Exelixis Inc Posted June 25, 2026

Associate QA Operations Director - Systems and Process

Alameda, United States Full time
Quality Director
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Exelixis Inc is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

SUMMARY/JOB PURPOSE

The Associate QA Operations Director – Systems and Process is accountable for providing QA lead support for Quality Systems (Deviations, Change Control, CAPA, etc.), As a Partner responsible for guiding the organization in the successful, thorough, and timely execution of complex Quality Events (Deviations, Change Requests, CAPA's, CAPA Actions, Change Actions, Effectiveness Checks, etc.). Partners closely with QA and cross-functionally with Pharmaceutical Supply Chain (PSC), Clinical Development/Operations, Information technology (IT), Regulatory Affairs (RA), Global Patient Safety, etc.) as needed to identify, mitigate, escalate, and resolve issues and risks. This role supports development, generation, review, and approval of clinical and commercial artwork and labeling. Demonstrates a high level of independent quality judgment and acumen.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead and Partner QA support for Deviations, Change Control, CAPA, CAPA Actions and Effectiveness checks management.

Provide guidance on Quality systems usage, process requirements, best practices and record completeness.

Provide QA oversight of Veeva periodic enhancements (quarterly and annually).

Provide cross-functional guidance on deviations, change requests, CAPA, effectiveness checks and associated actions, supporting complete, thorough and timely completion of the quality records.

Track and trend supported systems, provide metrics for Quality Systems Management Review (QSMR).

Provide monthly Veeva Quality event status reports to QA and functional areas, proactively driving timely record closure.

Execute clinical and commercial artwork and labelling review and approval, including oversight of vendors; resolve quality issues. Deliver on company core objectives in a timely manner, per supply plan, and drive for results.

Lead process and system improvement.

Responsible for generating a risk-based strategy across the GxP landscape to identify and manage issues and risks while driving continuous improvement, to ensure compliance with global regulatory standards and align with key stakeholders.

Resolve quality issues, identify and mitigate risk, propose options and solutions, and escalate.

SME for Health Authority inspections and audits.

Establish and maintain strong collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely documentation, escalation and resolution of quality issues.

Foster collaboration within QA and stakeholders, to gain mutual trust, achieve alignment and solve problems.

Manage conflict by engaging teams to address issues, seeking diverse views and facilitating identification of options to achieve an equitable solution.

Drive results and influences others outside of direct authority.

Manage objective setting and balances commitments to prioritize and complete activities within established timelines

Performs other duties as assigned

Complies with all policies and standards

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

No supervisory responsibilities.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS & ABILITIES

Education

BS/BA degree in Biology, Computer Science, Education, Learning & Development, Sciences, or related discipline and 11 years of related experience; or,

MS/MA degree in Biology, Computer Science, Education, Learning & Development, Sciences, or related discipline and 9 years of related experience; or,

Equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience

Experience in pharmaceutical or biotech industries, and packaging/labeling is preferred.

Experience in development of business strategies, metrics, and continuous improvements is preferred.

Proven indirect organizational and management skills, ability to manage complex issues, sound decision making and strategic skills.

Demonstrated knowledge of cGMPs, Health Authority Regulations, Quality Systems and manufacturing processes.

International/global regulatory requirements experience preferred.

Experience with participation in regulatory inspections and audits, presenting or defending functions.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required:

Apply wide range of knowledge of biotechnology/pharmaceutical sector to perform complex work, provides input beyond the QA function and proposes solutions to highly complex issues.

Understands technical information related to equipment, processes, and regulatory expectations

Demonstrate strong time-management and organizational ability to analyze and improve processes and consistently produce high quality work

Excellent written, verbal and presentation communication skills, able to translate and communicate complex concepts across all levels of the organization

Proven ability to manage multiple competing priorities, evaluate data to detect weak signals, blind spots and rapidly escalate cumulative risks

Demonstrated ability to lead through change by engaging others, assessing unforeseen situations, continuously learning to achieve a goal, and drive for results.

Travel Requirements

10% Travel time required for this position.

Environmental Requirements:

Primarily working indoors in an office environment

#LI-HG1

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets, and we pay differently based on those defined markets. The base pay range for this position is $176,000 - $250,500 annually. The base pay range may take into account the candidate’s geographic region, which will adjust the pay depending on the specific work location. The base pay offered will take into account the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, experience and internal equity, among other factors.

In addition to the base salary, as part of our Total Rewards program, Exelixis offers comprehensive employee benefits package, including a 401k plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts. Employees are also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus program, or if field sales staff, a sales-based incentive plan. Exelixis also offers employees the opportunity to purchase company stock, and receive long-term incentives, 15 accrued vacation days in their first year, 17 paid holidays including a company-wide winter shutdown in December, and up to 10 sick days throughout the calendar year.

If you have a disability and need an accommodation in relation to the application and/or recruitment process, please email us at: recruiting@exelixis.com .

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Our office is a modern space that fosters collaboration and creativity. Teams work closely together, sharing ideas and solutions in a supportive atmosphere. We provide all necessary equipment, including dual monitors and ergonomic chairs, to ensure a comfortable workspace.

DISCLAIMER: 

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Job details

Seniority
Director
Function
Quality
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Alameda, United States
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Quality role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 88 comparable Director Quality roles across 32 biopharma companies.

88Comparable roles tracked
82Currently active
32Companies hiring similar roles
18Countries represented

Salary context

40 of 88 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject $176,000/yr – $250,500/yr
Lowest disclosed · Principal/Sr. Associate-QA-API External Manufacturing · Lilly $65,250/yr – $169,400/yr
Highest disclosed · Senior Director, Quality Systems/QMS · Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (US) $213,600/yr – $320,400/yr
Peer group range $117,325 – $267,000 (median $216,050)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 88 comparable roles

United States52
China4
Ireland4
Japan3
Singapore3
Canada3

+ 12 more countries

Seniority mix

88 of 88 peers have a known seniority level

Director50
Principal22
Senior Director16

Therapeutic area mix

0 of 88 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

No peers with a known therapeutic area yet.

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

60%similar
AbbVie North Chicago, IL Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Novartis Cambridge (USA), United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Foster City, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Saratoga Springs, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Saratoga Springs, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
GlaxoSmithKline LLC King of Prussia, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country

Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

60%
Director, Clinical Quality Assurance
AbbVie · North Chicago, IL · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Director, QA Validation & Computer Systems Assurance
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) · Saratoga Springs, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Quality Control Director
Corixa Corporation · Marietta, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Director Quality Assurance
AstraZeneca · Rockville, Maryland, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.