Seven Regulatory Affairs Jobs in Boston and How Regis Prepares You

Top Seven Regulatory Affairs Jobs in Boston

Regulatory affairs professionals play a key role in the design, manufacturing, and testing of products to ensure compliance with industry regulations and standards. With the rise in technological advancements, there's a growing need for individuals with this skill set in a variety of career paths.

To reflect this, here’s the top seven regulatory affairs jobs available in Boston according to our analysis of regional job postings data.

1. Compliance Officer/Analyst
2. Regulatory Affairs Manager
3. Regulatory Affairs Specialist
4. Quality Inspector/Technician
5. Operations Manager/Supervisor
6. Computer Support Specialist
7. Compliance Manager

If any of these positions interest you, here’s an overview of each.

1. Compliance Officer/Analyst

A compliance officer or analyst plays a key role in ensuring organizations comply with legal requirements pertaining to obtaining and maintaining licenses and permits.

Some of their primary responsibilities include:

• Evaluating conformity of licenses and permits
• Translating technical terms into easily understandable concepts
• Conducting audits to ensure organizations adhere to regulatory requirements

Compliance officers and analysts need to be familiar with regulatory frameworks governing their company's industry. For this reason, a background in regulatory affairs can be very beneficial if you’re interested in this career path.

2. Regulatory Affairs Manager

Regulatory affairs managers are responsible for ensuring their organization adheres to regulatory guidelines. They typically oversee a team of employees and provide guidance regarding best practices.

Their responsibilities can include:

• Strategizing and executing regulatory plans for submitting new products
• Overseeing processes, such as audits, recalls, complaint investigations, and inspections
• Developing internal policies and procedures to ensure the company adheres to regulatory requirements

Having a background in regulatory affairs is typically a requirement for this role. Therefore, advancing your education in regulatory affairs can contribute to your long-term career advancement and development of enhanced, specialized skills.

3. Regulatory Affairs Specialist

Similar to regulatory affairs managers, regulatory affairs specialists ensure new product launches or organizational activities adhere to local and federal regulations.

Their responsibilities can include:

• Preparing and submitting regulatory documents
• Collaborating and communicating with regulatory agencies
• Monitoring regulatory affairs trends and updating internal documentation and policies

This position is a common pathway for regulatory affairs professionals. However, advancing education and obtaining the RAPS regulatory affairs certification can help you stand out from other applicants.

4. Quality Inspector/Technician

Quality inspectors and technicians’ main responsibility is to establish and protect the quality standards of their products and business operations.

While inspectors largely focus on the protection of these procedures, they also try to:

• Set organizational quality standards and policies based on an understanding of regulations
• Reject finished products that don't meet quality standards and accept those that do
• Ensure organizational processes are optimized for quality and recommend changes

Since these processes involve overseeing quality compliance, you’ll need a familiarity with these regulations. This means an educational background in regulatory affairs is incredibly important to your future job proficiency.

5. Operations Manager/Supervisor

Operations managers and supervisors have a wide range of responsibilities depending on their specific role and industry. However, some of their primary tasks can include:

• Overseeing the company's daily operations and processes
• Creating organizational policies for adherence to governmental regulations
• Managing personnel and planning how resources will be used

Regardless of the specific industry, it's important for you to maintain a thorough understanding of the regulatory landscape. Since you would be in charge of an organization's operations, factors such as quality control and regulatory compliance are critical to your understanding and implementation of these policies.

6. Computer Support Specialist

Computer support specialists are technical professionals who assist organizations in maintaining computer networks or support employees directly with computer issues.

If you hope to become a computer support specialist, you can expect to perform duties such as:

• Performing regular tests on network systems to optimize functionality
• Diagnosing and fixing computer problems
• Training employees on proper use and maintenance of computer hardware

While you can expect to typically work more closely with information technology than regulatory affairs, a background in this field can be beneficial depending on the industry you hope to work in.

For example, many industries have specific regulatory requirements that govern the use and management of technology systems and data. By understanding these regulations, you can establish baseline compliance within your organization and avoid any legal or regulatory issues. However, it’s important to note that computer skills are critical for this role as well.

7. Compliance Manager

Similar to compliance officers, compliance managers are responsible for ensuring organizations comply with various regulatory requirements. they typically take on a leadership position over other team members, providing guidance and training.

