Biotech & Pharma OPT Jobs in New Jersey
New Jersey is one of the most active states for biotech and pharma F-1 OPT sponsorship, anchored by a dense corridor of employers stretching from Princeton to the Meadowlands. Companies like Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Novartis have significant operations here, making the state a serious destination for international students pursuing OPT in the life sciences.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Legend Biotech is a global biotechnology company dedicated to treating, and one day curing, life-threatening diseases. Headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, we are developing advanced cell therapies across a diverse array of technology platforms, including autologous and allogenic chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, T-cell receptor (TCR-T), and natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy. From our three R&D sites around the world, we apply these innovative technologies to pursue the discovery of safe, efficacious and cutting-edge therapeutics for patients worldwide.
Legend Biotech entered into a global collaboration agreement with Janssen, one of the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, to jointly develop and commercialize ciltacabtagene autolecuel (cilta-cel). Our strategic partnership is designed to combine the strengths and expertise of both companies to advance the promise of an immunotherapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Legend Biotech is seeking a Manager/Sr. Manager, GLP - CQA as part of the Regulatory Affairs team based in Somerset, NJ.
Role Overview
The incumbent/appointee will be responsible for ensuring that the relevant nonclinical studies are performed in compliance with GLP regulations and Health Authorities' guidance/principles, and/or EDD's established quality standards. He/she will maintain a compliant quality system to meet these requirements, and will be responsible for the overall (GLP) quality oversight of studies, from the assessment of external vendors via audits to their onboarding. The appointee will oversee the overall laboratory processes by reviewing and/or supporting the development of SOPs, and supporting the bioanalytical assays that are required for the GLP or CGLP studies. She/he may be involved in overseeing the work performed by external contract research organizations (CROs) and/or consultants.
It is expected that the appointee will have a broad knowledge of GCP/ICH guidelines in order to support cross-functional teams and provide input in GCP/GLP processes; in fact, he/she will partner with the study teams in order to maintain and/or reinforce a 'quality culture', thus contributing to Legend Biotech's inspection-readiness goal.
The appointee is expected to be local (Somerset, NJ) and be on a hybrid work schedule (i.e., 2-3 days working at the Somerset, NJ, site).
The incumbent will report to the Sr. Director of Clinical Quality Assurance.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the GLP quality compliance systems, via established policies and procedures for the GLP QA function.
- Manage GLP quality systems including the implementation and maintenance of procedures and standards. Support documentation review activities, when necessary or required to ensure compliance.
- Support/perform audits of external vendors that provide GLP related services. The 'audit' includes all activities, from the set up of the agenda, confirmation letter, review of vendor's SOPs, etc. to the timely (30 days' target) filing of the audit report and other relevant documentation in the Veeva system.
- Support the process of GCP/GLP deviations from study protocols or standard operating procedures.
- Support internal and external GLP study audits and general laboratory compliance audits to ensure that laboratories, internal and external are adhering to all quality protocols and regulations.
- Collaborate with the GLP's relevant functions in reviewing relevant data for nonclinical and clinical studies to verify data integrity and to ensure work was performed according to protocols and complied with all relevant regulations.
- Provide quality oversight of contract or internal testing facilities to ensure adherence to all regulations, standard procedures and protocols. Alert the appropriate level of management with any non-compliance issues, ensure all corrective actions take place and elevate concerns when necessary.
- Support the development of agenda items for Early Development (EDD) team meetings to provide input and quality perspectives.
- Provide input in the development of GLP related SOPs, and support cross-functional teams in the development of "Quality" related documentation (e.g., SOPs, training modules), and other documents as assigned.
- Communicate activities and feedback to core Quality management team to allow other team members to identify any issues or action items that need to be addressed.
- Contribute to GLP audits/inspections, and coordinate the review of responses to regulatory agency questions resulting from these inspections, and/or from external/internal audits.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in biology, biochemistry, or the life sciences.
- Must be able to communicate effectively in English.
- A minimum of 3 years (for Sr. Manager) or 1 year (for Manager level) of related industry experience in Quality.
- 3 years of experience in working and/or overseeing GLP Quality in laboratories testing biologics.
- Experience performing audits of GLP testing labs is a plus.
