For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.
Job Overview
BASIC SUMMARY:
| The Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) serves as the senior executive responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously enhancing Charles River Laboratories’ global ethics and compliance program. The CCO provides strategic leadership and oversight of compliance risks across Charles River’s global operations, including anti-bribery and anti-corruption, healthcare compliance, research integrity, trade compliance, competition law, data privacy, government contracting, third-party risk management, investigations, and regulatory compliance. The role serves as a trusted advisor to executive management and the Board regarding compliance, ethics, and enterprise risk matters.
|
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
| Essential Duty | Estimated Time Allocation | Summary of Responsibilities |
| Enterprise Ethics & Compliance Program Leadership | 25% | Set compliance strategy, oversee the global ethics and compliance framework, maintain policies and governance processes, and promote a culture of integrity and accountability across the enterprise. |
| Compliance Risk Management, Controls & Monitoring | 20% | Lead enterprise compliance risk assessments, identify emerging risks, develop mitigation plans, and oversee risk-based controls, testing, monitoring, and remediation activities. |
| Regulatory Compliance, Investigations & Response | 20% | Oversee compliance with global regulatory obligations, direct ethics reporting and investigations processes, and coordinate response to regulatory inquiries, audits, inspections, and significant compliance matters. |
| Third-Party, Transactional & International Compliance | 10% | Lead third-party compliance programs, support due diligence and integration for transactions and partnerships, and address compliance risks in complex international markets. |
| Training, Communications & Culture | 10% | Develop enterprise-wide and targeted compliance training, communications, certifications, and executive education to reinforce ethical decision-making and reporting expectations. |
| Board, Executive & Cross-Functional Engagement | 10% | Advise executive leadership and the Board on compliance program effectiveness, key risks, investigations, regulatory trends, metrics, dashboards, and remediation progress. |
| Global Compliance Team Leadership & Operations | 5% | Build and develop the global compliance team, strengthen accountability and succession planning, and drive continuous improvement, efficiency, and innovation in compliance operations. |
Job Description
Key Responsibilities
- Enterprise Ethics & Compliance Leadership, including enterprise program design, governance, culture-building, and oversight of the Company’s global compliance framework.
- Lead and continuously improve Charles River’s global ethics and compliance program to ensure it remains risk-based, effective, scalable, and aligned with evolving business operations.
- Establish compliance strategy, priorities, and annual objectives aligned with the Company’s business goals, regulatory obligations, geographic footprint, and enterprise risk profile.
- Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, transparency, and speak-up behavior throughout the organization, with clear expectations for ethical decision-making and responsible escalation.
- Develop and maintain compliance policies, standards, procedures, and governance frameworks that support consistent execution across global operations and business functions.
- Oversee the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics program, including periodic updates, training, certification, communications, and related governance processes.
- Compliance Risk Management, including risk assessment, monitoring, mitigation planning, and coordination with enterprise assurance functions.
- Conduct enterprise-wide compliance risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies that are prioritized based on likelihood, impact, regulatory exposure, and business relevance.
- Identify emerging legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks across markets and business lines, and translate those risks into practical compliance priorities and controls.
- Implement risk-based compliance controls, monitoring programs, testing activities, and remediation plans to support effective prevention, detection, and response.
- Partner with Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management to ensure coordinated oversight, clear accountability, and appropriate reporting of compliance risk trends and remediation progress.
- Partner with Legal and other relevant stakeholders and assume a leadership role in guiding the Company through regulatory inquiries, investigations, audits, and inspections.
- Support due diligence and integration activities associated with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and business transformations.
Regulatory & Legal Compliance
- Oversee compliance with global laws and regulations impacting Charles River’s operations, including healthcare, anti-bribery, antitrust, trade controls, sanctions, government contracting, environmental, privacy, and research-related requirements.
- Monitor regulatory developments and enforcement trends, and coordinate readiness and response for regulatory inspections, audits, and investigations.
Investigations & Helpline Oversight
- Direct the Company’s ethics reporting, whistleblower, and investigations programs, including intake, investigation, remediation, documentation, and corrective action processes.
- Ensure appropriate escalation and reporting of significant matters to executive leadership and the Board.
Third-Party Compliance & Due Diligence
- Lead third-party compliance programs for distributors, agents, consultants, suppliers, contract research partners, and other business relationships, including risk-based diligence, contracting, monitoring, and certifications.
