Assistant Director/Associate Director, GMP Quality – Drug Substance (Clinical & Commercial) jobs in United States
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Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. · 14 hours ago

Assistant Director/Associate Director, GMP Quality – Drug Substance (Clinical & Commercial)

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a company headquartered in Carlsbad, California, specializing in RNA-targeted medicines. They are seeking an experienced Assistant Director/Associate Director, GMP Quality – Drug Substance to lead and oversee Quality Assurance activities supporting both clinical and commercial Drug Substance manufacturing and testing.

BiotechnologyHealth CareMedicalPharmaceutical
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H1B Sponsor Likelynote

Responsibilities

Lead and manage GMP Quality Assurance activities supporting internal and external Drug Substance and Intermediate manufacturing, testing, and release
May manage, mentor, and develop QA staff and/or provide functional leadership to matrixed teams, depending on organizational needs
Provide QA oversight across clinical and commercial programs, ensuring phase-appropriate compliance and inspection readiness
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance compliance, efficiency, and product quality
Collaborate cross-functionally with Technical Operations, CMC, Regulatory, Clinical, Supply Chain, and IT teams. Communicate quality- or supply-impacting issues clearly to internal and external stakeholders
Oversee and execute core Quality Management System (QMS) processes, including batch record review, deviations, investigations, CAPAs, change control, OOS/OOT management, risk management, validation, and training compliance
Review and approve technical and quality documentation, including validation reports, stability data, and APQR/QMR inputs
Utilize enterprise quality systems, including SAP and Veeva, to support compliant and efficient quality operations
Serve as the primary QA interface for contract manufacturing and testing organizations (CMOs), including review and approval of manufacturing documentation, analytical data, deviations, changes, and validation packages
Participate in real-time QA decision-making during critical manufacturing operations
Support and lead regulatory inspections, partner audits, and Qualified Person (QP) interactions
Support new quality initiatives and cross-functional projects
Apply strong cGMP knowledge in daily activities
Perform additional duties as assigned

Qualification

GMP Quality AssuranceCGMP knowledgeDrug Substance manufacturingSAPVeevaAnalytical skillsCommunication skillsLeadership skillsCritical thinkingProject management

Required

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Engineering, or a related discipline (advanced degree preferred)
10–12+ years of pharmaceutical industry experience, including 7–8+ years in Quality Assurance within a cGMP environment
Demonstrated experience supporting Drug Substance manufacturing across both clinical and commercial stages
Strong knowledge of global cGMP regulations (FDA, EMA, ICH, etc.)
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing business needs

Preferred

Advanced degree in Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Engineering, or a related discipline
Experience with SAP and Veeva systems is highly desired
Strong analytical, technical, and critical-thinking skills with experience in manufacturing

Benefits

Ionis offers an excellent benefits package!

Company

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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For three decades, Ionis has invented medicines that bring better futures to people with serious diseases.

H1B Sponsorship

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (8)
2024 (5)
2023 (3)
2022 (5)
2021 (5)
2020 (1)

Funding

Current Stage
Public Company
Total Funding
$2.45B
2025-11-13Post Ipo Debt· $700M
2024-09-09Post Ipo Equity· $500.3M
2023-06-06Post Ipo Debt· $500M

Leadership Team

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Brett P. Monia
Chief Executive Officer
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Eric Bastings
Senior Vice President, Development Strategy
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Company data provided by crunchbase