Manager, State Licensing

About the role

The State License Manager plays a critical role in supporting clients across the life sciences, pharmaceutical distribution, medical device distribution, and healthcare service sectors by managing end-to-end state licensing activities. This position ensures clients maintain continuous compliance with state regulatory requirements for operations such as wholesale distribution, third-party logistics (3PL), pharmacy, manufacturer, and controlled substance licensing.

Responsibilities

• Provide full-service licensing oversight and consultation to clients, including identifying required state licenses, preparing application packages, and managing submissions through approval.
• Conduct regulatory research to interpret state requirements for pharmaceutical, device, wholesale, 3PL, and controlled substance licensing.
• Own and manage the full lifecycle of client licenses required for product distribution, including applications, renewals, amendments, ownership and personnel changes, periodic reporting, and terminations.
• Stay current on state regulatory changes and emerging compliance trends affecting licensing requirements.
• Serve as a liaison between clients and state regulatory agencies, maintaining professional and productive relationships to facilitate timely resolution of licensing issues.
• Track and monitor licensing timelines, proactively communicating status updates, risks, and required client actions.
• Maintain accurate records of licensing activities, documentation, and correspondence in internal systems.
• Ensure continuous audit readiness through accurate documentation and adherence to regulatory standards.
• Monitor regulatory changes impacting licensing requirements and ensure organizational compliance.
• Partner with compliance, legal, and operational teams to support corporate compliance initiatives.
• Support business development by providing subject-matter expertise during sales discussions, scoping calls, and proposal development.
• Provide guidance to internal stakeholders regarding licensing requirements and compliance expectations.
• Support internal and external audits and inspections.
• Promote a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and compliance discipline.
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias.

Requirements

• Education bachelor’s degree in business, legal studies, public policy, scientific discipline, or a related field preferred.
• Experience and/or Training: Minimum 7 years of experience in state licensing, regulatory compliance, and/or related fields (pharmaceutical, medical device, healthcare, legal services, and/or corporate compliance).
• Experience preparing and submitting state license applications (e.g., wholesale distributor, 3PL, pharmacy, manufacturer, controlled substances).
• Strong research skills and ability to interpret state statutes, regulations, and agency guidance.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-volume, detail-oriented regulatory processes with strict deadlines and accuracy requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• High attention to detail, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with tracking systems, databases, and document management tools.
• Demonstrated experience managing regulatory licensing, including applications, renewals, amendments, and ongoing compliance requirements.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory requirements related to licensure, operational compliance, and audit readiness.
• Experience working with regulatory agencies, including state boards and FDA.
• Strong project management skills; knowledge and application of process and planning best practices.
• Experience with regulatory tracking tools, documentation systems, and compliance record management.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills supporting a high level of professionalism.
• Ability to effectively communicate with regulatory agencies and cross-functional stakeholders regarding licensing and compliance matters.
• Experience managing and/or mentoring technical resources is highly desired.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities across a variety of external clients.
• Ability to work with stakeholders and resources at a variety of levels.
• Managerial experience
• Extremely detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and a focus on documentation accuracy and compliance integrity.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain audit readiness and inspection preparedness.

Qualifications

• Education: Master’s, PhD, or PharmD degree in a scientific and/or business discipline preferred.
• Experience and/or Training: Experience working with state boards of pharmacy, departments of health, and/or secretary of state offices.
• Familiarity with licensing platforms such as state online portals and/or compliance management systems.
• Experience supporting licensing for pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device manufacturers, distributors, 3PLs, and/or pharmacies.
• Knowledge of federal regulations impacting state licensing (e.g., DSCSA, DEA requirements).
• Prior consulting experience or client-facing service delivery.
• Experience supporting or partnering with corporate compliance programs, including audits, inspections, and internal controls.
• Familiarity with regulatory information management systems (RIMS), licensing databases, and compliance tracking tools.
• Experience operating in a client-facing, consulting, and/or matrixed cross-functional environment.