- Oversee compliance reviews for acquisitions, investments, and strategic partnerships.
Job Description (cont.)
Training & Communications
- Develop enterprise-wide compliance training and targeted communications that strengthen ethical decision-making, awareness, and reporting obligations.
- Deliver executive and Board-level compliance education.
Privacy & Data Governance
- Partner with Privacy, Information Security, and IT to support compliance with privacy, data protection, data handling, and records management requirements.
- Support regulatory readiness and response for privacy and cybersecurity matters.
Board & Executive Engagement
- Brief the Audit Committee and executive leadership on program effectiveness, significant investigations, regulatory developments, key risks, trends, and remediation efforts.
- Develop compliance metrics, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to support transparent oversight.
Team Leadership
- Build, lead, and develop a high-performing global compliance organization with clear accountability, succession planning, and talent development.
- Drive continuous improvement, operational efficiency, and innovation across compliance operations.
Minimum Qualifications
- At least 15 years of progressive experience in compliance, legal, risk management, ethics, governance, or related enterprise control functions. Undergraduate degree required, and advanced degrees and/or certifications in relevant disciplines preferred.
- Prior experience serving as Chief Compliance Officer or Deputy Chief Compliance Officer for a multinational company.
- Experience managing compliance programs in China and other complex and high-risk international markets.
- Experience in life sciences, pharmaceutical services, biotechnology, healthcare, CRO/CDMO, research services, manufacturing, or another regulated global business.
- Proven ability to lead and/or partner with Legal to support and manage the successful resolution of regulatory inquiries, investigations, audits, and inspections, and to successfully partner with the legal team to manage and support related litigation.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a matrixed, global organization and influence stakeholders across functions, geographies, and levels of seniority.
- Demonstrated experience advising executive leadership and the Board of Directors on global compliance program effectiveness, investigations, regulatory risk, and ethics matters.
- Experienced in managing and developing high performing teams across regions.
Professional Attributes:
- Trusted ethics and compliance advisor with exceptional judgment, independence, integrity, discretion, and executive presence.
- Pragmatic, proactive, and solutions-oriented leader who translates complex compliance obligations into clear, risk-based guidance for the business.
- Strong enterprise risk acumen and ability to balance regulatory expectations, ethical standards, business objectives, operational realities, and reputational considerations.
- Collaborative, credible, and low-ego partner who builds trust across Legal, Compliance, HR, Internal Audit, Finance, Quality, Operations, and business teams.
- Clear and concise communicator who can distill compliance risks, investigation findings, and program effectiveness for executive leadership and the Board.
- Comfortable operating independently in a fast-paced, global, highly regulated environment with ambiguity, competing priorities, and sensitive matters.
- Committed to fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, transparency, and ethical decision-making consistent with Charles River’s mission, values, and reputation.
Workplace Requirements:
- Ability to work remotely.
- Domestic and international travel required 20% of the time.
Compensation Data
The hiring range for this position in the United States is $320,000/yr – $350,000/yr. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, location and any collective agreements, if applicable.
About Corporate Functions
The Corporate Functions provide operational support across Charles River in areas such as Human Resources, Finance, IT, Legal, Sales, Quality Assurance, Marketing, and Corporate Development. They partner with their colleagues across the company to develop and drive strategies and to set global standards. The functions are essential to providing a bridge between strategic vision and operational readiness, to ensure ongoing functional innovation and capability improvement.
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.
With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.
At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.
We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to [email protected]. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
For more information, please visit www.criver.com.
Helping you find your moment
You take great care and effort when you apply for a job with us. Rest assured that we’ll be just as diligent in finding the role that’s right for you. Here’s how our hiring process works:
Job Search
Learn about CRL, our culture, and why we do the work we do while also searching for roles that match your interests and expertise.
Application
Create a profile and apply to as many roles as you have an interest.
Note: Depending on the role, you may be required to include a resume in your application.
Assessment and application review
Complete assessments, if requested, to determine whether the role is likely to be a good fit for you – and vice versa. The recruiter will review your resume and qualifications against the requirements of the role and will determine next steps.
Note: At any point in the process, you can log into your profile to review the status of your application.
Interview
Engage in our interview process by meeting with a group of interviewers who will provide information on the company, culture, and your role while also asking you questions to assess your skills, interests, and expertise. This is also a great time for you to ask questions and better understand how we foster a sense of belonging at Charles River.
