At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead global regulatory operations and drive digital transformation in biopharmaceuticals.
- Company: Ipsen, a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company focused on transformative medicines.
- Benefits: Empowering workplace culture, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a passionate team dedicated to collaboration and excellence in healthcare.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on patients while leading innovative regulatory strategies.
- Qualifications: Executive leadership experience in global biopharmaceutical organisations and strong regulatory expertise.
The predicted salary is between 121500 - 148500 £ per year.
About Ipsen: Ipsen is a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on transformative medicines in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. Supported by nearly 100 years of development experience, with global hubs in the U.S., France and the U.K, we tackle areas of high unmet medical need through research and innovation. Our passionate teams in more than 40 countries are focused on what matters and endeavour every day to bring medicines to patients in 88 countries. We build a workplace that champions human-centric leadership and fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence and impact. At Ipsen, every individual is empowered to be their true selves, grow and thrive alongside the company’s success. Join us on our journey towards sustainable growth, creating real impact on patients and society!
Job Description: The Vice President, Head of Global Regulatory Operations provides enterprise leadership for Regulatory Operations across Global Regulatory Affairs (GRA), defining the long-term vision, operating model and capabilities required to enable Ipsen's global regulatory strategy. The role is accountable for ensuring world-class regulatory operations through excellence in regulatory data, digital platforms, submissions, labelling governance and operational execution.
As a member of the Global Regulatory Affairs Leadership Team, the VP partners across R&D, Quality, Medical, IT and Commercial functions to drive enterprise transformation, accelerate regulatory delivery and strengthen Ipsen's competitive advantage through innovation, digitalization and operational excellence.
The role is accountable for:
- Defining and executing the Global Regulatory Operations strategy aligned with Ipsen's corporate and R&D objectives.
- Leading the transformation of Regulatory Operations through digital innovation, AI, automation and data-driven decision making.
- Building a high-performing global organization that delivers operational excellence, inspection readiness and sustainable business performance.
- Providing enterprise governance for regulatory systems, regulatory data, submission management and global labelling.
- Driving a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation and continuous improvement.
Main Responsibilities & Technical Competencies
- Enterprise Leadership & Strategy: Define the strategic direction, operating model and long-term capability roadmap for Global Regulatory Operations, ensuring alignment with Global Regulatory Affairs, R&D strategy and future business priorities.
- Lead a global leadership team, building organizational capability, succession plans and an inclusive, high-performing culture.
- Represent Regulatory Operations within executive governance forums and influence enterprise decision-making.
- Operational Excellence: Own enterprise performance across Regulatory Operations including regulatory data governance, publishing, submissions, labelling, regulatory systems and operational delivery.
- Establish KPIs, governance and performance dashboards to continuously improve quality, compliance, productivity and customer experience.
- Ensure inspection readiness and sustainable compliance with evolving global regulatory requirements.
- Digital Transformation: Define and deliver the digital transformation strategy for Regulatory Operations, leveraging AI, automation, structured content management and emerging technologies to improve efficiency, scalability and regulatory effectiveness.
- Partner with Digital & IT to modernize platforms, strengthen data governance and develop future-ready regulatory capabilities.
- Labelling: Lead global labelling governance ensuring consistency and compliance; implement digital tools for labelling lifecycle management; explore AI-driven solutions for signal detection and automated updates.
- Regulatory Project Management: Provide strategic oversight for major submissions and regulatory milestones; develop project dashboards and predictive analytics for risk management; champion agile methodologies for faster delivery under submission excellence; own and improve Submission Excellence process & playbook, support IND Excellence project.
- Compliance: Support inspection readiness for audits of Global Regulatory Affairs; organize and ensure compliance to global standards & laws applicable to Global Regulatory Affairs, ensuring all systems are in compliance with GRA requirements.
- Enterprise Governance: Establish enterprise governance for regulatory operations, ensuring clear decision-making, accountability, risk management and cross-functional alignment.
- Sponsor business process harmonization and continuous improvement initiatives across the regulatory value chain.
- External Leadership: Build strategic partnerships with Health Authorities, industry associations, technology vendors and external partners to position Ipsen at the forefront of Regulatory Operations innovation.
- Financial & Resource Management: Own the Global Regulatory Operations budget, vendor strategy and investment roadmap; optimize organizational resources and external partnerships to deliver sustainable operational performance.
Knowledge & Experience
- Knowledge & Experience (essential): Executive leadership experience within Research & Development in a complex, global biopharmaceutical organization.
- Proven experience developing and executing global operational strategies that support business growth and regulatory excellence.
