DIRECTOR, CLINICAL TRIALS OPERATIONS, DCRI

Duke Careers•Durham, NC

17h•Remote

About The Position

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director, Project Delivery serves as the senior leader responsible for the strategic oversight, operational excellence, and successful execution of a designated industry-sponsored clinical trial portfolio. This role provides executive-level project governance, ensures delivery to key performance metrics, and partners across the organization to optimize project outcomes, client satisfaction, and institutional growth. The Director serves as a key escalation point and governance lead for high-profile sponsors, while mentoring Project Leads and embedding best-in-class operational practices that strengthen DCRI’s reputation as a premier academic research partner. NOTE: This position may have an opportunity to work remotely. All Duke University and Duke Health remote workers must reside in one of the following states or districts: Arizona; California; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Illinois; Maryland; Massachusetts; Montana; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia or Washington, DC., Washington (State), Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Maine, Ohio, New Hampshire, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oregon, Iowa, Missouri, Delaware, and Connecticut

Requirements

Work requires a Bachelor's degree. Advanced degree preferred (e.g., MSN, MPH, MHA, PharmD, MBA).
Ten years of relevant experience to include 7 years in leadership roles.
Proven ability to lead global, multi-site industry-sponsored studies within the cardiovascular therapeutic area.
Strong operational and financial acumen, including P&L accountability, KPI management, and performance optimization.
Demonstrated success in stakeholder engagement, client governance, and cross-functional leadership.
Excellent communication, strategic thinking, and mentoring skills.
Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership and team development.

Nice To Haves

At least five years in a leadership or management capacity in the contract research, pharmaceutical, medical device, or biotechnology industry or in an academic research organization is preferred.

Responsibilities

Own sponsor-facing governance and portfolio-level accountability for assigned industry sponsors, including delivery performance, executive engagement, and proactive risk management.
Provide executive-level oversight and governance of designated project portfolios for large industry sponsors, ensuring on-time, on-budget, and high-quality delivery
Provide portfolio-level governance and relationship management for large industry sponsors, ensuring strategic alignment and proactive risk management
Lead internal and external project governance activities (steering committee meetings, executive business reviews, portfolio performance discussions)
Partner with Clinical Operations leadership to align portfolio delivery priorities and sponsor expectations with functional execution.
Partner closely with Clinical Operations leadership to align resource planning, operational execution, and governance frameworks, ensuring seamless integration between project oversight and clinical delivery.
Partner with COO and leadership to design and implement a therapeutically aligned Project Delivery structure as a proof-of-concept model for future scaling.
Maintain strong client and internal relationships
Serve as key escalation point and relationship manager for large, high-profile industry sponsors
Represent DCRI in professional and sponsor-facing forums to enhance visibility of DCRI’s expertise and operational excellence
Collaborate with Business Development to support proposal strategy, bid defense participation, and pricing alignment
Work closely with Business Development and Research Proposal Development teams to shape proposal strategy, validate operational feasibility, and ensure competitive positioning for new opportunities
Act as the strategic connector between Business Development and Clinical Operations, bridging sponsor engagement, proposal development, and operational delivery
Serve as a therapeutic area expert providing input into feasibility, protocol development, and operational strategy
Interface with functional area heads (Clinical Operations, Biostatistics, Data Solutions, Regulatory, and Quality) to ensure resource alignment and operational consistency
Serve as primary escalation point for operational or strategic issues across assigned projects
Partner with Project Leads to monitor project health, KPIs, risk management, and financial performance; drive corrective actions as needed
Understand and manage both project-specific and functional KPIs in collaboration with Clinical Operations and sponsor expectations
Establish clear escalation pathways and governance structures in collaboration with Sponsor and Clinical Operations leadership to manage risks and client escalations
Translate industry trends and operational intelligence into actionable insights for continuous process and performance improvement
Performs other related duties incidental to the work described herein.