CQA Vendor Oversight and Quality Assurance Lead (US)

Job Description

The CQA Vendor Oversight and Quality Assurance Lead role will own the quality oversight of external partners supporting R&D and regulated activities (e.g., CROs, CMOs, laboratories, technology vendors). Lead the end-to-end vendor lifecycle—due diligence, qualification, quality agreements, risk based monitoring, issue management, and continuous improvement—ensuring adherence to GLP/GCP/GMP/GVP, data integrity and applicable regulations. This role partners closely with Clinical, Nonclinical, CMC, Safety, Procurement, Legal, and IT to enable compliant, reliable delivery from third parties.

Main Responsibilities and Accountabilities: 
1. Vendor Lifecycle & Governance

• Define and execute risk-based vendor qualification and requalification strategies (paper assessments, remote/onsite diligence assessments, performance reviews).
• In collaboration with R&D/Technical/Legal and QA Functional teams contribute to drafting, negotiating, and maintain Quality Agreements aligned to master service agreements (roles/responsibilities, quality standards, change control, deviation management, data integrity, and inspection support).
• Establish and assure upkeep of vendor KPIs/SLAs, quality dashboards, and governance forums for performance, risk, and remediation tracking.
• Lead periodic vendor reviews (e.g., QBRs) as appropriate, ensuring KPIs achieve target level, actions, and corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) are implemented/verified to assure the overall health of the relationship.

2. Inspections

• Support planning of routine GxP audits of CROs, CMOs, labs, and system/service providers; ensuring findings are classified, graded, and reported internally and externally.
• Liaise with Vendors/Suppliers to assure corrective and preventative CAPA’s are defined and fit-for-purpose. Perform follow up effectiveness checks.
• Coordinate inspection readiness and provide front/backroom support when third party services are in scope, support development of storyboards.
• Maintain auditee scheduling, auditor qualification, and audit program metrics.

3. Quality Systems & Compliance

• Ensure vendor practices meet GLP/GCP/GMP/GVP, ICH, OECD, ISO, and data integrity principles (ALCOA+) as well as other function specific guidelines, regulations, standards.
• Provide input to deviation, complaint, change control, and CAPA processes involving third parties; participate in root cause analysis where appropriate.
• Contribute to the Quality Management System (QMS)—procedures, templates, and training—for third party oversight.

4. Risk Management & Continuous Improvement

• Lead risk assessments (e.g., risk registers, FMEA) to prioritize controls and monitoring frequency for specific vendors/suppliers.
• Drive quality improvements with vendors (process robustness, right first time (cycle time reduction, etc.).
• Analyze trends (audit findings, deviations, complaints) and present management reviews with actionable insights.

5. Cross Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Clinical Operations, Nonclinical, CMC, Safety, Supply Chain, Procurement, Legal, and IT to embed quality requirements in scopes of work and contracts.
• Provide guidance during technology transfers, method validations, sample handling, and data flows between sponsor and vendors.
• Act as CSL Person-in-Plant as appropriate to provide contemporaneous quality support to CSL specific vendor operations.
• Train internal stakeholders on third party quality expectations and best practices.

6. Maintain and share knowledge of Regulations and Requirements

• Stay current and up to date with GxP regulations and requirements related to audit management as well as industry/regulatory trends in this area.
• Identify and/or create new requirements to ensure a high level of quality and communicate internally.

Education
Bachelor’s degree in relevant scientific discipline

Experience

• 3+ years of GxP quality experience with direct vendor/CRO/CMO oversight and/or auditing (GLP/GCP/GMP). 
• Demonstrated knowledge of one or more of the following ICH (e.g., E6(R2)/E8(R1)/Q9(R1)), OECD GLP, FDA, EMA, EU Annex 11/21 CFR Part 11, and data integrity (ALCOA+). 
• Effective communication and negotiation skills.

Competencies

• Ability to work with limited supervision and with multinational teams and external suppliers speaking different languages.
• Strong analytical and demonstrated problem solving skills, excellent interpersonal/communication/influencing/negotiation skills, and excellent organizational skills with respect to planning / tracking and timelines.
• Demonstrated knowledge of QMS implementation and regulatory frameworks. 
• A strong understanding of the requirements for Quality Assurance in relevant GxP discipline.
• Experience in audit/inspection management and processes.

Travel: This role will include up to 50% travel

About CSL Behring

CSL Behring is a global biotherapeutics leader driven by our promise to save lives. Focused on serving patients’ needs by using the latest technologies, we discover, develop and deliver innovative therapies for people living with conditions in the immunology, hematology, cardiovascular and metabolic, respiratory, and transplant therapeutic areas. We use three strategic scientific platforms of plasma fractionation, recombinant protein technology, and cell and gene therapy to support continued innovation and continually refine ways in which products can address unmet medical needs and help patients lead full lives.

CSL Behring operates one of the world’s largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. Our parent company, CSL, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, employs 32,000 people, and delivers its lifesaving therapies to people in more than 100 countries.

To learn more about CSL, CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor  visit and CSL Plasma at

 

Our Benefits

For more information on CSL benefits visit How CSL Supports Your Well-being | CSL.

 

You Belong at CSL

At CSL, Inclusion and Belonging is at the core of our mission and who we are. It fuels our innovation day in and day out. By celebrating our differences and creating a culture of curiosity and empathy, we are able to better understand and connect with our patients and donors, foster strong relationships with our stakeholders, and sustain a diverse workforce that will move our company and industry into the future.

To learn more about inclusion and belonging visit -and-belonging

 

Equal Opportunity Employer

CSL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please visit -statement.