DEA Specialist I

DEA Compliance Specialist I in Springfield, MO

Build your future at Curia, where our work has the power to save lives

Curia is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 30 years of experience partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide life-saving treatments to patients. At Curia, we are on a mission to advance our customers' therapies from curiosity to cure and ultimately to improve patients' lives.

We proudly offer

• Generous benefit options (eligible first day of employment)
• Paid training, vacation and holidays (vacation accrual begins on first day of employment)
• Career advancement opportunities
• Education reimbursement
• 401K program with matching contributions
• Learning platform
• And more!

Summary:

If you're someone who finds satisfaction in doing things right, and believes that the details matter, this role is for you. At Curia, we operate from a simple truth: lives depend on the work we do. As a DEA Compliance Specialist I, you'll be part of a team that takes that responsibility seriously while supporting each other to succeed.

In this role, you'll help ensure that all activities involving DEA-regulated substances and listed chemicals are carried out in full compliance with Curia's Compliance Program and applicable federal and state regulations. You'll bring curiosity to complex problems, act with urgency when it matters, and hold yourself accountable to the highest standards - values that are central to the Curia Way.

Essential Responsibilities

Quota & Regulatory Submissions

• Develop, maintain, and track all documents required to submit quota applications to the DEA for the site.
• Prepare and submit Import/Export applications through IMEX
• Review and close out Declarations and Permits as required, ensuring records are retained per 21 CFR 1300.

Inventory & Recordkeeping

• Maintain accurate, up-to-date inventories of all controlled substances and perform reconciliations to ensure accountability.
• Complete biannual and year-end controlled substance inventories as required.
• Accurately enter and evaluate data across multiple databases, documents, and spreadsheets; identify and resolve discrepancies in a timely manner.

Audits & Investigations

• Conduct internal audits related to DEA/state compliance, inventory accountability, documentation, and adherence to 21 CFR 1301.71-1301.76.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies in weightings and inventories of controlled substances and List I chemicals.
• Participate in customer and DEA audits as needed.

Licensing & Destructions

• Partner with regulatory agencies to ensure site licenses and registrations remain current, accurate, and complete.
• Coordinate controlled substance destructions and manage documentation for transfer to a reverse distributor for destruction.

Additional Duties

• Support broader compliance and business needs as reasonably assigned.

Good Manufacturing & Documentation Practices

Quality is something we take pride in together. You'll perform your work in alignment with cGMP requirements and Curia's standards, which means:

• Perform all documentation in compliance with ALCOA principles and site SOPs.
• Adhere to applicable cGMP documents including SOPs, batch records, protocols, change controls, and controlled forms.
• Keep all required cGMP training current and escalate quality concerns along with proposed solutions to the Quality department.

Education & Experience

Required

• Associate degree or equivalent from a two-year college in a relevant field
• 0-2 years of related experience and/or training

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in a related field
• Prior experience navigating DEA and/or FDA regulatory frameworks

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, with strong Excel skills
• Working knowledge of MRP principles and supply chain operations
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply technical procedures and governmental regulations
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting to cross-functional teams and external stakeholders
• High degree of initiative; proven ability to manage priorities independently and meet deadlines
• Analytical mindset with the ability to define problems, evaluate data, and draw sound conclusions
• Comfort working with mathematical concepts and technical or diagrammatic instructions

Physical requirements

This role regularly requires sitting, standing, and using hands to handle or feel materials. The employee will frequently use hands and arms and communicate verbally and in writing. Occasional walking, climbing, and balancing may be required. Specific vision abilities needed include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment

This position operates in a regulated manufacturing environment. The employee may be occasionally exposed to fumes, airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, wet or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, and low to moderate noise levels. Risk of electrical shock may be present.

This job description reflects the general nature and scope of the role and is not exhaustive. We're a growing organization, and opportunities to contribute beyond this list are part of what makes Curia exciting. We're committed to reviewing reasonable accommodation requests to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Education, experience, location and tenure may be considered along with internal equity when job offers are extended.

We do not accept unsolicited assistance from any headhunters or recruitment firms for any of our job openings. All resumes or profiles submitted by search firms to any employee at Curia, in any form without a valid, signed search agreement by an authorized signatory in place for the specific position, approved by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Curia. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Curia because of the unsolicited referral.

All interested applicants must apply online. Please be aware of scammers. Curia will only send offer letters and requests for sensitive personal information from a curiaglobal.com email address. Curia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Curia is an E-Verify employer.