- Experience with participation in and hosting regulatory audits is a plus.
- Experience working with CROs, vendors, and relationship management.
- Experience in auditing activities.
- Ability and desire to work well with diverse employees and customers in a cooperative and supportive manner.
- Must be a team player with good interpersonal skills, a forward thinker, always looking for pragmatic solutions that highlight 'quality' while being resource-efficient.
- Strong project management skills.
- Ability to articulate QA-GLP perspective and the status of QA-related activities at cross-functional meetings.
- Working knowledge of relevant FDA, ICH GCP guidelines, and GCP, GLP related regulations.
- Results driven with demonstrated successful outcomes.
Li-JR1
Li-Hybrid
Please note: These benefits are offered exclusively to permanent full-time employees. Contractors are not eligible for benefits through Legend Biotech.
EEO Statement
It is the policy of Legend Biotech to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state or local laws or ordinances.
Employment is at-will and may be terminated at any time with or without cause or notice by the employee or the company.
For information related to our privacy notice, please review: Legend Biotech Privacy Notice.
INTRODUCTION
Legend Biotech is a global biotechnology company dedicated to treating, and one day curing, life-threatening diseases. Headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, we are developing advanced cell therapies across a diverse array of technology platforms, including autologous and allogenic chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, T-cell receptor (TCR-T), and natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy. From our three R&D sites around the world, we apply these innovative technologies to pursue the discovery of safe, efficacious and cutting-edge therapeutics for patients worldwide.
Legend Biotech entered into a global collaboration agreement with Janssen, one of the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, to jointly develop and commercialize ciltacabtagene autolecuel (cilta-cel). Our strategic partnership is designed to combine the strengths and expertise of both companies to advance the promise of an immunotherapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Legend Biotech is seeking a Manager/Sr. Manager, GLP - CQA as part of the Regulatory Affairs team based in Somerset, NJ.
Role Overview
The incumbent/appointee will be responsible for ensuring that the relevant nonclinical studies are performed in compliance with GLP regulations and Health Authorities' guidance/principles, and/or EDD's established quality standards. He/she will maintain a compliant quality system to meet these requirements, and will be responsible for the overall (GLP) quality oversight of studies, from the assessment of external vendors via audits to their onboarding. The appointee will oversee the overall laboratory processes by reviewing and/or supporting the development of SOPs, and supporting the bioanalytical assays that are required for the GLP or CGLP studies. She/he may be involved in overseeing the work performed by external contract research organizations (CROs) and/or consultants.
It is expected that the appointee will have a broad knowledge of GCP/ICH guidelines in order to support cross-functional teams and provide input in GCP/GLP processes; in fact, he/she will partner with the study teams in order to maintain and/or reinforce a 'quality culture', thus contributing to Legend Biotech's inspection-readiness goal.
The appointee is expected to be local (Somerset, NJ) and be on a hybrid work schedule (i.e., 2-3 days working at the Somerset, NJ, site).
The incumbent will report to the Sr. Director of Clinical Quality Assurance.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the GLP quality compliance systems, via established policies and procedures for the GLP QA function.
- Manage GLP quality systems including the implementation and maintenance of procedures and standards. Support documentation review activities, when necessary or required to ensure compliance.
- Support/perform audits of external vendors that provide GLP related services. The 'audit' includes all activities, from the set up of the agenda, confirmation letter, review of vendor's SOPs, etc. to the timely (30 days' target) filing of the audit report and other relevant documentation in the Veeva system.
- Support the process of GCP/GLP deviations from study protocols or standard operating procedures.
- Support internal and external GLP study audits and general laboratory compliance audits to ensure that laboratories, internal and external are adhering to all quality protocols and regulations.
- Collaborate with the GLP's relevant functions in reviewing relevant data for nonclinical and clinical studies to verify data integrity and to ensure work was performed according to protocols and complied with all relevant regulations.
- Provide quality oversight of contract or internal testing facilities to ensure adherence to all regulations, standard procedures and protocols. Alert the appropriate level of management with any non-compliance issues, ensure all corrective actions take place and elevate concerns when necessary.
- Support the development of agenda items for Early Development (EDD) team meetings to provide input and quality perspectives.
