Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical Operations

Job requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in a related field.

• 15+ years of progressive experience in clinical operations leadership within biotech or pharma.

• Demonstrated success overseeing 5+ clinical programs (Phase I–IV) simultaneously.

• Proven experience leading multi-regional/global trials (e.g., U.S., EU, and APAC), including start-up through close-out.

• Deep understanding of pulmonary/respiratory therapeutic areas required.

• Proven ability to scale teams and establish efficient organizational structures.

• Strong vendor management, budgeting, and operational governance experience.

• Collaborative, decisive leader with exceptional communication and change management skills.

• Based in or willing to travel frequently to the Raleigh–Durham (RTP) area preferred; or East Coast candidates.

Job responsibilities

• Define and implement the long-term vision, organizational design, and operating model for Clinical Operations.

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team capable of scaling with company growth.

• Serve as a trusted member of the R&D leadership team, collaborating closely with Clinical Development, Regulatory, CMC, Clinical Quality and Commercial functions and colleagues.

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the executive leadership team

• Evaluate and implement emerging technologies and innovative trial methodologies to improve efficiency and patient experience.

• Oversee planning, execution, and delivery of multiple concurrent clinical programs across different stages of development including supporting investigator-led and post-marketing studies

• Lead global study expansion, including country/region selection, feasibility, site activation, and oversight of regional CROs and vendors; ensure compliance with local regulations, ethics committee requirements, import/export (IP, samples), and data privacy laws.

• Drive operational excellence, ensuring programs are delivered on time, within budget, and in compliance with global GCP standards.

• Optimize vendor relationships (CROs, central labs, data management, etc.) for quality, accountability, and efficiency.

• Ensure consistency across and within clinical programs.

• Develop and manage departmental budgets, forecasts, and resource plans.

• Implement metrics and dashboards to monitor performance, quality, and risk across studies.

• Champion process improvement and innovation, introducing scalable tools and best practices.

• Partner with Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Safety and Pharmacovigilance Clinical Quality and Program Management to align operational strategy with corporate goals.

• Contribute to program governance, study design input, and clinical strategy discussions.

• Represent Clinical Operations in regulatory and partner interactions as needed.

Job benefits