Senior Quality Specialist

Job ID: 31157559Company: Abbott LaboratoriesLocation: United States - California - AlamedaJob Type: Full timeCategory: QualityIndustry: HealthcarePosted Date: 2026-08-07Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.Sr. Quality Specialist Working at AbbottAt Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution.Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.The Opportunity This role offers the opportunity to lead complex quality and regulatory initiatives that directly impact patient safety, compliance, and business operations. The individual will be responsible for complaint assessments, regulatory reporting decisions, and the preparation of submissions such as MDRs, MedWatch, and Vigilance reports while serving as a key liaison with regulatory authorities and customers. The position also provides significant cross-functional leadership exposure, partnering with teams across complaint handling, customer service, medical affairs, product quality, and clinical research to drive process improvements and quality system effectiveness. In addition, the role owns critical supplier quality activities, including qualification and risk assessment processes, while independently driving projects, influencing stakeholders, and ensuring compliance across a global organization. This position is an onsite role based in Alameda, CA, with occasional domestic and international travel (up to 10%) required.What You’ll Work OnIndependently lead groups and projects to resolve complex issues. analyze complex problems and identify their impact. establish probabilities. draw conclusions reflecting broad business needs. ensure compliance.Review complaint communications and assess for regulatory compliance, reportability, and potential impact to patient safety and business operations.Establish regulatory reportability decisions using event investigation and regulatory decision models.Lead supplier quality assurance activities to ensure compliance with internal quality standards and applicable regulations, including ISO 13485, FDA QSR, MDR/IVDR, and other global requirements.Write Medical Device Reports (MDRs), MedWatch, Vigilance, and other regulatory reports, ensuring timely transmission to the appropriate regulatory authorities.Compose written communications detailing the clinical observation, investigation and/or product analysis, and corrective actions, as applicable, to end use customers or regulatory bodiesCross-functionally lead alignment between departments and/or divisions which may include complaint handling, customer service, medical events, and product quality.Cross-functionally lead Quality System process improvements which may include training, corrective action and preventive action (CAPA) activities, equipment maintenance, product and process planning, quality audits, validation, product development/clinical research, design control activities, complaints, and post market surveillance.Work may require collaboration with other Division sites and/or other Abbott divisions.Responsible for completing documentation in a timely manner and in accordance with business standards.Travel up to 10% of the time both domestically and internationally to support organizational goalsUnderstand and comply with applicable EHS policies, procedures and guidelines.Works under general direction; independently determines and develops approach to solutions; work is reviewed upon completion for adequacy in meeting objectives.Makes timely and effective decisions related to business issues within scope of responsibility; appropriately elevates high risk issues / decisions; identifies and quantifies risks and their consequences relative to the success of a project / task; recommends appropriate action; decisions or recommendations would typically achieve departmental / project objectives.Drives functional performance that ensures cross-functional standards and expectations are metRequired QualificationsBachelor’s Degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience5 years relevant experience, such as Quality, Compliance, Engineering, within a regulated environment, such as medical device, diagnostics, or pharmaceutical industries, to develop the competence required to meet the skills and responsibilities of the position.Knowledge of applicable US and non-US Quality System Requirements and other relevant regulations for medical devices. Previous experience with regulatory body.Knowledge of software regulations and compliance (21 CFR Part 11)Knowledge of ISO 13485; knowledge of consumer regulations a bonus.Knowledge of quality management techniques and the application and principles of quality engineering. Strong knowledge and application of concepts, practices and procedures. Ability or aptitude to work on problems that are complex in scope where analysis of situations or data involves multiple competing factors. Understanding of statistics.Ability to form and develop interpersonal, professional relationships; display socially and professionally appropriate behavior.Ability to work independently and in groups; ability to work cross-functionally.Demonstrated initiative and problem-solving skills and critical-thinking skills.Ability and aptitude to use various types of databases and other computer software.Ability to prioritize. Strong organizational and project management skills.Ability or aptitude to lead without direct authorityApply NowLearn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.Connect with us at , on Facebook at , and on Twitter @AbbottNews.Divisional InformationMedical DevicesGeneral Medical Devices:Our medical devices help more than 10,000 people have healthier hearts, improve quality of life for thousands of people living with chronic pain and movement disorders, and liberate more than 500,000 people with diabetes from routine fingersticks.CRMAs a global leader in Cardiac Rhythm Technologies, we focus on innovative technologies that can improve the way doctors treat people with heart arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats.DiabetesWe’re focused on helping people with diabetes manage their health with life-changing products that provide accurate data to drive better-informed decisions. We’re revolutionizing the way people monitor their glucose levels with our new sensing technology.VascularAbbott Vascular provides innovative, minimally invasive, and cost-effective products for the treatment of vascular disease.NeuromodulationOur Neuromodulation business includes implantable devices compatible with mobile technology to help people who suffer from chronic pain and movement disorders. These non-opioid therapies allow us to provide interventional pain therapy to patients throughout the pain continuum.Structural HeartStructural Heart Business Mission: Why We ExistOur business purpose is to restore health and improve quality of life by designing and providing device and management solutions for treating structural heart disease.EPIn Abbott’s Electrophysiology (EP) business, we’re advancing the treatment of heart disease through breakthrough medical technologies in atrial fibrillation, allowing people to restore their health and get on with their lives.HFIn Abbott’s Heart Failure (HF) business, we’re developing solutions to diagnose, monitor and manage heart failure, allowing people to restore their health and get on with their lives.DiagnosticsWe’re empowering smarter medical and economic decision-making to help transform the way people manage their health at all stages of life. Every day, more than 10 million tests are run on Abbott’s diagnostics instruments, providing lab results for millions of people.Our Point of Care diagnostic portfolio spans key health and therapeutic areas, including infectious disease, cardiometabolic, informatics, and toxicology.Our diagnostic solutions are used in hospitals, laboratories, and clinics around the globe. The crucial information derived from our tests, instruments, and informatics systems is often the first step in patient care decision-making for hundreds of health conditions from heart attacks to blood disorders to infectious diseases and cancers.Our rapid diagnostics solutions are helping address some of the world’s greatest healthcare challenges.Our molecular division delivers best-in-class innovative testing solutions for people around the world to provide answers to life’s critical health decisions. We help people live full and healthy lives through our accessible, molecular-based solutions.NutritionOur nutrition business develops science-based nutrition products for people of all ages, from helping babies and children grow to keeping adult bodies strong and active. Millions of people around the world count on our leading brands – including Similac, PediaSure, Pedialyte, Ensure, and Glucerna – to help them get the nutrients they need to live their healthiest lives.The base pay for this position is $90,000.00 – $180,000.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.Skillscapaproject managementstakeholder managementpreventive action planningregulatory reportingvalidationcomplaint assessmentsupplier quality assurancequality managementmedical device regulationsmdr submissioncritical thinkingiso 13485fda qsrvigilance report writingcorrective action planning21 cfr part 11risk assessmentquality auditsdatabase management