Senior Director, Clinical Research Operations

ely benefit patients.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced, strategic yet hands-on Clinical Research Operations Leader to join our delivery team as a full-time, fully benefited employee. In this role, you will partner with a multi-location community hospital system to transform its research enterprise into a scalable, high-performing, world-class clinical research operation.

As the primary subject matter expert (SME), this leader will collaborate closely with the Vitalief delivery team to design and implement enterprise-level operational initiatives, with a strong emphasis on Non-Oncology programs and enhancing cross-system communication and coordination. A central focus of the role will be leading the operational build-out and execution of a Cardiovascular clinical trials pilot, including infrastructure development, staffing strategy, workflow optimization, and technology deployment.

WHY VITALIEF?
• Professional Growth: Join a team of experienced practitioners who bring both business acumen and domain expertise.
• Impactful Work: Contribute to scientific advancements that directly improve patient lives.
• People-First Culture: Thrive in an environment that fosters growth, innovation, and collaboration.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Enjoy 20 PTO days, 9 paid holidays, company-paid life insurance, short- and long-term disability, a 401(k) retirement plan, and robust healthcare options.
• Flexible Work Location: Hybrid role with 2–3 days per week onsite in the Orange, NJ area.
• Competitive Compensation: Base salary, performance bonus, and equity incentives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - What Success Looks Like
• Successful design, launch and operational stabilization of a scalable Cardiovascular research pilot across multiple hospital campuses and ambulatory sites.
• Aligned research strategy with institutional priorities through close partnership with executive, clinical, and administrative leadership.
• Established standardized workflows, SOPs and enterprise-wide performance metrics for research operations.
• Strengthened investigator engagement and increased research participation across service lines.
• Established scalable infrastructure and service line activation frameworks, in collaboration with investigators and sponsors, to reduce study activation timelines, enhance start-up predictability, and support sustainable research growth.
• Successfully managed cross-functional initiatives within matrixed reporting environments and complex academic-clinical governance structures.
• Transition from opportunistic research conduct to a deliberate, strategic, and scalable clinical research enterprise.

Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Clinical Research Administration, Public Health, Nursing, or related field strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 7 to 10 years of progressive clinical research operations experience, including 3 to 5 years in leadership or management roles.
• Experience building and launching a clinical research multi-location operation from scratch, enabling timely initiation of multiple studies across diverse therapeutic areas.
• Demonstrated experience leading and supporting complex multi-site clinical research settings, including academic medical centers, affiliated and non-academic health systems, and disparate research locations.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex drug, device, adaptive, or multi-arm trials.
• Cardiovascular clinical research experience strongly preferred.
• Expertise in study start-up optimization, IRB processes, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience with CTMS platforms (e.g., OnCore) and Epic research integration.
• Strong knowledge of research billing compliance and Medicare clinical trial requirements.
• Proven ability to develop SOPs, quality systems, and performance dashboards.
• Experience strong relationships with sponsors and CRO partners to enhance site reputation and repeat business opportunities.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence across matrixed environments.
• Demonstrated success leading operational transformation or research program development initiatives.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Standing, sitting, walking, visual perception, talking and hearing. Lifting up to 20lbs.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Vitalief partners with clients such as major medical centers and academic institutions that often requires all on-site resources such as prospective Vitalief consultants to be inoculated annually for Influenza and successfully pass a Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.