- Provide input in the development of GLP related SOPs, and support cross-functional teams in the development of "Quality" related documentation (e.g., SOPs, training modules), and other documents as assigned.
- Communicate activities and feedback to core Quality management team to allow other team members to identify any issues or action items that need to be addressed.
- Contribute to GLP audits/inspections, and coordinate the review of responses to regulatory agency questions resulting from these inspections, and/or from external/internal audits.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in biology, biochemistry, or the life sciences.
- Must be able to communicate effectively in English.
- A minimum of 3 years (for Sr. Manager) or 1 year (for Manager level) of related industry experience in Quality.
- 3 years of experience in working and/or overseeing GLP Quality in laboratories testing biologics.
- Experience performing audits of GLP testing labs is a plus.
- Experience with participation in and hosting regulatory audits is a plus.
- Experience working with CROs, vendors, and relationship management.
- Experience in auditing activities.
- Ability and desire to work well with diverse employees and customers in a cooperative and supportive manner.
- Must be a team player with good interpersonal skills, a forward thinker, always looking for pragmatic solutions that highlight 'quality' while being resource-efficient.
- Strong project management skills.
- Ability to articulate QA-GLP perspective and the status of QA-related activities at cross-functional meetings.
- Working knowledge of relevant FDA, ICH GCP guidelines, and GCP, GLP related regulations.
- Results driven with demonstrated successful outcomes.
Li-JR1
Li-Hybrid
Please note: These benefits are offered exclusively to permanent full-time employees. Contractors are not eligible for benefits through Legend Biotech.
EEO Statement
It is the policy of Legend Biotech to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state or local laws or ordinances.
Employment is at-will and may be terminated at any time with or without cause or notice by the employee or the company.
For information related to our privacy notice, please review: Legend Biotech Privacy Notice.
OPT Biotech & Pharma Job Roles in New Jersey
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Search Biotech & Pharma Jobs in New JerseyBiotech & Pharma OPT Sponsorship Jobs in New Jersey: Frequently Asked Questions
Which biotech & pharma companies sponsor F-1 OPT visas in New Jersey?
New Jersey is home to a number of major pharmaceutical and biotech employers with documented OPT sponsorship activity, including Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Becton Dickinson, and Genmab. Smaller contract research organizations and specialty biotech firms also hire OPT candidates, particularly for lab-based and analytical roles where STEM OPT extension eligibility is a significant advantage for employers evaluating longer-term hiring.
Which cities in New Jersey have the most biotech & pharma F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
The Princeton and New Brunswick area forms the densest cluster of pharma and biotech employers in the state, with major corporate campuses concentrated there. Parsippany, Kenilworth, Franklin Lakes, and the Rockaway area also host significant life sciences operations. The proximity to Philadelphia and New York City means many employers draw from a wide candidate pool, but most biotech and pharma OPT roles are concentrated in central and northern New Jersey.
What types of biotech & pharma roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship?
Roles in research and development, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, clinical data management, bioinformatics, process development, and analytical chemistry are among the most commonly filled through OPT in New Jersey's pharma and biotech sector. Many of these positions fall under STEM-designated fields, making candidates eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, which gives employers a longer window to evaluate candidates before pursuing H-1B visa sponsorship.
How do I find biotech & pharma F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in New Jersey?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students and filters jobs by visa type and industry, so you can search directly for biotech and pharma F-1 OPT sponsorship roles in New Jersey without sifting through listings that don't apply to your situation. The platform surfaces employers with active sponsorship history in the life sciences, which is particularly useful in a state like New Jersey where the pharma corridor spans dozens of companies across multiple counties.
Are there any state-specific or industry-specific considerations for F-1 OPT sponsorship in New Jersey's biotech & pharma sector?
New Jersey's pharma and biotech industry is heavily regulated, and many roles require access to controlled substances, biologics, or proprietary research data, which can affect onboarding timelines for OPT candidates. Employers in the state are also experienced with STEM OPT extension paperwork given the volume of international hires, but authorization must come from your Designated School Official and remain current throughout employment. Always confirm your OPT authorization dates and employment eligibility with your DSO before accepting an offer.