Ironwood Pharmaceuticals is a leading global gastrointestinal (GI) healthcare company on a mission to advance the treatment of GI diseases and redefine the standard of care for GI patients. We are pioneers in the development of LINZESS® (linaclotide), the U.S. branded prescription market leader for adults with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation. Ironwood is also advancing apraglutide, a next-generation, long-acting synthetic GLP-2 analog being developed for rare gastrointestinal diseases, including short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure, as well as several earlier stage assets. Building upon our history of GI innovation, we keep patients at the heart of our R&D and commercialization efforts to reduce the burden of GI diseases and address significant unmet needs. 

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Head of Quality, this individual will be tasked with setting-up, maintaining and further developing the internal GxP quality management system (QMS), learning management system (LMS) and associated quality policies, procedures, and standards to fully support Ironwood's drug development and commercialization activities.  In addition, this individual will be responsible for directly supporting the organization, coordination, and management of Regulatory Agency inspections and audits by external parties at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and to present all QMS related topics to inspectors/auditors.

As the Head of the Quality Systems and Compliance group, this individual will provide proactive leadership and direction, enable growth and development of Quality staff, and promote cross-functional collaboration with Quality business partners, both internal and external.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Promote the Quality culture and philosophy companywide.
  • Support the Head of Quality in developing and implementing the overall Quality strategy.
  • Manage one or more full-time staff responsible for maintaining GxP Quality controlled documents and coordinating GxP compliance training.
  • Maintain and further develop the global Quality Management System (QMS), the GxP Learning Management System (LMS) and other GxP related systems and provide periodic updates to Quality and Executive Management.
  • Function as the business owner of the Ironwood QMS, LMS and other applicable GxP e-systems in support of the Ironwood GxP computer system validation program (i.e., assessments, validation, and change control, etc.) to ensure compliance with GxP regulations during the e-system lifecycle.
  • Develops metrics for non-compliance trends and signals.
  • Supports the preparation and conduct of GxP relevant Governance Meetings.
  • Ensure Quality Systems and Compliance personnel, along with internal business partners, maintain a state of GxP compliance and inspection readiness.
  • Generate key Quality metrics and indicators to measure, trend, manage and improve pharmaceutical quality systems and ensure trends are escalated appropriately.
  • Directly support the organization, coordination, and management of Regulatory Agency inspections and audits by external business partners
  • Develop, implement, and support continuous process improvements across multiple GxP disciplines.
  • Support the management of the field alert and recall processes and communications.
  • Ensure cross functional alignment of goals and objectives from pre-clinical to commercial phase programs and products, ensuring GXP compliance and realization of other value-added guidelines and best practices.
  • Support internal and external GxP qualification and audit activities.
  • Foster an environment conducive to innovation, productivity, and efficiency.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

 

Requirements:

  • Bachelor's degree or higher in Life Sciences, Chemistry, or related field.
  • Minimum 12 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry working in a regulated environment.
  • Minimum 10 years’ experience in a Quality Systems role.
  • Minimum 5 years’ experience managing personnel.
  • Working knowledge of regional GxP rules and regulations
  • Experienced in managing and actively supporting Health Authority inspections.
  • Strong knowledge of industry (e.g., FDA, EU, GxP, ICH, ISO, WHO, etc.) regulations and best practices
  • A deep understanding of the pharmaceutical industry with solid, organization, and structure is preferred.
  • In-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical quality systems, principles, and applications.
  • Ability to identify and explain complex issues and provide multiple solutions in a constructive, respectful manner.
  • Sound leadership skills.

 

 

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals is an equal opportunity employer welcoming diversity in our workforce.

 

Ironwood currently anticipates that the initial base salary for this position could range from between $197,000 to $229,320.  The actual base salary will depend, in part, on the successful candidate’s qualifications for the role, including education and experience.  Ironwood offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits program to eligible employees, including Restricted Stock Unit awards; eligibility to participate in either a bonus or sales incentive program; company-sponsored 401(k) with matching contributions; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; wellness stipends; and a generous vacation/holiday schedule.

#LI-Hybrid

 

Apply for this Job

* Required

resume chosen  
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
cover_letter chosen  
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review
+ Add another education


Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Ironwood Pharmaceuticals’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.


Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.


Our system has flagged this application as potentially being associated with bot traffic. Please turn off any VPNs, clear your browser cache and cookies, or try submitting your application in a different browser. If this issue persists, please reach out to our support team via our help center.
Please complete the reCAPTCHA above.