Sr. Manager Quality and Risk Management

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.•San Diego, CA

5h•Hybrid

About The Position

Acadia is committed to turning scientific promise into meaningful innovation that makes the difference for underserved neurological and rare disease communities around the world. Our commercial portfolio includes the first and only FDA-approved treatments for Parkinson’s disease psychosis and Rett syndrome. We are developing the next wave of therapeutic advancements with a robust and diverse pipeline that includes mid- to late-stage programs in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis, along with earlier-stage programs that address other underserved patient needs. At Acadia, we’re here to be their difference. Please note that this position can be based in San Diego, CA OR San Francisco, CA OR Princeton, NJ. Acadia's hybrid model requires this role to work in our office three days per week on average. The Sr. Manager Quality and Risk Management role will be responsible for managing assigned Research and Development (R&D) Quality Risk Management activities at Acadia, including assessment and quality control of Acadia clinical trials' execution in a Good Clinical Practices (GCP) regulated environment. Additional areas of support include Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Computer System Validation and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). Candidate will be required to work closely with internal R&D teams and Contract Service Providers (CSPs) as clinical trials are designed and conducted. Additionally, candidate will be required to identify emerging issues and compliance risks, measure performance metrics, and suggest opportunities for improvement for clinical trial related processes and procedures and contribute to (or lead efforts to) their implementation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. biology, nursing, neuroscience, psychology, biochemistry, clinical pharmacology, or related). An equivalent combination of relevant education and applicable job experience may be considered. Minimum of 6 years R&D focused pharmaceutical/Health Care experience in a GCP regulated environment including some experience in R&D Quality Risk Management or R&D Quality Assurance systems and Health Authority regulations. Experience in a matrix team environment and involvement and contribution to continuous improvement projects.
Strong knowledge of GCP, including affinity with quality management and performance metrics and experience with Root Cause Analysis and CAPA development.
Experience with drug development process, including affinity with clinical protocol development, global trial management, site management & monitoring, drug safety, biostatistics & programming and/or data management.
Experience with multiple IT programs and systems, including but not limited to Clinical Trial Management systems, eTMF, eCRFs, Microsoft Office (including above average Excel skills), quality workflow systems.
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. Able to work independently as well as in cross-functional teams.
Excellent pro-active, interpersonal, problem-solving, conflict resolving skills.
Flexibility to switch between projects and assignments; ability to manage multiple projects, work streams and activities daily.
Ability to interpret and apply practical knowledge of regulations and guidelines for the immediate resolution of compliance issues and the pro-active management of GCP and PV quality risks, including risk mitigation – under supervision if needed.
Ability to assess regulatory/compliance risk, identify areas of improvement and propose practical solutions.
Skilled at working effectively with business partners and management and appropriately signal and escalate matters of significance to the organization.
Ability to travel up to 20% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of GLP, GCP and Pharmacovigilance, FDA, EMA/MHRA and ICH regulations.
Experience with organizational change management, especially as it relates to embracing and promoting a culture of quality.
Experience with working in a hybrid/remote environment, cross culturally and across time-zones
Experience with multi-sized organizations from start-up to large employers.
Experience with QA audits and Health Authority Inspections by FDA, EMA, MHRA, and PMDA.
Past work experience at a CSP or CRO in clinical data and/or QRM field is a big plus.
Experience with data visualization software, such as (Microsoft Power BI, Spotfire, Tableau, etc.)
Familiarity with Central Nervous System (CNS) therapeutic area and/or Rare Diseases is highly desired.

Responsibilities

Contribute to effective quality control and QRM of applicable Acadia clinical trial operations, R&D procedures, and related processes.
Create new appropriate process and/or compliance indicators (semi-automated metrics and manual spot-checks) in order to reinforce adherence to internal processes and procedures and to identify areas for improvement. Calculate, track and report such indicators on a continual basis.
Lead study and program teams to translate R&D risks related to Critical to Quality (critical data quality and subject protection) into KRIs.
Work in close collaboration with colleagues in Quality, Acadia operational units in Drug Development: Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Data Management, Manufacturing, Medical Affairs, Laboratories, Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Affairs, Translational Medicine, and vendors (CSPs), to resolve and/or escalate concerns and/or opportunities for improvement that impact GxP activities.
Where assigned, support study-specific staff members through the Veeva Quality Management System (QMS) process for Deviation, CAPA and Quality Risk Management.
Maintain and where needed update aspects of the R&D QRM framework, e.g., internal procedures, processes training modules and tools. Lead the organization through QRM and Risk-Based Quality Management (RBQM) related changes, e.g., updates from ICH, regulatory guidance and business best practices.
Ensure the continuous improvement of clinical trial processes and associated SOPs within Clinical Operations, trial monitoring, Data Management and Pharmacovigilance (PV); especially when related to Critical to Quality factors.
Support or lead the implementation of R&D touching ICH updates (e.g. ICH E6, E8, E9, Q9) and assigned Process Improvement initiatives in R&D, based on QRM and data analysis criteria; identify design efficiencies based on critical study/program and CSP data.
Contribute to activities related to Health Authority Inspections, and state of inspection readiness for Clinical studies, Pharmacovigilance, and participate in logistical tasks to ensure smooth inspection request flow.
Support onboarding of other (new) members of the QRC team where applicable.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

In addition to a competitive base salary, this position is also eligible for discretionary bonus and equity awards based on factors such as individual and organizational performance. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance, and location.
Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
15+ vacation days
13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
10 days of paid sick time
Paid parental leave benefit
Tuition assistance