysis.
• Assess quality events for potential product impact and support risk-based quality decisions.
• Provide Quality support for technology transfers, process validation, engineering batches, process performance qualification (PPQ) and commercial launch activities.
• Review and approve GMP documentation including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Master Batch Records, specifications, protocols, reports and work instructions.
• Participate as the Quality representative on cross-functional teams supporting clinical and commercial programs.
• Support implementation of manufacturing, packaging and process improvements through the change management process.
• Ensure compliance with Cytokinetics Quality Management System requirements, cGMP regulations and applicable global regulatory expectations.
• Support qualification and ongoing Quality oversight of CMOs, contract laboratories and other GMP service providers.
• Participate in internal audits, supplier audits and regulatory inspections, including inspection readiness activities and support for responses to audit observations.
• Support Product Quality Reviews (PQRs), Annual Product Reviews (APRs), Quality Management Reviews and Quality Metrics reporting.
• Collaborate with Regulatory Affairs, Technical Operations, Supply Chain and Manufacturing partners to support CMC submissions, post-approval changes and regulatory commitments.
• Maintain GMP documentation and Quality records within the electronic Quality Management System (eQMS).
• Identify opportunities to improve Quality Systems and GMP processes and participate in continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide guidance to internal stakeholders and external partners on GMP quality requirements.
• Perform other Quality Assurance duties as assigned to support business objectives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific, engineering or technical discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience within the biopharmaceutical or pharmaceutical industry, with at least 3 years in GMP Quality Assurance.
• Experience supporting clinical and/or commercial pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Experience with oral solid dose pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging.
• Working knowledge of US FDA, EU EMA and ICH cGMP regulations and industry guidance.
• Experience reviewing GMP batch documentation and supporting batch disposition activities.
• Experience managing or reviewing deviations, investigations, CAPAs, change controls and other Quality System records.
• Experience supporting Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs) and external manufacturing operations.
• Experience participating in GMP audits and regulatory inspections.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively across multiple functions and external partners.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
• Experience authoring and reviewing SOPs and controlled GMP documentation.
• Experience using electronic Quality Management Systems (eQMS), preferably Veeva Quality, TrackWise or similar platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting commercial product launches.
• Experience supporting technology transfer and process validation activities.
• Knowledge of ICH Q7, Q8, Q9 and Q10 guidance.
• Experience working within a global external manufacturing network.
• Continuous improvement or Lean Six Sigma experience is desirable.

 

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Pay Range:

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of South San Francisco, CA is $140,400-$163,800. 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 stipends, 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.

Please review our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy PRIOR to applying.  

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.

Fraud Warning: How to Identify Impersonated Cytokinetics Job Postings and Offers

Recently, there have been fraudulent employment offers being sent to candidates on behalf of Cytokinetics. Please be advised that all legitimate offers from Cytokinetics will come directly from our official email domain (Cytokinetics.com) and will only be made after completing a formal interview process.

Here are some ways to check for authenticity:

• We do not conduct job interviews through non-standard text messaging applications

• We will never request personal information such as banking details until after an official offer has been accepted and verified

• We will never request that you purchase equipment or other items when interviewing or hiring

• If you are unsure about the authenticity of an offer, or if you receive any suspicious communication, please contact us directly at talentacquisition@cytokinetics.com

Please visit our website at: www.cytokinetics.com

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer