Clinical Vendor Activation Manager

Care Access

5d•Remote

About The Position

The Clinical Vendor Activation Manager serves as a dedicated resource within the Study Start Up Department (SSU) to oversee vendor engagement during clinical trial start-up and execution. This role ensures vendors are qualified, contracted, and aligned with study protocols and activation timelines. The Clinical Vendor Activation Manager combines operational vendor oversight with clinical insight, enabling Care Access to activate studies on time and support the site network effectively.

Requirements

Strong understanding of clinical protocols, trial execution, and start-up workflows.
Prior vendor experience with the ability to discuss protocol clinical aspects with vendors.
Skilled at guiding vendor partners and internal teams on protocol expectations, training, and procedures.
Effective communicator of vendor requirements both internally and externally.
Experience interacting with sponsors and their preferred vendor teams to review expectations and qualifications.
Experience working with site networks; direct site-based experience strongly valued.
Ability to negotiate and 'sell' Care Access’s value to vendor partners and sponsors.
Experience interacting with investigators, clinical staff, and site teams to support operational decision-making.
Strong cross-functional communication skills in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
Creative, outside-the-box problem solving with openness to brainstorming solutions.
Proactive mindset with ownership, accountability, and focus on clinical quality.
Ability to foresee risks based on historical knowledge, manage escalations efficiently, and follow up across governance structures.
Data management skills for tracking KPIs, vendor performance, and escalation logs.
Ability to hold vendors accountable to agreed timelines and deliverables.
Capacity to effectively document historical vendor performance and leverage it for future pipeline planning.
Experience creating and implementing new processes based on role and company needs.
Experience reviewing, interpreting, and providing feedback on vendor contracts, including identifying risks, obligations, and compliance requirements.
Proven ability to manage the full lifecycle of vendor contracts, from negotiation through execution, renewal, and termination.
Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, healthcare, nursing, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
3–5 years of experience in clinical operations, vendor management, or clinical trial start-up.
Prior vendor-facing experience within clinical trials required.
Familiarity with vendor qualification systems, contracting workflows, and site activation processes.
Experience in SSU, Clinical Project Management, or Vendor Oversight strongly preferred.
Proficiency with CTMS, clinical portals, and project tracking tools.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Direct site-based experience strongly valued.
Experience in SSU, Clinical Project Management, or Vendor Oversight strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Review clinical protocols and study documents to determine vendor scope and compatibility; translate protocol elements into vendor qualifications and expectations.
Provide clinical insight to the Vendor Management and SSU teams to support vendor selection, feasibility, and site alignment.
Collaborate with SSU, Regulatory, Site Ops, Legal, Vendor Management, and other departments to align on vendor strategy, timelines, and documentation flow.
Guide vendors through training expectations based on protocol requirements; assist internal teams in clarifying procedural expectations and documentation needs.
Identify and troubleshoot vendor-related issues impacting clinical execution or study timelines; act as clinical escalation point for vendor readiness concerns.
Participate in SEV preparation and vendor-related activation readiness, ensuring clinical requirements are addressed early in the start-up process, with an ‘outside-the-box' mindset to identify creative solutions with sites and managers to meet deliverables.
Serve as the clinical point-of-contact for vendors, ensuring timely responses when study manuals are unavailable.
Standardize and improve communication pathways between vendors, SSU teams, and internal stakeholders.
Monitor vendor performance, proactively raise risks based on historical knowledge, and escalate concerns impacting KPIs.
Document and track contracting and qualification timelines, escalation history, and vendor performance metrics in internal systems.
Support relationship-building with vendors, sponsors, site networks, and investigators by ensuring consistent, high-quality messaging.
Develop and refine vendor management processes to optimize efficiency and quality.
Contribute to pipeline planning by maintaining accurate vendor historical records and lessons learned.
Apply data management skills to track KPIs and ensure compliance with site network requirements.
Negotiate with vendors and sponsors, demonstrating sales ability when communicating the benefits of partnering with Care Access.
Maintain vendor documentation, records of communications, and escalation logs.
Represent Vendor Management in clinical and operational discussions with sponsors, CROs, and vendor teams.
Guide internal and external stakeholders on vendor requirements, protocol expectations, training, and procedures.
Participate in governance calls and internal meetings to provide updates on vendor performance and risk status.
Develop tools, templates, and training materials to strengthen vendor onboarding and oversight processes.
Oversee vendor relationships, ensuring compliance with company policies, service level agreements, and performance standards.
Review, negotiate, and manage contracts throughout their lifecycle, including renewals and amendments.
Monitor vendor performance, resolve escalations, and recommend improvements to optimize cost, quality, and service.