Regulatory Specialist Job Description

Entry-level and mid-level regulatory affairs associates in the health care sector

Entry-level, mid-level and senior professionals working in the health care products industry are the most likely to use the title of "regulatory affairs associate", because they monitor federal, state and local government regulations. They help other employees in steering new products through government approval processes and watch their companies' internal procedures to make sure they conform to government directives. An entry-level regulatory affairs associate can be called a "Regulatory Associate," "Regulatory Associate I," or "Regulatory Affairs Specialist."

Entry-level regulatory affairs associates are expected to have bachelor's degrees in life science, clinical research studies or engineering. Entry-level regulatory associates are often tasked with coordinating and completing reports required by federal agencies, maintaining complex files and electronic document management systems, and working with project teams to obtain approval for company products. A regulatory affairs associate is also known as a regulatory affairs manager, director of regulatory affairs or a consultant.

It is possible for regulatory affairs associates to have master's degrees in engineering, life science, or clinical research. They may hold regulatory affairs certification from the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society if they have a master's degree in regulatory affairs. Managing international regulatory issues for their companies, helping plan strategies to get products approved by the government, and engaging in post-marketing surveillance of products are some of the tasks mid-level associates can do.

A regulatory affairs associate may be called a "Senior Associate Regulatory Affairs," "Director of Regulatory Affairs," "Vice- President for Regulatory Affairs," or "Chief Regulatory Officer." Some associates have degrees. Many have degrees in engineering, life science, business administration, and clinical research studies.

Regulatory affairs: A role for the scientific community

The people in regulatory affairs help keep the other two groups honest and they give the Congress the incentive to regulate how the government and industry treat products. Regulatory affairs liaisons manage the process of working with project teams and interacting with the regulatory health agencies, such as the FDA or the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. There are many other career opportunities, such as managing and submitting regulatory information, document management, and publishing, in addition to regulatory affairs liaisons positions.

The scientists who formulate the strategy for interacting with the regulatory authorities in various countries as well as the tactics of securing responses to questions dealing with submissions and maintaining communication post registration are referred to as regulatory affairs. Many of the scientists who work in regulatory affairs groups were involved in drug discovery. They need to understand the processes involved in drug discovery and development to represent the science in a correct way.

They are involved in the process of getting new drug applications for final registration. They need to remain state-of-the-art in what the regulatory agencies are thinking and saying with the evolving landscape of regulatory guidances. The regulatory agency starts communication with the applicants for improved documentation and clinical practices after they apply for the registration, so that they can be more aware of their surroundings.

The regulatory agency has to establish a standard format for the development of appropriate labels for each drug, to confirm all required information is given on the product. To keep reports and assemble information about adverse drug reactions of any product. The data can be used to overcome adverse drug reactions and the leadership is provided by regulatory agencies.

Regulatory Expertise

A degree in any field of science is good for entry-level jobs in regulatory affairs. The theoretical knowledge on legislations governing medical products and the understanding of the technicality involved in regulatory submission would be an added advantage if you were to become an RA specialist. Health product sector and how drugs are being developed are some of the things that are expected of RA professionals.

Keeping up with regulatory changes and their implications on the drug development and authorization process is a part of regulatory affairs. The project team meeting is where the professionals need to be able to convert complex information in a comprehensible manner. You should be prepared to write and review documents that are hundreds of pages long.

Prepare to support due diligence reviews, review of protocols, reports, and all types of regulatory documentation with regards to quality, safety, and efficacy. While most regulatory documents are structured in a way that is easy to read, it still requires a certain amount of linguistic skills to combine subject matter knowledge and information from a spectrum of regulatory guidelines in order to come up with a document that is in line with legal requirements. Speaking clearly and persuasively.

The professional can sometimes function as a representative for both internal and external parties. Being an effective communicator can be used to establish relationship with regulatory authorities, marketing department, manufacturing sites and other technical functions. Familiarity in another language is often considered an asset.

Choosing an Advanced Degree in the Field of Regulation

The scope of a regulatory professional's work varies because the field of global regulatory affairs spans a diverse set of disciplines. Career paths and daily responsibilities may differ, but regulatory professionals have the same goal in common: to facilitate the commercialization of safe and effective products and services. Some regulatory affairs professionals manage clinical studies, while others design labels for food and drug related products.

Regulatory professionals are often involved in conversations about health and public policy. The director of Northeastern's Master of Science in the Regulatory Affairs of Food and Food Industries program says that regulatory work is more than a job. The job market is growing because of the regulatory affairs discipline, which plays an important role in global health, food safety, and medical innovation.

The field of regulatory will grow at an average rate of eight percent until the year 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The demand for additional and specialized regulatory expertise will increase as new and developing industries become increasingly regulated. 73 percent of regulatory professionals work in regulated industries, such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and food science.

A small number of people choose a consultative path to get employment at legal, research, or marketing firms. The rest are employed by a mix of organizations. Regulatory professionals can choose to work in any size organization.

Employers are willing to pay more for the right skill level as demand increases. The salaries of all regulatory professions have increased an average of 3.3 percent per year since 1995. The average yearly salary for regulatory professionals was $150,422 in 2016