Director of Operations - Clinical Research Site Network

We are seeking an experienced Director of Operations to lead and scale operations across our growing Clinical Research Site Network. This role is responsible for ensuring operational excellence, consistency, compliance, and financial performance across all research sites while supporting sustainable growth and high-quality trial execution.

The Director of Operations plays a critical leadership role in bridging strategy, site-level execution, and sponsor/CRO expectations. This individual will partner closely with executive leadership, business development, and site teams to optimize workflows, improve performance metrics, and position the network as a reliable, high-performing clinical research partner.

This role requires a strong background in clinical research operations, multi-site management, and regulatory compliance, with the ability to lead teams through growth and change.

Duties & Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and execute operational strategies that support network growth, efficiency, and profitability.
• Oversee day-to-day operations across all clinical research sites, ensuring consistency in processes and performance.
• Partner with executive leadership to align operational goals with organizational strategy and business development initiatives.
• Establish, monitor, and improve key performance indicators (KPIs) related to enrollment, startup timelines, quality, and financial performance.

Site & Team Management

• Provide direct leadership and oversight to site directors, managers, and operational staff.
• Build scalable operational infrastructure to support new site launches and acquisitions.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the network.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and development of site leadership and operations teams.

Clinical Trial Operations

• Ensure sites are equipped to execute trials efficiently from startup through close-out.
• Standardize workflows for study startup, budgeting, contracting support, enrollment, and study conduct.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement solutions to improve cycle times and study performance.
• Collaborate with Business Development to ensure operational feasibility and readiness for new studies.

Quality, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure full compliance with FDA regulations, ICH-GCP, sponsor/CRO requirements, and internal SOPs.
• Oversee quality assurance initiatives, audit readiness, and corrective/preventive action plans.
• Proactively identify operational and compliance risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Promote a culture of quality, patient safety, and regulatory excellence.

Financial & Resource Oversight

• Support site-level budgeting, resource allocation, and cost control initiatives.
• Monitor operational expenses and productivity to ensure financial sustainability.
• Partner with finance and leadership to support forecasting and operational planning.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Serve as a senior operational point of contact for sponsors, CROs, and internal stakeholders as needed.
• Support sponsor satisfaction by ensuring consistent, high-quality site performance.
• Represent the organization in operational discussions, meetings, and industry engagements when appropriate.

Requirements

Knowledge & Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Life Sciences, Business, or a related field required
• Master’s degree (MBA, MHA, or similar) preferred

Experience

• Proven experience in clinical research operations, with multi-site or network-level leadership strongly preferred
• Demonstrated success managing site operations, teams, and performance metrics
• Strong understanding of clinical trial workflows, site startup, enrollment, and study execution
• Experience scaling operations in a growing clinical research organization preferred

Knowledge & Skills

• In-depth knowledge of clinical research regulations, ICH-GCP, and FDA requirements
• Strong leadership, coaching, and change-management skills
• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on operational execution
• Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization
• Financial acumen related to site operations and resource management
• Ability to travel as needed to support site operations and growth initiatives

Core Expectations

As part of our team, all employees are expected to:

• Uphold the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and confidentiality
• Ensure compliance with FDA regulations and all applicable local, state, and federal guidelines
• Maintain respect, trust, and collaboration across all internal and external interactions
• Protect patient privacy and safeguard sensitive information at all times

Benefits

Why You’ll Like Working Here

• Hands-on training and real-world experience (no “figure it out alone” energy)
• Supportive team that wants you to succeed
• Clear opportunities to grow and take on more responsibility over time
• Competitive pay
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance