Global Animal Welfare Specialist and Risk Assessment Lead

Zoetis•Kalamazoo, MI

About The Position

The Global Animal Welfare Specialist and Risk Assessment Lead is a strategic and operational leader responsible for advancing animal welfare standards across a global research enterprise. The role advises institutional animal care and use programs worldwide, assesses and mitigates risk through external site evaluations and vendor oversight, leads regulatory and accreditation readiness, and optimizes electronic systems that support global compliance. It requires deep scientific and regulatory knowledge, a collaborative leadership style, and the ability to work across multiple sites, time zones, and regulatory jurisdictions. The role advises global Oversight Bodies on regulatory requirements, protocol review standards, and institutional compliance obligations, and leads the development and improvement of Global Animal Welfare Policies and Post Approval Monitoring (PAM). It harmonizes PAM programs across sites while accounting for regional requirements, and leads PAM activities for the Kalamazoo and Richland sites in partnership with veterinarians, facility managers, and research teams. The position mentors colleagues pursuing CPIA certification and fosters continued learning within the animal welfare and compliance team. It applies knowledge of GLP, GCP, and GMP quality systems, and supports regulatory inspections and accreditation visits as a subject matter expert. It also oversees electronic IACUC management systems and related process improvements. The role owns risk assessments for external vendors, CROs, and collaborating institutions conducting company-sponsored animal research. This includes developing risk tiers, conducting and documenting due diligence visits, tracking findings through remediation, managing vendor and CRO qualification, and maintaining a dashboard of site risk, visit history, upcoming assessments, and findings. In partnership with the Head, Global Animal Welfare Risk Management, the role also supports harmonization of global IACUC operations, policies, procedures, protocol review, templates, and practices while accommodating regional requirements and institutional priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a life science, veterinary, or related field.
Significant experience in IACUC administration, laboratory animal science, or a closely related regulatory or compliance field.
Demonstrated knowledge of applicable regulations and guidelines, including the Animal Welfare Act, Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and AAALAC standards.
Experience working within or alongside GLP, GCP, and/or GMP quality systems.
Proven ability to manage cross-functional projects and lead process improvement initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
CPIA certification or active pursuit of CPIA certification.
Experience with multi-site or global IACUC programs.
Familiarity with electronic IACUC management platforms.
Experience conducting vendor/CRO due diligence audits or risk-based site visits.
Strong analytical and data visualization skills, particularly building compliance dashboards or reporting tools.

Responsibilities

Advise global Oversight Bodies on regulatory requirements, protocol review standards, and institutional compliance obligations.
Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Global Animal Welfare Policies and Post Approval Monitoring (PAM).
Harmonize PAM programs across global sites while accommodating regional regulatory requirements.
Lead PAM activities for the Kalamazoo and Richland sites.
Partner with veterinarians, facility managers, and research teams to maintain compliant animal care and use programs at Kalamazoo and Richland.
Mentor and coach colleagues pursuing CPIA certification and foster professional development within the animal welfare and compliance team.
Apply GLP, GCP, and GMP quality-system knowledge to align animal welfare programs with organizational compliance frameworks.
Provide guidance during regulatory inspections, including USDA APHIS and FDA inspections, and accreditation site visits, including AAALAC International visits.
Oversee electronic IACUC management systems, including administration, upgrades, and migrations.
Lead process optimization for electronic systems associated with Global Animal Welfare.
Own end-to-end risk assessments for external vendors, CROs, and collaborating institutions conducting company-sponsored animal research.
Develop and maintain a risk-tiering framework to prioritize oversight activities according to the nature, volume, and complexity of animal use.
Schedule, conduct, and document animal welfare due diligence site visits; assign risk ratings and track findings through remediation and closure.
Lead vendor and CRO selection, qualification, and ongoing management in alignment with global animal welfare policies and quality expectations.
Design, implement, and maintain a third-party animal welfare dashboard showing site risk status, visit history, upcoming assessments, and outstanding findings.
Support harmonization of global IACUC operations in partnership with the Head, Global Animal Welfare Risk Management.
Contribute to alignment of policies, procedures, protocol review processes, templates, and other IACUC practices across institutions while accommodating regional requirements.
Provide collaborative support to global IACUCs seeking consistency in standards and operational practices while adapting to institutional leadership priorities.