Quality Assurance Associate

About the role

Canadian Blood Services is looking for a Regular full-time Quality Assurance Associate (QAA) to join our dynamic Quality Assurance team in Calgary, Alberta.

In this role, you will be providing the organizational assurance that we meet safety, quality identity, purity, potency and accessibility requirements of our products and services.

You will utilize your knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), this includes Blood Regulations as defined by Health Canada, CSA Blood and Blood Component Standards as well as relevant Cell, Tissues and Organs (CTO) regulations and standards as well as the theory and application of quality systems elements to the products and services provided by Canadian Blood Services.

Formula for success

• Utilizing your expertise in Quality Assurance, you will ensure compliance and quality by maintaining controlled processes and applying Quality Management System principles across deviations, document management, retrieval/recall, validation, change control, audits, training, and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).


• Leveraging your excellent communication skills, you will educate staff as to "why" GMP, as defined by Canadian Blood Services Quality Management System, are necessary and how these ideologies apply to the activities Canadian Blood Services undertakes.


• Drawing from your analytical and problem-solving skills, you will monitor and enhance product and service quality by analyzing data, conducting root cause investigations, and tracking improvements.


• Leading and supporting audit activities for internal/external audits, accreditation assessments, and Health Canada inspections, including inspection readiness activities, ensuring timely completion of assigned corrective actions within agreed timelines.


• Act as a subject matter resource for Testing quality processes by providing coaching, informal training, and knowledge-sharing sessions on GMP, Good Documentation Practices, investigations, and risk-based decision making.


• Identify recurring quality issues, documentation gaps, and potential risks and share recommendations to support continuous improvement.


• Performing all work in accordance with Canadian Blood Services Corporate Health and Safety Policies and Procedures, you will contribute to a safe and compliant work environment.

Desired education and skills

• Completion of post-secondary education in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience.


• Minimum 10 years' experience in a GMP manufacturing or pharmaceutical environment.


• Minimum 5 years' experience in Quality Management and Continuous Improvement


• Minimum of 3 years' experience in the quality assurance function of a testing or diagnostics program or organization following Good Manufacturing Practices is preferred.


• In-depth knowledge of Health Canada, CSA, and AABB standards.


• Technical skills in Quality Management Systems and Microsoft Office.

What we offer you

• 4 weeks' vacation.


• Annual performance award up to 6%. 


• Comprehensive group health, dental and vision benefits for you and your family.


• Defined benefit pension plan. 


• Employee discounts, wellness program, professional resources. 

What you can expect

• This role will work in a hybrid environment with requirements to be onsite at Canadian Blood Services location 60% of the time/3 days of the week.


• You will work 37.5 hours a week, with variable shifts, evenings and weekends with occasional on-call requirements.