Regulatory affairs managers and compliance managers keep organizations and products on the right side of rules and requirements, so that the public good is protected. Much of their work involves reviewing data, writing reports and applications, and communicating with teams whether it’s to comply with laws concerning labor, advertising, protecting the environment, consumer privacy, or public safety and health. These managers provide guidance to departments and project teams all the way from the design phase through development and marketing of the final product. Staying on track with regulations takes multiple checks and balances, including managing audits and inspections by regulatory groups such as the Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and others. If a product has a flaw, these compliance professionals oversee the product recall. In order to enter the field, a bachelor’s degree related to the industry is a must, along with several years of job experience. Keeping up to date on new regulations and rules is expected. Typical work settings for these managers are in industries with substantial regulatory obligations, including medical equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, packaging, utilities, financial services, and chemical manufacturing. A typical work week is 40 hours plus.
What they do:
Coordinate and document internal regulatory processes, such as internal audits, inspections, license renewals, or registrations. May compile and prepare materials for submission to regulatory agencies.
On the job, you would:
Coordinate efforts associated with the preparation of regulatory documents or submissions.
Communicate with regulatory agencies regarding pre-submission strategies, potential regulatory pathways, compliance test requirements, or clarification and follow-up of submissions under review.
Prepare or direct the preparation of additional information or responses as requested by regulatory agencies.
Arts and Humanities
English language
Safety and Government
law and government
Math and Science
biology
Engineering and Technology
computers and electronics
Basic Skills
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
talking to others
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Verbal
read and understand what is written
communicate by writing
Ideas and Logic
make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
notice when problems happen
People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.
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