Manager, Patient Retention

Kailera Therapeutics•Waltham, MA

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Patient Retention will help protect clinical trial data integrity by reducing participant dropouts and attrition bias. The role monitors early warning systems, including eCOA alerts, compliance trends, and site performance metrics, and coordinates timely interventions for at-risk participants with Kailera Medical, CRO partners, and regional CRAs. The position uses operational data to guide clinical action and protect the statistical power of Kailera’s GLP-1 clinical programs. This is a hub-based position in Waltham, Massachusetts, with onsite work 3–4 days per week. The role works with clinical sites, CRO partners, operational leads, and Medical Monitors to identify retention risks, support sites, and improve retention strategies.

Requirements

3–5 years of progressive clinical research experience within biotech, pharma, or a major CRO, such as experience as a CRA, Lead Study Coordinator, or Clinical Operations Project Manager.
Advanced proficiency with clinical trial technologies, specifically EDC, IRT, and eCOA dashboard environments.
Ability to synthesize complex operational metrics and patient data trends into actionable risk-mitigation workflows.
Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-management skills, including experience navigating high-stakes conversations with PIs, coordinators, and external vendors.
Ability to thrive, self-direct, and execute precisely in a fast-paced, fluid, entrepreneurial startup culture.
Strong emotional intelligence and a solutions-oriented approach to counseling clinical teams through patient logistics and retention challenges.
Bachelor’s degree in a life science discipline, healthcare administration, or equivalent practical clinical research experience.

Nice To Haves

Direct operational experience on Phase 2 or Phase 3 GLP-1, metabolic, or obesity clinical trials.
Experience managing complex protocol work with large-scale tier-1 CROs.

Responsibilities

Monitor and analyze eCOA data portals, weekly compliance logs, and IRT alerts daily to identify signs of participant non-compliance or potential withdrawal.
Develop and execute proactive, study-wide retention strategies and site-facing communication frameworks to mitigate visit fatigue and protocol discontinuations.
Coordinate joint Kailera/CRO site outreach with IQVIA operational leads to provide direct, targeted support to struggling or high-risk clinical sites.
Maintain and optimize the internal clinical trial retention tracker, providing leadership and Medical Monitors with immediate visibility into active retention risks and resolutions.
Design and distribute site tools, patient counseling cheat sheets, and educational resources about the non-linear nature of GLP-1 weight loss journeys.
Analyze participant withdrawals to identify root causes, adjust retention strategies, and clean up historical EDC data.