Project Manager, Licensing and Regulation
New York, NY
HQ – Operations /
Full-Time /
Hybrid
At Rowan, we are all about making ear piercing experiences a celebration full of joy! Rowan is an innovative ear-piercing and hypoallergenic jewelry brand that brings safety to the forefront with our team of licensed nurses – and celebration to every customer with our joyful approach to piercings and jewelry. Our priority is to offer a fun, celebratory, and safe ear piercing experience for everyone. When we say piercing for all, we mean it. Everybody is invited to this ear party!
Rowan’s Project Manager of Licensing and Regulation, reporting to the Director of New Studio Openings, will ensure that all Rowan studios and nurses are fully licensed and compliant with applicable laws. This role is responsible for establishing and maintaining strong relationships with local municipalities and health departments, while also paving new regulatory pathways that allow Rowan to expand needle piercing services into new markets.
You will lead the systems and processes that guarantee every Rowan nurse is properly licensed, credentialed, and compliant with state and federal regulations. This includes building scalable infrastructure to manage onboarding, renewals, audits, and ongoing credentialing workflows nationwide. Acting as the subject-matter expert on piercing-related regulations, you will advocate for variances and exemptions where necessary, and serve as Rowan’s primary liaison with regulatory bodies.
In close partnership with the Retail Leadership Team, Store Operations, and cross-functional stakeholders, you will ensure Rowan can open new studios on time, operate without interruption, and deliver safe, high-quality piercing services across all markets.
What you'll do:
- In partnership with HR, oversee the process of licensing individual nurses:
- Manage the full lifecycle of Nurse body art licensing, including initial applications, renewals, and updates across multiple jurisdictions.
- Maintain a centralized and accurate database of nurse body art licenses, certifications (e.g., bloodborne pathogens training, CPR), and expiration dates.
- Ensure all body art licensing and health certifications are up to date before nurses are scheduled to work.
- Work with new hires to collect and submit necessary documentation for licensure and onboarding.
- Ensure renewals happen in a timely manner so there is no lapse in licensure.
- Conduct regulatory research on needle piercing requirements for all new studio openings, including local zoning and health codes.
- Act as the primary liaison with local and state Health Departments and other governing agencies during market entry and new location setup, as well as for ongoing inquiries, inspections, and compliance reviews.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with local Department Of Health officials
- Proactively engage officials through meetings, site visits, and demonstrations to build trust and transparency around Rowan’s safe piercing practices.
- Provide education and training materials that highlight infection control, sterilization protocols, and nurse-led piercing safety standards.
- Address concerns or violations quickly and professionally, demonstrating a commitment to compliance and public health.
- Track and report on regulatory interactions to inform leadership and identify trends in oversight.
- Attend local council, health board, or Department of Health (DOH) meetings as needed.
- Advocate for exemptions, variances, or alternative paths for the ability to needle pierce in markets with restrictive regulations.
- Monitor and analyze regulatory landscapes across states, and municipalities to identify barriers to needle piercing.
- Develop and submit variance and exemption requests to health departments and other governing bodies.
- Collaborate with industry associations, legal counsel, and lobbyists to shape and advance regulations that support nurse led piercing.
- Engage with regulators and public health officials to educate them on the safe practices, training standards and best practices of Clinical Ear Piercing Standard / Ear Piercing Institute, and Rowan as a whole.
- Prepare supporting documentation, data, and case studies.
- Track outcomes and maintain a database of regulatory wins, pending applications, and ongoing advocacy efforts.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Retail and Studio Operations to ensure training materials reflect current regulatory requirements.
- Complete quarterly audits of relevant regulations to stay ahead of changes in law or policy.
- Coordinate with studio managers to audit licensing compliance at regular intervals.
- Oversee website and appointment booking system compliance by communicating updates and timelines to the web team, and conducting quality assurance reviews to ensure content is accurate, clear, and legally sound.
- Build and refine processes partnership with cross functional departments such as HR (e.g., developing individual nurse licensure tracking)
- Own upkeep of all master documentation housing regulations
- Other duties as assigned
What you bring to the table:
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Legal Studies, Public Health or related field; equivalent experience considered.
- 2–4 years of experience in regulatory compliance, licensing, or health code administration, ideally in body art, cosmetology, or healthcare.
- Knowledge of state/local health regulations related to tattooing, piercing, and other body modification services.
- Familiarity with licensing portals and documentation requirements for health departments and professional certification boards.
- Up to 15% travel
Full-Time Benefits and Perks:
- Full-Time Benefits + Perks:
- Medical/Dental/Vision Health Plans
- Long-term Disability
- Life Insurance
- 401k and Roth IRA Plans
- Paid Parental Leave
- Open PTO policy
- Employee discounts on our amazing products!
$75,000 - $85,000 a year
About Us: Rowan is an innovative ear-piercing and hypoallergenic jewelry brand that brings safety to the forefront with our team of licensed nurses—and celebration to every guest with our joyful approach to piercings and jewelry. Our brick-and-mortar locations across the US also provide a long-overdue alternative to the standard mall piercing. At Rowan, we believe that every ear piercing is a milestone and it should be celebrated. We believe in “Piercing for All”.
Check us out on the TODAY Show on NBC — How 1 woman is reinventing the ear piercing experience (today.com)
Important note: Rowan believes in teamwork, collaboration, and diversity. We know our team is stronger together and we commit to staying true to these values as we grow. In a remote setting, interviewing at Rowan may include phone interviews, virtual “on-site” interviews, and on-the-job mock cases. We are committed to run a thorough process for candidates with whom we identify a potential match, and we will do our best to follow-up with each and every applicant! If you’re on the fence, just give it a try! We are an equal opportunity employer and we encourage everyone to apply!
Rowan is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, national origin (including language use and possession of a driver's license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the United States is authorized under federal law), ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity (including transgender identification), gender expression, age for individuals over forty years of age, military and veteran status of any person, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws (“protected characteristics”).
