Director, Clinical Operations

Required Skills, Experience and Education

• RN or Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in biological sciences or health-related field required.

• 15 years direct Clinical Operations experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry. Relevant indirect experiences may also meet the requirement.

• Minimum of 9 years of project and first-line management experience.

• Experience in leading and managing global phase 1-3 clinical trials within designated timelines, resources, and budgets.

• Strong working knowledge of FDA Regulations, ICH Guidelines, and GCP.

• Experience with vendor management and CRO oversight.

• Ability to perform complex analysis, draw relevant conclusions, and implement appropriate solutions.

• Ability to pivot, be solution-oriented with consideration to long-term impact on clinical trials, responsibilities, and inspection-readiness.

• Strong analytical, negotiation, and persuasion skills.

• Ability to deal with time demands, incomplete information, or unexpected events.

• Outstanding organizational skills with the ability to multi-task and prioritize.

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

• Decision-making skills.

• Comfortable in a fast-paced company environment and able to adjust workload based upon changing priorities.

• Demonstrate proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint); MS Project and/or Smartsheet a plus.

• Travel may be required (~25%).

• Adhere to Clinical Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) Guidelines.

• Oversee the successful management of all aspects of clinical trials within timelines and designated program budgets.

• Strategic thought partner on the development, management, and execution of the Clinical Development Plan (CDP) for assigned clinical programs which include timelines, budget, and resource requirements. Ability to identify critical path activities and articulate and mitigate risks to clinical trial conduct.

• Responsible for successful planning and deployment of Clinical Operations staff (potentially including Clinical Program Managers/Clinical Trial Managers/Clinical Trial Assistants, and consultants) for project and non-project related tasks.

• Lead line management responsibilities that include hiring, performance management, career development, and mentorship.

• Manage/oversee CROs and selected study vendors; ensuring all vendors strive to achieve the predetermined program milestones according to budget and timeline, as well as evaluating vendor performance using metrics and KPIs.

• Lead team meetings and collaborate with other functional groups within the company (e.g., Clinical Development, Regulatory, QA, Finance, Legal, etc.) to achieve clinical study goals.

• Ensure clinical trials maintain an inspection readiness state throughout the lifecycle of the trial.

• Oversee the improvement of processes that will impact clinical trial management and deliverables including contingency plans by maintaining a highly effective Clinical Operations team and building strong relationships with functional leaders.