Note: Charles River leverages technical and behavioral-based interview questions based on our DNA (Care, Lead, Own, and Collaborate). Please familiarize yourself with the DNA and be prepared to relate your experiences to them.
Job offer and onboarding
Receive a competitive offer either by phone or email from a Charles River recruiter or hiring manager. The offer will include your title, salary, location, and other relevant information.
Note: Upon acceptance, you will work with your recruiter to confirm a start date and will receive paperwork to electronically complete prior to your start. For US-based roles, upon your acceptance, you will be required to take a pre-employment drug screen and pass a criminal background check.
Job Search
Learn about CRL, our culture, and why we do the work we do while also searching for roles that match your interests and expertise.
Application
Create a profile and apply to as many roles as you have an interest. Note: Depending on the role, you may be required to include a resume in your application.
Assessment and Application Review
Complete assessments, if requested, to determine whether the role is likely to be a good fit for you – and vice versa. The recruiter will review your resume and qualifications against the requirements of the role and will determine next steps.
Note: At any point in the process, you can log into your profile to review the status of your application.
Interview
Engage in our interview process by meeting with a group of interviewers who will provide information on the company, culture, and your role while also asking you questions to assess your skills, interests, and expertise. This is also a great time for you to ask questions and better understand how we foster a sense of belonging at Charles River. Note: Charles River leverages technical and behavioral-based interview questions based on our DNA (Care, Lead, Own, and Collaborate). Please familiarize yourself with the DNA and be prepared to relate your experiences to them.
Job offer and onboarding
Receive a competitive offer either by phone or email from a Charles River recruiter or hiring manager. The offer will include your title, salary, location, and other relevant information. Note: Upon acceptance, you will work with your recruiter to confirm a start date and will receive paperwork to electronically complete prior to your start. For US-based roles, upon your acceptance, you will be required to take a pre-employment drug screen and pass a criminal background check.
Featured jobs
Important things are happening every moment at Charles River. This means exciting new career opportunities for you to explore. Take a look and apply today!
Looking for something else? Search all jobs.
Moment by moment
At Charles River, you’ll be able to contribute to incredible breakthroughs while experiencing exciting opportunities for growth and development.
-
UX/UI Designer
Advocate for user-centered design solutions. Create distinctive, consistent, branded digital experiences across multiple platforms, devices, and channels.
-
Sr. UX/UI Designer
Define and drive UX/UI strategies and interaction designs – from scratch and for scale – that solve business and user problems.
-
Associate Director
Work with Sr. UX/IX Designers and developers to assess problems and develop solutions. Execute on plan by building coding standardisations and automating processes.
-
Director, Digital Data Enablement
Lead UX management and operational teams across business units and technical teams. Identify and define fit-for-purpose strategies to integrate best practices.
-
Sr. Director UX/UI Design
Mentor, coach, and guide designer teams on design strategy related to research insights, execution, continuous integration, and automated deployment.
-
-
Animal Care Technician I-IV
Maintain the well-being of our animals by providing food, water, and a clean environment.
-
Animal Care Technologist I-IV
Provide specialised care to maintain and monitor our animal's health and physical environment.
-
Veterinary Technician
Help monitor, document, and triage all laboratory animal health cases.
-
Team Leader / Supervisor
Supervise, train, mobilise, empower, and develop a high-performing team.
-
Research Associate
Coordinate and plan activities according to study plan guidelines.
-
-
Intern Level I
Support process/procedure improvement based on site and department needs. Gain knowledge of our corporate environment to navigate cross-functional department collaboration.
-
Intern Level II
Complete comprehensive departmental projects incorporating mentorship of Level I interns as a professional development component.
-
Biomanufacturing Technician I-III
Oversee the production, formulation, and banking of cellular products while maintaining compliance with GMP, GDP, and aseptic guidelines.
-
Biomanufacturing Lead / Specialist
Maintain in-depth knowledge of specialised equipment to address questions as a Subject Matter Expert for the required equipment.
-
-
Clinical Veterinarian I-III
Responsible for delivering professional veterinary services and helping to manage all phases of health care for the animal colony.
-
Senior Clinical Veterinarian
Utlise knowledge of laboratory animal medicine to optimise the scientific objectives of animal research protocols.