- Demonstrated leadership of large global, geographically dispersed organisations through significant transformation and organisational change.
- Deep expertise across regulatory submissions, regulatory data, publishing, labelling, regulatory information management and digital technologies.
- Strong executive stakeholder management with demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders across R&D, Quality, Medical, Commercial and Digital.
- Proven experience leading enterprise digital transformation, automation and AI-enabled initiatives.
- Experience managing significant operational budgets, strategic vendors and outsourced partnerships.
- Demonstrated ability to build inclusive, high-performing organisations and develop future leadership capability.
- Knowledge & Experience (preferred): At least 10 years’ experience managing a worldwide Regulatory team; at least 15 years’ experience in Pharmaceutical Industry (R&D or Pharmacovigilance), 5 years’ experience working in regulatory affairs, experience in managing complex regulatory submissions; experience in Regulatory Tools Administration (mainly regulatory tracking database and EDMS); high level knowledge in IT tools used for electronic dossier management and publishing: electronic document management systems, publishing suites, regulatory tracking systems; experience in the Data management methodology implementation and Data integrity principles; experience in the management of regulatory data and the Regulatory Data Governance to ensure availability, usability, integrity and security of high-quality data for RA community; key business analyst skills; fluent with the review regulatory processes; demonstrable experience of leading successful engagement with key regulatory authorities; proven track record in building and leading teams of skilled regulatory professionals to deliver business.
Education / Certifications (essential): Bachelor’s degree; evidence of management/leadership education (MBA or executive training).
Education / Certifications (preferred): Advanced degree preferred; background in IT technologies or life sciences preferred.
Language(s) (essential): Good oral and written communication skills; fluent English.
Language(s) (preferred): Fluent French (preferred).
We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued and supported, where we embody 'The Real Us'. The value we place on diverse perspectives and experiences drives our commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities. When we integrate diverse ways of thinking, we make more thoughtful decisions and discover more innovative solutions. Together, we strive to better understand the communities we serve. This means we also want to help you put your best self forward when applying for a position with us. If you need accommodations or assistance during the application process, please inform the recruitment team. This information will be handled with care and will not impact the outcome of your application.
Summary Location: Paris; Cambridge (US); London (UK); Type: Full time
Vice President, Head of Global Regulatory Operations in London employer: Ipsen
Ipsen in Wrexham is an excellent employer, offering a collaborative work culture that prioritises innovation and excellence. Employees benefit from a supportive environment with opportunities for professional growth, all while working in a state-of-the-art packing facility that operates on a convenient Monday to Friday schedule. Join us to be part of a team that values your expertise and contributions in mechanical engineering and vision systems.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Vice President, Head of Global Regulatory Operations in London
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We think you need these skills to ace Vice President, Head of Global Regulatory Operations in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Relevant Experience:When applying for a role in the pharmaceutical industry, it's crucial to highlight any relevant experience you have. Whether that's internships, lab work, or even related coursework, make sure to weave this into your CV and cover letter. We want to see how your background aligns with the role you're applying for at Ipsen!
Emphasise Your Understanding of Regulations:The pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated, so it's important to indicate your familiarity with industry standards and regulations. In your cover letter, mention any training or certifications you've received that are relevant, or discuss projects where you’ve navigated compliance. This will show Ipsen that you're not just a fit for the job but also a safety-conscious candidate!
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Convey Your Passion for the Industry:In your cover letter, express why you are passionate about working in the pharmaceutical sector. Whether it’s your desire to contribute to groundbreaking drug research or improve patient outcomes, let it shine through! At Ipsen, we value candidates who are truly enthusiastic about their work—you might just stand out from the crowd.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ipsen
✨Understand the Science
Make sure you brush up on key pharmaceutical concepts and recent developments in the industry. You might get asked some technical questions during the interview at Ipsen that show your grasp of drug development processes or regulatory requirements, so be ready to discuss them clearly.
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If you have any hands-on experience or internships in a laboratory setting, be sure to highlight these in your responses. Think about the projects you worked on, the methodologies you used, and the impact you made. It's all about telling a story that connects your background to the role you're applying for.
✨Know Their Products
Take some time to familiarise yourself with Ipsen’s product range and recent breakthroughs. Understanding their portfolio not only shows your enthusiasm for the role but also allows you to ask insightful questions that demonstrate your interest in actively contributing to their projects.
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In a full-time pharmaceutical role, understanding the regulatory landscape is crucial. Prepare for situational questions that may test your problem-solving skills concerning compliance and safety standards. You could be asked how you'd handle a hypothetical issue regarding a drug’s market release, so think through your approach.
