VP Quality, Global Life Sciences

The VP Global Quality, Life Sciences is the senior Quality executive accountable for quality strategy, Quality Management System effectiveness, and quality performance across Ecolab’s Life Sciences portfolio, including Bioprocessing, Pharma and Personal Care (PPC), and Purification Technologies. The role translates enterprise Global Quality direction into a connected, business-aligned Life Sciences quality system that makes quality clear, visible, and non-negotiable while protecting patients and customers, ensuring compliance and reliable supply, and enabling growth and innovation.

As the Life Sciences Quality pillar leader, this executive leads through the Bioprocessing, PPC, and Purification Quality Leads, site quality leaders, Quality Systems, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, and shared Life Sciences subject-matter capabilities. The role establishes clear accountabilities, governance, escalation, and common standards while maintaining strong connectivity to sites, Supply Chain, RDE, Regulatory/Compliance, and business leadership.

What You Will Do:

• Create and execute the global Life Sciences quality vision, strategy, priorities, and multi-year roadmap in alignment with the VP of Global Quality and Life Sciences business strategy.
• Lead the Life Sciences Quality pillar as part of one connected, business-aligned Global Quality organization, with clear accountability, decision rights, governance, and interfaces across business, site, and enterprise Quality teams.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, performance accountability, and talent development for the Bioprocessing, PPC, and Purification Quality Leads and for shared Life Sciences Quality Systems, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, and customer audit capabilities.
• Own the global Life Sciences Quality Management System and ensure compliant, effective, and scalable processes for design controls, change control, document control, deviations, CAPA, complaints, supplier controls, post-market vigilance, audits, training, validation, and management review.
• Establish portfolio-wide quality governance, metrics, management review, and risk escalation that provide earlier visibility, disciplined decision-making, and timely corrective action across the manufacturing network.
• Ensure inspection readiness and lead the organization through customer and regulatory inspections, commitments, remediation, and sustained compliance with applicable global requirements.
• Oversee site quality performance, Quality Control laboratories, batch disposition and release governance, laboratory excellence, data integrity, and reliable supply across regulated Life Sciences operations.
• Partner with Global Supplier Quality and procurement teams to strengthen supplier and contract manufacturer oversight, escalation, qualification, performance, and risk management.
• Partner with enterprise Quality capabilities, including Compliance, Audit & Systems; Global Specifications; Microbiology; Quality Methods; and the Quality PMO, to deploy common standards, expertise, digital solutions, and continuous-improvement practices across Life Sciences.
• Ensure quality is integrated early in innovation, new product introduction, formula and process changes, technology transfer, specification management, and business expansion decisions.
• Serve as the senior Quality partner to Life Sciences business, Supply Chain, Operations, RDE, Regulatory/Compliance, and commercial leaders, balancing patient and customer protection, compliance, supply continuity, cost, and growth.
• Build an enterprise quality culture in which quality is clear, visible, and non-negotiable; leaders model expected behaviors; issues are escalated transparently; and teams learn across divisions and sites.
• Lead organization capability, succession, talent mobility, technical career development, and workforce planning for pivotal Life Sciences quality roles; build a diverse, global leadership and technical bench.
• Drive standardization, simplification, digital enablement, and continuous improvement while preserving the controls and local expertise required for regulated products and markets.
• Lead quality due diligence, integration, and operating-model alignment for acquisitions, partnerships, new business lines, and significant network changes.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field such as engineering, biology, microbiology, or chemistry
• 15+ years of progressive experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or broader Life Sciences industry in quality or compliance leadership roles with increasing technical, operational, and organizational scope
• 10+ years of people leadership experience, including leading leaders and managing multi-site quality organizations in a regulated manufacturing environment
• Experience leading organizations through global regulatory inspections and compliance expectations, with demonstrated accountability for inspection readiness, remediation, and sustained regulatory performance
• Experience with batch disposition, release governance, quality risk escalation, and quality decision-making within regulated manufacturing operations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated success driving excellence in quality and change management in environments critical to customer, regulatory, and business performance
• Proven success leading plant quality managers, site quality teams, and quality laboratories across a multi-site manufacturing network, with responsibility for capability building, standardization, and quality culture
• Experience working directly with FDA, Notified Bodies, and other global regulators
• Experience leading a global organization
• Strategic mindset with strong customer and patient-focused risk assessment and judgment
• Strong relationship management skills with the ability to build networks, support teams, and influence across the organization
• A track record of driving continuous improvement and investment in high-growth businesses
• Master’s degree (technical field or MBA)
• LSS Black Belt certification
• Responsibility for a Quality System in a business >$200 million, preferably >$1 billion
• A history of leading teams through successful integrations

Annual or Hourly Compensation Range

Benefits 

Ecolab strives to provide comprehensive and market-competitive benefits to meet the needs of our associates and their families. Click here to see our benefits. 

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Potential Customer Requirements Notice

To meet customer requirements and comply with local or state regulations, applicants for certain customer-facing roles may need to:

- Undergo additional background screens and/or drug/alcohol testing for customer credentialing.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 

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