[Hiring] Director, Clinical Research Operations Service Line Activation @Vitalief

Role Description

Vitalief is seeking an experienced, hands-on clinical research operations leader to activate a new research service line for a multi-location health system and its affiliated academic medical center. The two institutions are building a shared clinical research enterprise. The first service line is live and led, and this role leads to the next one, drawing on the playbook and enterprise capabilities that first activation is putting in place. The next service line is being selected now; cardiovascular, pulmonary, and cardiopulmonary programs are among those under consideration, and we are seeking candidates whose experience spans one or more of those areas.

• Collaborate closely with the Vitalief delivery team, the service line's clinical leadership, and the health system's clinical trials office.
• Run discovery, set the service line's research strategy, seat and lead its working group, select and steward a priority study portfolio, build the investigator bench, and plan coordinator staffing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in Clinical Research Administration, Public Health, Nursing, or a related field strongly preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive clinical research operations experience, including 5 years in leadership or management roles.
• Experience building or activating a research service line, department, or multi-site program in an academic medical center or affiliated health system, with a record of opening studies on sponsor timelines.
• Cardiovascular, pulmonary, or cardiopulmonary clinical research experience is required.
• Track record of building research programs from thin starting conditions.
• Demonstrated success recruiting, onboarding, and mentoring new principal investigators.
• Expertise in study startup optimization, institutional feasibility review, IRB and single-IRB reliance, Medicare coverage analysis, and research billing compliance.
• Experience with CTMS platforms (OnCore preferred) and Epic research integration.
• Working relationships with sponsors and CROs.
• Demonstrated ability to operate within a matrixed, dual-institution governance structure.
• Strong executive presence and clear written communication.

Requirements

• Lead service line discovery and develop the strategy, priorities, and study portfolio using the established activation framework.
• Identify and cultivate clinical champions, establish research leadership relationships, and engage department chairs, division chiefs, and clinicians.
• Lead the service line expert working group, establish regular cadence, identify and resolve cross-study bottlenecks.
• Align coordinator staffing and shared resources with the study portfolio, investigator capacity, and anticipated demand.
• Serve as the primary service line contact for study opportunities and investigator relationships.
• Navigate institutional feasibility, IRB, contracting, budgets, coverage analysis, and research billing across both institutions.
• Capture lessons learned, improve the activation playbook and processes.

Benefits

• 20 PTO days
• 9 paid holidays
• Company-paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits
• Primarily remote job (EST Zone work hours) with 10% travel to client locations domestically
• Salary Range: $160,000 - $190,000, plus eligibility for performance-based incentives and equity participation

Physical Demands

• Standing, sitting, walking, visual perception, talking and hearing.
• Lifting up to 20lbs.
• Ability to travel up to 10%.