Director, Product Quality & Technical Affairs

Organization Overview

Founded in 1881, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) is the national trade association representing the leading manufacturers and marketers in the consumer healthcare industry with its core capabilities, including scientific and regulatory affairs, government affairs, and communications. CHPA is the leading voice fighting to ensure that Americans have access to beneficial over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, dietary supplements, and consumer medical devices they can count on to be reliable, save money and time, and deliver new and better ways to get and stay healthy. CHPA partners with its member companies to promote a more inclusive industry and to support a broader diversity, equity, and inclusion effort to ensure equity for CHPA’s staff and consumers in the United States.

CHPA fosters employee engagement and reward staff through challenging work, competitive compensation and benefits, flexible scheduling and time-off options, and opportunities to grow and develop professionally.

Position Summary

Director of Product Quality & Technical Affairs

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association is seeking a full-time Director of Product Quality & Technical Affairs. This individual will serve as the association’s lead on quality, technical and manufacturing issues related primarily to OTC medicines but also to Dietary Supplements. This individual will lead the Quality & Manufacturing Committee, various subcommittees and working groups. The Director will serve as the interface with stakeholder groups, including USP, GSCF, FDA, among other entities and reports to the Senior Vice President, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs. This is a full-time position located in CHPA’s Washington, D.C. office.

Essential Functions

The Director, Product Quality & Technical Affairs will be responsible for the following:

• Develop and direct science-based policy and implement action plans for technical and regulatory issues. Work is accomplished via the Association’s Quality & Manufacturing Committee and various subcommittees.
• Prepare and issue industry technical guidelines and best practice summaries.
• Provide advice and leadership to member companies, CHPA’s internal departments, committees, and working groups on scientific issues and regulations impacting OTC medicines.
• Represent CHPA to FDA and other regulatory agencies.
• Represent CHPA at meetings and conferences and present relevant materials focused on topics of interest for the OTC industry at such forums.
• Monitor, assess, and interpret scientific literature and other sources of data related to product quality and manufacturing issues.
• Interact with other trade associations, stakeholder groups, and standard-setting bodies with interests in product quality and technical affairs.
• Educational programs – Contribute to the annual planning and implementation of the CHPA Regulatory, Scientific and Quality Conference via the Program Committee. Hold cGMP related training for members. Direct the development and execution of additional technical meetings, workshops, and training based on member feedback, including representatives from FDA, USP and other organizations, as relevant and appropriate.
• Supports non-profit scientific institutions, universities, and non-governmental organizations to advance knowledge by performing pharmaceutical research in the areas of regulatory and manufacturing science.
• Forms coalitions and partnerships with USP and IPEC to leverage support on issues of interest to CHPA members. As time permits, act as CHPA’s representative to organizations with similar product quality interests (GRMA, GSCF, NSF, NJPQCA and PCPC).

Required Education and Work Experience

• Minimum: Bachelor’s Degree in chemistry or life science; 7-10 years of experience in the consumer products industry, particularly in manufacturing, quality, and regulatory affairs
• Preferred: Master’s Degree in chemistry or life sciences; 10+ years of experience in the OTC medicines and dietary supplement industries
  • Note: FDA experience may be substituted for some of the industry experience
  • Trade association experience is a plus.

Preferred Work Experience

• Strong oral and written communications skills; capable of communicating scientific information clearly to a wide range of internal and external audiences, including non-scientific stakeholders.
• Industry-specific experience related to development of products. A broad understanding across a wide range of medicines, medical devices, and dietary supplements, including regulation, formulation, and manufacturing.
• Strong project management capabilities; strategy development, goal setting, consensus building; ability to understand individual members or organizational issues and priorities.
• Meetings management, including drafting/developing the meeting agenda, conducting/steering/managing the meeting and summarizing outcomes (drafting meeting minutes).
• Advocacy – effectively promote and represent CHPA members’ views at various forums for positive outcomes.
• International experience, including ability to travel outside the U.S.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands handle, type, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. This is largely a sedentary role however some filing is required. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets, and bend or stand on a stool, as necessary. This position requires the ability to occasionally lift office products and supplies up to 10 lbs.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position. CHPA anticipates continuing its hybrid work environment (working remotely and in the office) indefinitely, however, the employee is required to be readily available to work several times a week in Washington, DC, based on the needs of this position. Some flexibility in hours is allowed, but the employee must be available during the “core” work hours of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (EST) and must work at least 37.5 hours each week to maintain full-time status. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

How to Apply

Please enter Director, PQTA in the subject line of your message and email the following items to [email protected].

• Letter of interest
• Resume or CV

EEO Statement

Consumer Healthcare Products Association is committed to equal employment opportunity and makes all employment-related decisions without regard to race, religion, color, national origin or ancestry, age, sex, disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, family responsibilities, personal appearance, political affiliation, matriculation, veteran or military status, union affiliation or any other categories protected by federal, state, or local law (the “Protected Categories”).