-
Principal Veterinarian / Associate Director
Conduct veterinary consultations, make treatment recommendations, communicate with study directors, and follow cases through to resolution.
-
Director, Laboratory Animal Medicine
Provide technical and professional oversight of all animal care and use functions involving site laboratory animals.
-
-
Technician I-III
Follow SOP and protocols in the areas of animal handling, husbandry, and blood/urine collection.
-
Technician IV-V
Handle advanced technician duties, including anesthesia, leadership and specialised sample collections.
-
Project Leader (Scientific)
Serve as a scientific expert for the Lab with responsibility for staff-conducted studies.
-
Team Leader (People Leader)
Oversee team activities and gain leadership skills on the path to becoming a Team Supervisor.
-
Team Supervisor (People Leader)
Responsible for overall employee supervision, staff development, and team success.
-
-
Financial Analyst
Help analyse financial data, extract/define relevant information, and interpret data.
-
Financial Analyst II
Responsible for analysis, forecasting, budgeting, accounting administration, and reporting of projects.
-
Senior Financial Analyst
Handle weekly and monthly forecasting and annual budget preparation. Prepare financials and key indicators for business reviews.
-
Manager, Business Finance
Partner with operating businesses to raise standards in key decision areas. Present a dynamic industry, competitor, and economic context.
-
Finance Director, Operation
Support all business aspects, working with site teams to direct weekly/monthly forecasting and annual budget preparation.
-
-
Biomanufacturing Technician I
Support the production, formulation, and banking of novel cellular products (including cGMP, GDP, and aseptic processing).
-
Biomanufacturing Technician II
Perform specialised activities in the production, formulation, and banking of novel cellular products (including cGMP, GDP, and aseptic processing). Train Biomanufacturing Technician 1.
-
Biomanufacturing Technician III
Help advance the production, formulation, and banking of novel cellular products (including cGMP, GDP, and aseptic processing) while interacting with clients.
-
Biomanufacturing Lead / Specialist
Maintain in-depth knowledge of specialised equipment to address questions as a Subject Matter Expert for the required equipment.
-
Biomanufacturing Supervisor
Oversee biomanufacturing personnel, ensuring compliance with cGMP’s, CRL quality systems, and process documents in biomanufacturing.
-
Biomanufacturing Manager
Lead biomanufacturing activities in the start-up and cGMP production of novel cellular products. Schedule and manage staff, ensuring a safe and compliant working environment.
-
-
Client Manager
Ensures high-quality customer service through multi-site coordination. Deliver timely, accurate, and comprehensive responses to sponsor requests.
-
Business Development Director
Deliver profitable sales growth by targeting and visiting clients to build strong relationships and customer loyalty.
-
Senior Business Development Director
Plan and execute a territory-based field sales strategy. Drive growth through targeted long- and short-term account plans.
-
Regional Sales Manager
Manage sales team within North America's Safety Assessment sales region to achieve sales and profit goals.
-
-
Director
Partner with site leadership to achieve performance goals, develop staff, and deliver succession planning.
-
Senior Director / General Manager
Lead a multi-functional team to ensure integrated operations. Collaborate with senior leadership to form plans, objectives, and policies.
-
Executive Director
Lead a global, mutidisciplinary team. Develop short and long-term strategic plans tp maximise growth and profitability.
-
Corporate Vice President
Provide leadership, direction, and advice to leadership and finance teams. Accountable for financial planning, directing, and controlling.
-
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage Contract Research Organisation (CRO). Here, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. With 100 sites around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our clients’ unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies, hospitals, and academic institutions around the world.
Supporting your well-being
Your dedication and passion make a life-saving difference in lives around the world. We’re committed to providing you with benefits that elevate your quality of life.
Financial
- Earnings + incentives
- Retirement benefits
- Holidays + time away
- Recognition
- Employee Assistance
Career
- Professional development opportunities
- Career development
- Awards
- Educational support
Health & wellness provision
- Employee well-being support
- Family Support Assistance
- Parental benefits + family formation benefits
- Work-life balance flexibility
Social and Community
- Culture of inclusion
- 11 employee resource groups (ERGs) with >3,000 members
- Opportunities for paid volunteer time off
- Community outreach + matching gift + engagement activities
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage Contract Research Organisation (CRO). Here, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. With 100 sites around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our clients’ unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies, hospitals, and academic institutions around the world.