Associate Vice President, Quality Assurance

Sarah Cannon Research Institute•Usa, TN

7d•Remote

About The Position

The Associate Vice President (AVP), Quality Assurance serves as the organization's highest-ranking Quality leader, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer. This executive role provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for SCRI's Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, industry standards, and organizational policies. The AVP is responsible for driving a culture of quality and continuous improvement across the organization, maintaining a state of ongoing inspection readiness, and advancing quality initiatives that support operational excellence and organizational growth. As a key member of the leadership team, this individual partners closely with stakeholders across the enterprise to strengthen quality processes, mitigate risk, and ensure the highest standards of research integrity, participant safety, and regulatory compliance.

Requirements

Progressive Quality Assurance, Quality Management, or compliance leadership experience in regulated healthcare, clinical research, life sciences, or similar industries.
Experience managing Quality Management Systems, including audits, inspections, CAPA, deviations, change control, training, and quality metrics.
Proven success leading teams, partnering across functions, and driving quality, operational improvements, and business results.
Extensive knowledge of FDA guidelines, GCP, applicable regulations, Quality and Clinical IT Systems and experience
Knowledge of medical and clinical research terminology
Thorough understanding of investigative site research requirements, quality metrics, and performance measures
7+ years' experience interpreting and applying regulatory requirements, translate them to operational practice, and provide practical guidance to leadership and cross-functional business partners.
Highly effective ability to engage with senior leaders, regulators, auditors, and internal stakeholders on quality and compliance matters.
Bachelor's Degree required

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree preferred
RAPS - Regulatory Affairs Certification highly preferred

Responsibilities

Provide senior Quality leadership and operational direction to support consistent execution of the Quality function across SCRI in alignment with organizational objectives.
Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing Quality Assurance team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and operational excellence.
Establish clear goals, performance expectations, and development plans for Quality staff, ensuring the team has the capabilities and resources needed to support organizational growth and evolving regulatory requirements.
Build and sustain strong partnerships across departments, serving as a strategic advisor to executive leadership and key stakeholders on quality, compliance, and risk management matters.
Maintain, optimize, and continuously improve the established Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure it remains effective, risk-based, scalable, and responsive to business and regulatory requirements.
Ensure regulatory compliance and sustained inspection readiness through oversight of policies, procedures, training, documentation practices, and quality oversight activities.
Oversee audits, inspections, CAPA, deviations, investigations, and quality metrics, using trend analysis and risk evaluation to support timely and effective resolution of quality issues.
Advance continuous improvement efforts that strengthen quality processes, systems, and performance measures in alignment with regulatory expectations and business priorities.
Drive organizational quality initiatives by promoting best practices, change management, and cross-functional engagement to enhance quality culture and enterprise-wide compliance.
Manage departmental priorities, budgets, and resource allocation to ensure efficient and effective delivery of Quality Assurance services and strategic objectives.