Those who work in regulatory affairs are a bridge between manufacturers and those who set and reinforce standards. Regulatory affairs officers ensure that products such as pharmaceuticals, health supplements, and others are compliant to legislative rules and regulations.
Qualifications to Look for During Regulatory Recruitment
The right qualifications are key to getting any job and this is true for regulatory jobs as well. When it comes to regulatory jobs, a recruiter may be looking to recruit those who have the required training and education or in regulation or those who have certification.
Recruiters should consider the qualifications attained through the training and education available from different organizations, including master's degree programs from universities. There is also the Regulatory Affairs Certificate Program offered by the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS).
This certification program is a series of online courses offering training in specific healthcare product areas such as medical devices or pharmaceuticals. This certificate doesn't require continued education.
RASP also offers Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC). Recruiters report that those who have RAC have several advantages, including:
- More credibility, which gives candidates a better shot with regulatory recruitment agencies and HR offices in manufacturing companies. RAC is the only post-academic professional credential that is offered specifically for regulation jobs. Apart from an academic degree, it is the only recognized qualification that can open doors to regulation careers.
- According to compensation data, many employers are willing to pay those who have RAC more. According to the most recent Scope of Practice and Compensation Report, North America respondents who have RAC make 11% more in basic and total compensation than those who don't. This is especially so early in regulatory affairs careers with associates and specialists making 24.4% and 14.3% higher basic salaries respectively.
- Employers typically value experience more than credentials but RAC can give you better prospects. Sometimes, it can compensate for less experience. Whether credentials or experience is more important depends on individual employers.
- RAC also gives candidates better prospects outside the U.S. A Scope of Practice Report showed that North America has the highest number of professionals with RAC, more so in the U.S. While this is also where the credential recognition is highest, it is gaining more recognition in Europe, Asia, and other regions as well.
Possible Directions with Regulatory Jobs
Regulatory recruitment will typically be done on behalf of manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, veterinary products and devices, homeopathic medicine, research organizations and state and federal regulatory bodies. Therefore, regulatory jobs are not limited to nutraceuticals or any other specific space. When a job seeker is able to understand regulations and compliance, they can often use those skills to find emplyment in many different sectors.
Regulatory Recruitment vs. Other Jobs
There is a big difference between recruitment for other jobs which entail carrying out specific tasks and recruiting regulatory officers. Regulators set the standards and set the pace and ensure that manufacturers are compliant with set regulations, making them a critical part of the business.
Therefore, regulatory recruitment focuses on recruiting not only those who have the necessary qualifications but those who have the ability to assess and reinforce set standards. This means a person who not only looks good on paper but can also be very firm, even resolute in dealing with non-compliance. Recruiters will pay a lot of attention to this and those aspiring to impress them should too.