Project Manager-Surveys and Observational Studies

RTI International•Raleigh, NC

8d•$75,000 - $110,000

About The Position

RTI Health Solutions (RTI-HS), a wholly owned subsidiary of RTI International, is an independent research organization providing healthcare consulting and research expertise to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device clients. The Project Manager will work in the Surveys and Observational Studies practice, part of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research group. This practice designs and executes real-world evidence studies to inform clinical development and demonstrate the value and safety of marketed products. The role manages operational delivery of prospective and retrospective surveys and observational studies, ensuring work is consistent with protocols, scope, timelines, budgets, and quality expectations. It coordinates study start-up, research sites, recruitment, vendors, data collection, project teams, client communications, financial tracking, reporting, and study closeout. The Project Manager also supports proposal development and helps maintain compliance with applicable research ethics, privacy, data protection, and internal quality requirements. The position requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant research or health field with five years of related experience, a master’s degree with two years of experience, or a PhD in a related field. The anticipated hiring salary range is $75,000–$110,000. RTI describes a total rewards package that includes paid time off, merit-based annual increases, bonus opportunities, recognition, insurance plans, retirement savings, paid parental leave, adoption or infertility-treatment financial assistance, education and development reimbursement, and an employee assistance program.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in public health, epidemiology, health sciences, social sciences, or a related research or health field, plus five years of related experience; alternatively, a master’s degree plus two years of experience, or a PhD in a related field of study.
Experience supporting both prospective studies, such as surveys, registries, or observational field studies, and retrospective studies, such as medical record abstraction.
Working knowledge of observational study operations, including site management, recruitment, data collection workflows, study documentation, and data quality oversight.
Demonstrated ability to manage project timelines, deliverables, budgets, and external vendors or subcontractors.
Strong interpersonal, written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to work effectively across scientific, operational, and client teams.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities across multiple projects.
Sound problem-solving skills and judgment in identifying risks, resolving issues, and escalating concerns.
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel.
Professional proficiency in English.

Nice To Haves

At least five years of relevant experience in a contract research organization, pharmaceutical or biotechnology company, academic research organization, or similar setting.
Demonstrated experience coordinating or managing health-related surveys, registries, observational studies, medical record abstraction studies, clinical trials, or other non-interventional research projects.
Familiarity with U.S. institutional review board processes and applicable research ethics, patient privacy, and data protection requirements.
Experience with patient-reported outcomes, healthcare professional surveys, patient registries, or multisite medical record abstraction studies.
Experience with electronic survey platforms, electronic data capture systems, or project management tools.
Experience supporting multinational surveys and observational studies, including projects in Europe.

Responsibilities

Manage operational delivery of prospective and retrospective surveys and observational studies against protocols, scope, timelines, budgets, and quality expectations.
Develop, maintain, and track project plans, milestones, deliverables, resources, and dependencies with scientific leads and project teams.
Coordinate study start-up, including operational input on protocols, survey instruments, case report forms, medical record abstraction tools, and data collection plans.
Coordinate institutional review board submissions and related study documentation with internal staff, research sites, and vendors.
Manage and track patient, healthcare professional, and site recruitment; monitor enrollment and data collection; and coordinate responses to challenges.
Coordinate external vendors and subcontractors supporting recruitment, survey administration, electronic data capture, medical record abstraction, and other study activities.
Build and maintain client relationships through proactive communication, transparent reporting, and timely resolution of project issues.
Lead cross-functional project teams and coordinate work across scientific, biostatistics, data management, regulatory, quality, and operational functions.
Oversee research site activation, training, performance monitoring, issue resolution, and closeout.
Monitor project financial performance, track expenditures against budgets, maintain project information systems, and identify scope changes or budget variances.
Serve as a primary operational contact for clients, vendors, and internal teams, providing updates on study progress, deliverables, risks, and decisions.
Plan and facilitate internal and external project meetings, maintain minutes and action logs, and ensure follow-through.
Identify, assess, and resolve project issues and risks, escalating concerns as appropriate.
Partner with scientific, data management, and quality colleagues to monitor data completeness and quality and resolve discrepancies.
Maintain accurate study records and support compliance with research ethics, privacy, data protection, and internal quality requirements.
Coordinate preparation, review, and delivery of project reports and other study outputs and support study closeout.
Contribute to proposal development through operational planning, timeline development, and budget estimates as needed.