Quality Assurance Analyst

At Houston Methodist, the Quality Assurance Analyst position is responsible for working with specified clinical research teams to conduct ongoing quality assurance reviews of clinical research studies, assess site readiness and develop site specific education and processes to ensure compliance with federal, state laws and Houston Methodist Research Institute (HMRI) requirements. This position will monitor and evaluate ongoing quality and compliance standards, along with regulatory and clinical trial trends/actions, with regular reports to QA management. The Quality Assurance Analyst position assists with preparation and/or assists during regulatory inspections.

FLSA STATUS
Exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences or related field from an accredited college or university

EXPERIENCE

• Three years Clinical Trial Coordinator or equivalent experience
• Quality Assurance/Regulatory Compliance experience within an FDA regulated industry, preferably devices, diagnostics or pharmaceuticals desirable
• Regulatory audit exposure with US-FDA preferred

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• Must have one of the following certifications: CCRP, CCRA, CCRC, ACRP-CP within 1 year

Preferred

• Certification in Quality Auditing or Quality Assurance

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Excellent working knowledge of FDA regulations and GCP guidelines
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent working knowledge of the clinical trial operations
• Ability to develop Quality Assurance strategy and implementation
• Ability to identify and/or resolve quality issues/discrepancies with others in a proactive diplomatic, flexible, and constructive manner
• Ability to work in a team environment with effective leadership skills

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assists institutional investigators and other members of the research team, by providing education and training regarding processes and procedures governing clinical research activities which can be ad-hoc, remote/teleconferences, or face-to-face sessions with the entire research team.
• Partners with specific research teams to identify potential changes and opportunities for improvement, within department and/or study-specific SOPs, policies, training materials, and other documents, as needed.
• Promotes a positive work environment and contributes to a dynamic, team-focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal department results. Encourages interdepartmental, as well as institution-wide communication, as it relates to clinical research studies.
• Contributes towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e. peer-to-peer accountability.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Educates and mentors research team with interpretation of regulatory requirements, e.g., GCPs, SOP requirements, and other guidance documents, as applicable.
• Assists other Research Protections staff, as needed, including IRB, IBC, RSC, and HSC. Provides timely feedback to stakeholders to facilitate swift and efficient process improvement.
• Evaluates site readiness based on HMRI standards prior to start date of a new clinical trial.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Conducts feasibility assessments, ongoing quality assurance reviews of clinical research studies, with the goal of assessing site readiness. Develops site-specific education and processes within specified research teams.
• Coordinates monthly Clinical Research Education Series, the Clinical Research Orientation Program (CROP), and the annual Clinical Research Conference.
• Meets regularly with the clinical trial manager(s) and Principal Investigators (PIs) to discuss quality/compliance trends.
• Monitors and evaluates ongoing quality and compliance standards, along with regulatory and clinical trial trends/actions, with regular reports to QA management. Assists with preparation and/or assists during regulatory inspections.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies cost saving initiatives within the department and communicates recommendations to Sr Quality Assurance Analyst and/or management.
• Utilizes resources with cost effectiveness and value creation in mind. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, assisting coworkers as needed.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Analyzes responses to monitoring and audit reports; collaborates with the research team to follow-up with respondents, management, or others, if needed, to ensure resolution.
• Seeks opportunities to identify self-development needs and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform: No
• Scrubs: No
• Business professional: Yes
• Other (department approved): Yes

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* No

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences or related field from an accredited college or university

EXPERIENCE

• Three years Clinical Trial Coordinator or equivalent experience
• Quality Assurance/Regulatory Compliance experience within an FDA regulated industry, preferably devices, diagnostics or pharmaceuticals desirable
• Regulatory audit exposure with US-FDA preferred

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• Must have one of the following certifications: CCRP, CCRA, CCRC, ACRP-CP within 1 year

Preferred

• Certification in Quality Auditing or Quality Assurance