Director, Regulatory Affairs

At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness.

We are seeking an experienced Director of Regulatory Affairs to build and lead Element Biosciences' regulatory function and establish the regulatory strategies and capabilities required to support the company's continued expansion into regulated diagnostic markets. Reporting directly to the Chief Supply Chain Officer, this role will serve as Element's senior regulatory advisor and will be responsible for regulatory strategy across the company's in vitro diagnostic (IVD), next generation sequencing (NGS), and regulated life science instrumentation portfolio.

The Director will establish and execute global regulatory strategies supporting product development, market authorization, commercial expansion, strategic diagnostic partnerships, and lifecycle management. This individual will work closely with executive leadership and Product, R&D, Clinical, Quality, Operations, Legal, and Commercial teams to ensure regulatory considerations are incorporated early into product and business decisions and that Element appropriately balances regulatory risk, business objectives, and speed to market.

The successful candidate will bring deep IVD and medical device regulatory expertise, demonstrated experience leading complex global regulatory programs across functions and markets, strong regulatory judgment, and the ability to operate as both a strategic leader and hands-on builder in a rapidly growing organization.

This role will be an onsite role based in San Diego.

If you possess the following and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to explore this role.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Own and lead Element's global regulatory strategy for IVD, NGS, software, and regulated life science instrumentation products throughout development, commercialization, and lifecycle management

Serve as Element's senior Regulatory Affairs advisor to executive leadership and cross-functional teams, providing clear recommendations on regulatory pathways, risks, tradeoffs, and business implications

Establish regulatory strategies early in product development, including intended use, claims, classification, market pathways, evidence requirements, product configuration, and RUO-to-diagnostic considerations

Lead regulatory strategy and execution for global market authorizations, including the United States, European Union, and other priority international markets

Lead significant interactions with regulatory authorities, notified/assessment bodies, authorized representatives, and other external regulatory stakeholders

Establish regulatory strategy and responsibilities for diagnostic partnerships, co-development programs, and other collaborations involving shared or dependent product configurations

Own regulatory assessment and governance for product, software, manufacturing, supplier, labeling, and other lifecycle changes affecting marketed products

Provide regulatory leadership for post-market reporting obligations, including vigilance, adverse event/incident reporting, field actions, and emerging regulatory risks

Establish regulatory governance, decision making, and escalation mechanisms that enable timely, consistent, and well-documented regulatory decisions

Build and scale the Regulatory Affairs function, including people, external resources, governance, processes, systems, regulatory intelligence, and global registration infrastructure

Represent Regulatory Affairs in product development, portfolio, commercialization, and other enterprise decision making forums

Education and Experience:

Minimum bachelor's degree in life sciences, engineering, regulatory affairs, or related discipline; advanced degree or RAC preferred

Typically, 12+ years of progressively responsible medical device or IVD Regulatory Affairs experience, including substantial responsibility for regulated IVD product development, market authorization, and lifecycle management

Demonstrated experience establishing regulatory strategy for complex diagnostic instruments, IVDs, molecular diagnostics, or similarly complex regulated products

Experience leading regulatory programs across multiple major jurisdictions, including experience with FDA and/or EU IVDR; experience with both strongly preferred

Demonstrated ability to advise senior executives and influence product, technical, clinical, quality, and commercial decisions without relying on positional authority

Experience building or scaling a Regulatory Affairs function, team, operating model, or infrastructure

Deep working knowledge of ISO 13485, ISO 14971, post-market requirements, labeling, change control, and applicable medical device/IVD regulatory frameworks

Exceptional regulatory judgment, including the ability to assess and prioritize material regulatory and compliance risks and develop pragmatic, defensible solutions

Proven track record of working well cross functionally and in a collaborative way

Self-directed, proactive, and embodies an enterprise mindset

Physical Requirements:

Ability to lift up to 20 pounds

Location:

San Diego/On-site

Travel:

Willingness to travel up to approximately 10% of the time

Job Type:

Full-time

Base Compensation Pay Range:

$152,000 - $215,000

In addition to base compensation noted above, you will be eligible for stock options, discretionary annual bonus, no cost health insurance plans, 401k with company match, and flexible paid time off.

Please note: Base compensation will depend on multiple factors, including geographic location, qualifications, and experience.

We foster an environment such that all people are afforded the freedom to pursue their passions without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristics protected by law.