Senior Director, Quality Assurance & Quality Systems
2 days ago
San Diego
Job DescriptionCapricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CAPR) is a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing transformative cell and exosome-based therapies for rare diseases. At the forefront of our innovation is Deramiocel (CAP-1002), our lead cell therapy in late-stage development for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We are also harnessing our proprietary StealthX™ exosome platform to unlock new possibilities in targeted delivery and vaccinology. Every program reflects our commitment to pushing the boundaries of science and delivering life-changing treatments to patients and families who need them most. The Senior Director, Quality Assurance & Quality Systems provides strategic and operational leadership for all quality activities supporting Capricor’s clinical-stage and advancing commercial-stage organization. This role has full accountability for the design, execution, and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure sustained regulatory compliance, inspection readiness, and robust quality oversight across development, manufacturing (including cell therapy production), and potential commercialization of Deramiocel and StealthX™-based programs. The Senior Director partners closely with executive leadership, Regulatory Affairs, CMC, Clinical, Manufacturing, and other cross-functional teams to enable late-stage development, BLA submissions and responses (including addressing any quality-related aspects of the Deramiocel pathway), commercial readiness, and scalable growth while embedding a proactive, risk-based quality culture across the enterprise.Responsibilities • Define and execute the enterprise quality strategy aligned with late-stage clinical development, BLA/regulatory submissions, potential commercial launch, and post-approval lifecycle management for cell and exosome-based therapies., • Serve as the senior Quality leader and strategic advisor to executive and operations management on compliance matters, inspection readiness, quality risk management, and GxP expectations in a biotech environment., • Own and continuously enhance the enterprise QMS to support clinical, manufacturing, and commercial operations, including Document Control and Change Management, Deviations/Investigations/CAPA, Training and Qualification, Data Integrity and Records Management, and other core quality processes., • Ensure quality systems are phase-appropriate, scalable, efficient, and fully aligned with FDA GMP regulations (21 CFR Parts 210/211, 820, and biologics-specific guidance), ICH guidelines, ISO standards, and global expectations for advanced therapies., • Ensure ongoing compliance with FDA, GMP, and applicable global regulations for clinical trials, manufacturing, and potential commercial activities, including cell therapy and exosome platforms., • Lead preparation for, management of, and response to regulatory inspections (including PAIs), partner audits, and health authority interactions; act as the primary Quality representative during agency engagements and inspections., • Provide comprehensive quality oversight for clinical quality assurance, including GCP compliance and support for ongoing trials such as HOPE-3 extensions or related activities., • Oversee quality support for manufacturing, testing, process validation, technology transfer, comparability studies, and supply chain activities for late-stage and commercial products (e.g., Deramiocel cell therapy production)., • Ensure timely and effective resolution of quality events, deviations, CAPAs, complaints, and out-of-specification results, with appropriate escalation, root cause analysis, and management visibility., • Collaborate closely with Clinical, Regulatory Affairs, CMC/Process Development, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality Control, and Commercial teams to integrate quality principles throughout the product lifecycle and enable efficient, compliant decision-making., • Establish, monitor, and report quality KPIs, trends, risk indicators, and compliance metrics to senior leadership and the Quality Management Review., • Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including process optimizations, lessons learned from inspections/audits, and enhancements to strengthen compliance maturity, operational efficiency, and inspection outcomes., • Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing QA and Quality Systems organization; develop talent, succession plans, and training programs to support organizational scaling and commercialization milestones., • Foster a collaborative, accountable, and inspection-ready mindset across the quality team and broader company.Requirements, • Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, Pharmacy, or a related field; advanced degree (e.g., MS, PhD) preferred., • 12+ years of progressive Quality Assurance experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology environments, with significant focus on biologics, cell therapies, or advanced therapy medicinal products., • 7+ years of senior leadership experience with direct ownership and oversight of enterprise Quality Management Systems in a growing organization., • Hands-on experience supporting late-stage clinical programs, BLA submissions, pre-approval inspections (PAIs), and commercial readiness/launch activities for regenerative medicine or biologics products., • Deep knowledge of FDA regulations (including 21 CFR Parts 210/211, 820, biologics-specific guidance), GMP, ICH guidelines (Q8-Q12, etc.), and global standards relevant to cell and exosome therapies., • Demonstrated success leading regulatory inspections (PAIs, routine GMP inspections), responding to findings, and maintaining inspection readiness in dynamic settings., • Proven ability to scale QMS and quality organizations in a rapidly growing biotech company preparing for commercialization., • Strong executive presence with the ability to influence, collaborate with, and advise cross-functional teams and senior leadership., • Excellent communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and strategic thinking skills.Work Environment / Physical Demands, • Office-based with routine presence in GMP manufacturing and laboratory environments to support oversight, audits, inspections, and quality activities., • Extended periods of computer use for documentation review, data analysis, metrics reporting, and quality system management., • Occasional lifting of office or light materials up to 10 pounds. Notice to Recruiting Agencies Capricor Therapeutics does not accept candidate submissions or referrals from recruiting agencies, staffing firms, or third-party recruiters without expressed consent from Talent Acquisition management and a prior written agreement. Agencies that contact hiring managers directly, solicit business, or submit candidates without this approval will not be considered for any engagement. All such submissions become the property of Capricor Therapeutics, and no fees will be paid for any candidates hired as a result. We appreciate your cooperation and respect for this policy.