Their responsibilities can include:

• Developing internal guidance on compliance best practices
• Conducting regular internal audits to see if regulations are followed across departments
• Identifying and eliminating any potential risks

A background in regulatory affairs is essential to your success as a compliance manager since you need a familiarity with regulatory requirements as well as best practices for submitting new products for regulatory review.

Three Things to Consider When Becoming a Regulatory Affairs Specialist in Boston

One of the most common career paths in regulatory affairs is a regulatory affairs specialist. This is largely because of the demand for these kinds of professionals and the long-term earning potential it provides. According to our analysis of job postings data, these professionals earn a median annual salary of $90,880 in Boston.

If you're considering advancing your career to a regulatory affairs specialist position or beyond, here's an overview of what jobs you can expect throughout this career path and the differences in salary for each.

Prerequisite Regulatory Affairs Jobs in Boston

Regulatory affairs skills are needed in a wide range of positions. For this reason, there are several career paths that can lead to a regulatory affairs specialist job.

According to our analysis of job postings data, here are the top jobs that can help professionals become a regulatory affairs specialist in Boston, along with the possible salary increase you can expect transitioning from this role to a regulatory affairs specialist:

1. Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists: Becoming a regulatory affairs specialists increases your earning potential by approximately $9,318
2. Compliance Officers: Becoming a regulatory affairs specialists increases your earning potential by approximately $24,246
3. Training and Development Specialists: Becoming a regulatory affairs specialists increases your earning potential by approximately $15,305
4. Environmental Compliance Inspectors: Becoming a regulatory affairs specialists increases your earning potential by approximately $10,794
5. Human Resources Specialists: Becoming a regulatory affairs specialists increases your earning potential by approximately $18,104

If you've worked in regulatory affairs for a while, or you already hold the position of regulatory affairs specialist, it's also important to understand the possible roles your skill set and experience can lead to.

Possible Career Outcomes for Regulatory Affairs Specialists

While becoming a regulatory affairs specialist may be the end goal for some aspiring regulatory professionals, you may be ready to take the next step in your career. If that’s the case, there are several positions that value regulatory skills and experience.

According to our analysis of job postings data in Boston, regulatory affairs specialist positions can lead to the following positions, along with the possible salary increase you can expect from each career change from a regulatory affairs specialist:

1. Compliance Managers: This career path increases your earning potential by approximately $42,293
2. Financial Risk Specialists: This career path increases your earning potential by approximately $39,085
3. Administrative Service Managers: This career path increases your earning potential by approximately $19,294
4. Regulatory Affairs Managers: This career path increases your earning potential by approximately $80,496
5. Management Analysts: This career path increases your earning potential by approximately $17,995

While these estimates are based on the median annual salary of job postings in Boston, your earning potential largely depends on a variety of factors, such as your experience, credentials, and educational background.

Educational Requirements

If you're hoping to increase your earning potential in regulatory affairs, the best way to do so is by obtaining as much experience as possible. However, your education also plays a huge role in your earning potential and the number of positions you're qualified for.

For example, according to our analysis of job postings data, 30 percent of regulatory affairs jobs in Boston require or prefer a master’s degree. That means advancing your education in this field can improve your job prospects significantly, giving you a competitive edge over other applicants for your desired roles.

How Regis College Prepares You

For those considering pursuing an advanced education in regulatory affairs, Regis College's Master of Science in Regulatory and Clinical Research Management (RCRM) is an excellent option.

Regis offers the following benefits:

• Two tracks: Offers two specialty tracks in either regulatory affairs or clinical research management
• Development of core competencies: Develops your regulatory affairs, quality compliance, and clinical research management skills
• Internship opportunities: Works hard to find internship opportunities and job placements for its students
• Flexible formats: Offers a synchronous online classroom, as well as on-campus learning
• Proximity to Boston: Allows for several networking opportunities for regulatory affairs professionals in the Boston area

Ultimately, Regis College's RCRM program helps students gain valuable real-world experience in the field of regulatory affairs. This hands-on training will help you enhance your skill set and significantly strengthen your resumé.

Ready to Advance Your Regulatory Affairs Career?

In the end, advancing your education will help you advance your career. A regulatory affairs education, such as Regis College's RCRM program, not only increases the number of jobs you're qualified for, but also provides knowledge to help you prepare for the following credentials:

• Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC)
• Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP)
• Project Management Certification (PMI)

If you're ready to take the next steps in your regulatory affairs career, consider applying to Regis College's Master's in Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Research Management. This program will equip you with the skills and networking opportunities you need to succeed in this industry in Boston and beyond.