Director of Clinical Research Operations, CCRU

University of Pennsylvania

About The Position

The Director of Clinical Research Operations for Cardiology leads all aspects of the Cardiology Clinical Research Unit (CCRU), overseeing clinical trial operations, regulatory compliance, research staff, and strategic program development across Penn Medicine. This role partners with faculty, sponsors, and administrative leadership to expand the research enterprise across cardiology and ensure excellence in trial conduct and participant care. The Director serves as a key member of the cardiology research leadership team and drives initiatives to optimize workflow, quality, and growth. This position is contingent upon favorable funding.

Requirements

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and 7 to 10 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Responsibilities

Lead CCRU clinical research personnel including hiring, onboarding, training, mentoring, and performance management.
Manage research pods across cardiology to ensure consistency in clinical trial execution and documentation standards.
Support development of project managers, supervisors, and coordinators; set expectations and promote engagement.
Lead cross-functional meetings and foster a strong team culture.
Oversee end-to-end clinical trial operations including feasibility, site activation, conduct, monitoring, and close-out.
Ensure efficient workflows, documentation accuracy, participant safety, and real-time issue resolution.
Standardize operational processes across cardiology sites within Penn Medicine.
Allocate resources and staffing across studies to meet enrollment and performance goals.
Oversee regulatory submissions and ongoing compliance for sponsored and investigator-initiated trials.
Ensure strict adherence to GCP, FDA regulations, IRB requirements, and institutional SOPs.
Provide guidance on protocol development, IRB planning, safety considerations, and ethical research conduct.
Lead data quality systems, monitoring plans, and quality assurance initiatives.
Support the development of study budgets and financial projections.
Partner with centralized finance teams on billing plans, coverage analysis, and financial stewardship.
Participate in contract negotiations, space planning, and infrastructure development.
Develop and implement programmatic initiatives to strengthen and expand cardiology research operations.
Serve as a key member of the cardiology research leadership team.
Foster internal and external collaborations to broaden the CCRU’s research footprint.
Identify opportunities to enhance operational effectiveness and align with institutional strategy.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Benefits

Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.