3695 Animal Research Compliance Specialist – IACUC / OLAW

Location: Boston, MA – Remote, but candidates must be local to the Boston area
Job Type: 4-Month Contract
Schedule: Full-Time
Potential: Opportunity for Temp-to-Perm
Job ID: 3695

Sigma Systems is seeking an experienced Animal Research Compliance Specialist to support animal research regulatory and compliance activities. This position can be performed remotely; however, candidates must be local to the Boston, MA area.

The ideal candidate will have 3–5 years of relevant experience and hands-on knowledge of IACUC protocols, animal use documentation, OLAW requirements, research compliance, and AAALAC-accredited programs.

Position Summary

The Animal Compliance Specialist will coordinate and execute day-to-day animal research compliance activities, working closely with research teams and performance sites to ensure required documentation meets applicable regulatory and institutional requirements.

This role will review animal research compliance documentation, track approvals and expiration dates, maintain audit-ready records, support OLAW-related activities, answer routine compliance questions, and escalate complex or high-risk issues to research compliance leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate day-to-day animal research compliance activities for research programs and performance sites.
• Review Vertebrate Animal Section (VAS) documents, IACUC approval letters, congruency statements, animal use documentation, assurances, protocols, licenses, and approvals for completeness and compliance.
• Assist research teams and performance sites with preparing and revising animal compliance documentation.
• Track compliance submissions, approvals, action items, expiration dates, and follow-up requirements.
• Maintain complete, accurate, organized, and audit-ready compliance records.
• Identify documentation or compliance issues and coordinate follow-up activities to prevent research project delays.
• Prepare and coordinate Domestic and Foreign Assurance documentation.
• Support OLAW administrative activities, including IIA activations/inactivations and annual reporting.
• Communicate animal research compliance requirements to internal teams, research partners, and performance sites.
• Research domestic and international animal research compliance requirements and provide findings for leadership review.
• Support compliance activities involving foreign and domestic research sites.
• Identify opportunities to improve compliance processes, documentation, and tools.
• Draft proposed revisions to SOPs, templates, and guidance documents based on regulatory or process changes.
• Escalate complex, unusual, high-risk, or policy-interpretation issues to research compliance leadership.
• Maintain quality assurance and compliance with applicable policies, SOPs, and regulatory guidance.

Required Qualifications

• 3–5 years of relevant animal research compliance or research regulatory experience.
• Working knowledge of animal research regulations and compliance requirements.
• Hands-on experience reviewing IACUC protocols or animal use documentation.
• Familiarity with OLAW Assurances.
• Familiarity with AAALAC-accredited animal research programs.
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to independently manage multiple compliance activities, documentation requirements, and deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively in a remote, fast-paced, and collaborative environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with CROs, academic research institutions, federally funded research programs, or research compliance offices.
• Experience supporting institutional animal care and use programs.
• Familiarity with international animal research compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of domestic and foreign animal research assurances.
• Experience with VAS documentation, IACUC approvals, OLAW, AAALAC, SOPs, audit preparation, and regulatory documentation.
• Experience communicating compliance requirements to investigators, research teams, or external research sites.

Ideal Candidate

A strong candidate may currently or previously have worked as an Animal Research Compliance Specialist, IACUC Coordinator, IACUC Administrator, Research Compliance Specialist, Animal Welfare Compliance Specialist, Research Regulatory Specialist, IACUC Compliance Specialist, Animal Care and Use Compliance Specialist, or Research Compliance Coordinator.

Candidates with direct experience supporting IACUC protocols, OLAW Assurances, AAALAC-accredited programs, animal use documentation, and federally funded or academic animal research programs are strongly encouraged to apply.

Work Location

Remote – Candidates must be local to Boston, Massachusetts.

This is initially a 4-month contract position with the possibility of temp-to-permanent employment.