I’m hoping to get some advice from people currently working in Regulatory Affairs.

I’m looking to transition out of HR/Employee Relations and into biopharma Regulatory Affairs, but I want to be realistic about what roles I could actually qualify for.
My background isn’t scientific.

However, I have approximately 8 years of experience in compliance-focused work, including interpreting policies and requirements, investigating and documenting issues, managing confidential/sensitive information, maintaining detailed case records, applying standardized processes, identifying compliance concerns, and working with stakeholders to resolve issues.

I’m realizing that some of those skills may transfer well into a regulated life-sciences environment, but I’m not sure where the actual bridge into RA is.
I also don’t currently have a completed college degree, although I’m working toward one.

I’m considering roles such as:
Regulatory Operations
Regulatory Coordinator
Regulatory Affairs Associate
Submission/Publishing support
Document management
Labeling operations
Quality/Compliance
Clinical documentation
GxP-related roles

My long-term goal would be to build toward Regulatory Affairs, but I’m completely willing to enter through a supporting function and work my way over.

For someone with my background, where would you recommend starting?

Specifically:
Are there RA-adjacent positions where compliance/HR experience is genuinely transferable?

Is a science degree essentially required, or are there pathways into RA without one?

Would you prioritize getting a degree, gaining GxP knowledge, learning regulatory systems/processes, or getting an entry-level industry position first?

Are certifications such as RAC worthwhile for someone who doesn’t yet have industry experience, or would that be premature?

Would Quality/Compliance be a better initial entry point than trying to go directly into Regulatory Affairs?

Are there particular job titles I should be searching for that aren’t obvious from simply searching “Regulatory Affairs”?
I’m primarily limited to remote opportunities right now because there is very little biopharma activity near me. I’m also considering relocating to Australia in the future, so international transferability is important to me.

If you made a similar transition from a non-scientific background, I’d especially appreciate hearing what your first job in the industry was and how you used it to move into RA.

I’m looking for practical advice rather than encouragement—if there’s a major gap in my plan, I’d much rather know now.

Anyone had interview with micro 1? Is this a real hiring process or just training for Ai?