Principal CQV Consultant
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Location: Cary, NC
**This position is not eligible for relocation assistance**
**This role is not eligible for Visa sponsorship**
Overview:
We are seeking a CQV Subject Matter Expert with a dual mandate: (1) Business Development / Pre‑Sales to shape opportunities, lead solutioning, and win new CQV programs; and (2) Delivery Oversight to govern execution quality, ensure audit-ready outcomes, and drive client satisfaction across qualification and validation engagements. The ideal candidate blends technical depth in CQV (risk-based qualification, data integrity, computerized systems validation/assurance) with strong client-facing leadership, commercial acumen, and the ability to work seamlessly with onsite and remote/global teams.
Responsibilities:
1. Business Development & Pre‑Sales
Opportunity Creation & Client Engagement
- Act as the primary CQV SME during pre-sales discussions with pharma/biotech clients.
- Identify new qualification/validation opportunities across labs, manufacturing, QC, and QC IT landscapes.
- Identify opportunities in facility, utilities, and equipment qualification projects including cleanrooms, HVAC, compressed gases, water systems (PW/WFI), autoclaves, incubators, and environmental monitoring systems.
- Develop solutions and effort models for FAT/SAT support, commissioning, IQ/OQ/PQ, and performance verification of critical utilities. Lead requirement discovery sessions, customer workshops, and technical deep-dive meetings.
- Build trusted advisor relationships with client stakeholders.
- Engage early with prospects to qualify opportunities, discover needs, and shape CQV solution approaches (ASTM E2500, ISPE Baseline Guides, GAMP 5 2nd Ed., ICH Q9/Q10).
- Architect delivery models (onsite/offshore/hybrid), timelines, governance, and staffing plans.
Solutioning & Proposal Support
- Develop end‑to‑end CQV solutions, including efforts, delivery models, assumptions, and risk mitigation approaches.
- Lead RFP/RFI responses: write technical sections, define scope, assumptions, and deliverable lists; develop estimates/BOEs, and contribute to pricing and SOWs. Prepare technical content for RFPs/RFIs, capability decks, proposals, and executive summaries.
- Prepare and deliver client orals, capability briefings, demos, and case studies; tailor content to sponsor, QA, and IT stakeholders.
- Recommend delivery models (onsite/offshore/hybrid) based on project needs and site maturity. Support pricing strategies and effort estimation based on risk and compliance expectations.
Thought Leadership & Market Positioning
- Create thought leadership content: whitepapers, blogs, webinars, conference presentations on CQV best practices, data integrity, digital validation, Annex 1/Annex 11/21 CFR Part 11 readiness, etc.
- Represent the company at conferences, industry forums, and customer roadshows.
- Monitor regulatory trends and translate them into service offerings.
· Collaborate with Marketing on thought leadership: white papers, webinars, conference talks (ISPE/PDA), and client workshops.
Account Growth & Enablement
· Build executive relationships; identify cross-sell and upsell in adjacent areas (e.g., digital validation, audit trail review, data integrity remediation, lab system migrations).
· Maintain a credible POV on CSA, Annex 11 alignment, AI/GenAI guardrails in GxP, and continuous monitoring of validated systems.
2. Delivery Oversight & Execution Support
Project Oversight
- Oversee qualification of analytical instruments, manufacturing equipment, and lab equipment. Provide SME oversight for ongoing CQV engagements (IQ/OQ/PQ, CSV, lab instrument qualification, analytical equipment qualification, facility & utilities qualification).
- Serve as engagement oversight lead: establish governance cadences, RAID management, and change control; ensure adherence to the client’s QMS and project stage gates
- Support project managers in ensuring scope alignment, risk management, and on-time delivery.
Technical Leadership
- Design risk-based qualification strategies for equipment, utilities, and facilities (URS, QRA, DQ/IQ/OQ/PQ/PPQ), and CSV to CSA approaches for lab/manufacturing systems (21 CFR Part 11, Annex 11, Data Integrity/ALCOA+).
- Advise and guide onsite/remote validation consultants on qualification strategy, deviations, test design, and documentation quality.
- Troubleshoot technical issues and escalate risks proactively to both internal teams and clients.
- Review and approve critical deliverables such as validation plans, test protocols, summary reports, traceability matrices, and risk assessments.
- Ensure alignment with GxP, data integrity guidelines, FDA, EMA, WHO, and ICH expectations.
- Provide technical QA on key deliverables (URS, QRA, protocols, summary reports, traceability matrices, validation plans/reports).
- Ensure audit readiness and defend validation approach in internal/external audits (e.g., FDA, EMA).
Team Collaboration & Quality Governance
- Work seamlessly with global teams across timelines and cultural contexts.
- Establish standardized templates, best practices, and checklists across CQV projects.
- Drive continuous improvement in delivery methodology, validation approaches, and documentation quality.
- Direct blended teams (onsite/remote/offshore); set clear objectives, templates/standards, and working agreements.
- Coach project leads/consultants; resolve technical blockers; ensure consistent application of risk-based practices and right-sizing documentation.
- Monitor scope, schedule, cost, and client satisfaction; drive issue resolution and continuous improvement.
Stakeholder Management
· Interface with client such as QA, CQV, MS&T, Manufacturing, IT/CSV, and business functions (Clinical, Quality, Supply).
· Communicate status and risks effectively to executive sponsors; align priorities and success criteria.
3. Internal Enablement & Capability Building
- Mentor validation engineers, team leads, and junior SMEs.
- Support internal training initiatives on CQV trends, tools, and regulatory expectations.
- Contribute to solution accelerators, reusable templates, and playbooks.
- Strengthen collaboration between BD, delivery, and practice leadership teams.